West Germany legend Günter Netzer turns 75

Günter Theodor Netzer's talent first came to light at Borussia Mönchengladbach where he played from 1963 to 1973, developing into one of the finest playmakers in the Bundesliga. Despite not always seeing eye to eye with coach Hennes Weisweiler, Netzer's mesmorizing dribbles and precise passing saw him crowned "King of the Bökelberg" by supporters at the Foals' famous old stadium.

Ask any Gladbach fan about Günter Netzer and this is what they'll remember: in the 1973 German cup final, the Foals were taken to extra-time by arch-rivals Cologne. With the words "Coach, I'm going on," Netzer effectively brought himself on as a substitute and promptly scored to make it 2-1 and win the cup for Gladbach. It epitomized Netzer the rebel, and Netzer the game-changer.

At the end of his time at Gladbach in 1973, Netzer was crowned Germany's footballer of the year for the second consecutive year — no wonder that Spanish giants Real Madrid had come calling. And so the Bundesliga lost one of its finest products as Netzer moved to Spain, where he inevitably made his mark ...

It was a big jump from the Rhineland to Real but Netzer adapted quickly. He immediately helped Real to consecutive Spanish cup triumphs in 1973 and 1974 before adding back-to-back league titles in 1975 and 1976. "They didn't really care about me in Madrid," he later remembered. "I had to fight for everything myself."

Netzer's time with the West German national team wasn't always easy. Netzer was part of the West Germany team which won the European Championship in 1972 and the World Cup in 1974, but he didn't always play a central role. The competition in midfield was tough and he had injury problems, too. Nevertheless, six goals in 37 appearances between 1965 and 1975 isn't a bad record.

Right from the start, Netzer was an extravagant footballer with star quality. He drove fast Ferraris and owned a club called "Lovers' Lane" in Mönchengladbach, but he later said about his playboy image: "I had to laugh about the picture people had of me as a long-haired player and a rebel. I was and still am a bit of a square."

After hanging up his boots, Netzer enjoyed a successful career as a club boss. In 1978, he became sporting director at Hamburg, pulling the strings during HSV's most successful period. Under Netzer's management, HSV recruited Branko Zebec and Ernst Happel as coaches, under whom the club won three Bundesliga titles (1979, 1982, 1983) and the European Cup (1983). Netzer stepped down in 1986.

Having enjoyed success on the pitch and in the boardroom, Netzer brought his knowledge and experience to television, analyzing Germany internationals for public broadcastetr ARD. His pundity, alongside host Gerhard Delling, was so popular that the pair won the 2000 Adolf Grimme Prize, one of the most prestigious media awards in Germany.

From player to manager to pundit — and finally to PR. Even during his time as a television analyst, Netzer was involved in TV rights negotiations and was Executive Director of "Infront Sports & Media" until 2017. The president of the sports rights agency was Philippe Blatter, the nephew of former FIFA president Sepp Blatter.

Despite his reputation in his younger days, Netzer has enjoyed a long and happy marriage to former model Elvira Lang. The pair have lived together for 40 years and married in 1987, the same year in which Netzer's daughter Alana was born. The family lives in Zurich, Switzerland.