Günter Netzer's outsized footwear are an apt reminder of one of Germany's greatest footballers. Wearing his size 12 boots, the midfielder matured into an outstanding playmaker for Borussia Mönchengladbach and Germany in the late 1960s. He caught the eye off the pitch, too, with his extravagant clothes, passion for fast cars and ownership of a discotheque, prompting the media to dub him the pop icon of German football.
In the legendary 1973 cup final against FC Cologne, Netzer began on the bench. Hennes Weisweiler's decision not to start him was a controversial matter. The highly successful coach and his biggest star were frequently at loggerheads despite benefiting from each other for many years. For the attack-minded Weisweiler, Netzer was a key player tailormade for his spectacular style of play. Netzer, however, was never slow to criticise if he thought Weisweiler's tactics were too attacking. sms [O-Ton Netzer: "I was constantly arguing with him because all he wanted to do was attack, attack, spectacle, goals, goals and more goals."].
On top of this, Netzer was not in the best frame of mind before the cup final following the death of his mother a few days earlier. News of his pending transfer to Real Madrid had also leaked. Weisweiler believed he could manage without his recalcitrant star and in so doing give him something to think about. At half-time, with the score 1-1, he thought better of it and decided to introduce Netzer. But he was having none of it. sms [O-Ton Netzer: "I said I wouldn't go on because I couldn't help the team. It was the best we had played in the previous 10 years. I had never seen a half so good, either with or without me."]. With that, the clash between the coach and his star player had reached its peak. As had the level of excitement in the final. And after 90 minutes, it was still 1-1.
What happened next has not been seen in the German game before or since. Netzer, having realised his young team-mate Christian Kulig had nothing left to give, brought himself on. "I'm playing now," he whispered to Weisweiler in passing. The move paid off after just three minutes. sms [O-Ton End game] Netzer makes it 2-1 to his team with a shot into the top corner. It's the winning goal and Netzer, in his final appearance for Mönchengladbach, is the radiant cup hero.
Once again, Netzer had caused a stir in his own inimitable style. His blue-and-yellow boots from the final also caught the eye. Weisweiler will have been blue in the face.
Deutsches Fußballmuseum