Paul Breitner

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Paul Breitner (born September 5, 1951 in Kolbermoor, West Germany) was a German football player.

Breitner was also called "Afro-Paule" Breitner thanks to his famous Afro haircut during his active career.

He was one of Germany's best players ever and was capped 48 times for his country. His football career lasted from 1970 until 1983 mainly playing for Bayern Munich (70-74 and 78-83) and Real Madrid (74-78) with a short interruption in Braunschweig.

The early peak of Breitner's long and successful career was in 1974 as part of the winning German World Cup team. The final was played in his hometown of Munich against the Netherlands. A European Championship in Italy (1980) later followed. Breitner is one of only three players ever to score in two World Cup finals (1974 against the Netherlands and 1982 against Italy). Breitner managed this, despite playing a predominantly defensive role.

During his club career, Breitner won several National Championships with Bayern Munich (1972, 1973, 1974, 1980, 1981) and Real (1975, 1976), the Champions' Cup (1974) as well as the German (1971, 1982) and Spanish Cups (1975). During his spell with Munich, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge and him formed such a formidable one-two-punch that they were only called Breitnigge.

To traditional fans in Germany he was widely decried for his "revolutionary" attitude and his tendency for sharing blunt opinions on political and social issues. Yet he could not resist to become rich when he had a chance to. Before the 1982 Football World Cup (held in Spain) former "leftist" Breitner caused a major uproar in Germany when he accepted an offer by a German cosmetics company paying him the - what many Germans regarded at that time as a "scandalously high" - sum of 150.000 Deutschmark if he shaved off his fluffy full beard, used their fragrance and advertised for the company. For a lot of Germans the whole incident - being paid 150.000 Deutschmark for just shaving off a beard - was an obscene thing to do.

Today, Breitner works as a TV critic and columnist. Unsurprisingly, he is still controversial.

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