But they weren’t having any of that — when Beckenbauer pushed forward from the back, Netzer dropped in and West Germany remained organised. This was, after all, Total Football.

FIFA recounts the fascinating battle between Gunter Netzer and Wolfgang Overath for a place in West Germany's XI at the 1974 FIFA World Cup.

West Germany of the cold-war 1970s, with long-haired Gerd Mueller, lank-haired Gunter Netzer and afro-haired Paul Breitner, won almost everything under the command of "Der Kaizer", Franz Beckenbauer.

Not perhaps a man to buy a used car from, Günter Netzer's dazzling skills helped West Germany shred all-comers at EURO 1972 and he was charismatic off the pitch too.

Gunter Netzer believes that Joachim Loew's Germany squad is good enough to win the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. The former international, who was voted German Footballer of the Year twice in 1972 and ...

A decade before Bernd, though, another West German arrived in Madrid and set the town aflame: Gunter Netzer. The dashing blondie lasted only a short time in Spain, but left an indelible mark.

Netzer's finest hour with the national team came in 1972, meanwhile, when his inspirational midfield displays helped a West Germany team widely considered the most exciting of the pre ...

Gunter Netzer praises Joachim Low for leading Germany to the World Cup semi-finals, despite coming under increasing scrutiny.

Pep Guardiolas arrival at Bayern Munich will benefit the whole Bundesliga, according to former West Germany international Gunter Netzer.