Winning goal after self-substitution
When the stubborn Netzer duped his trainer
6/23/2023 1:46 p.m
“I’m playing now”: Günter Netzer substituted himself 50 years ago – and said goodbye to Germany with an iconic goal. The goal in the cup final was later even voted goal of the year, and legend Netzer was voted footballer of the year.
Günter Netzer’s legendary words will not be heard on Friday either, when the 1973 DFB Cup final in Borussia Park flickers across the screens again. “I’m playing now,” Netzer said to Hennes Weisweiler on that memorable Saturday, but no camera caught the sentence. The coach of Borussia Mönchengladbach just nodded – and a few minutes later Netzer flew wildly cheering through the air.
Netzer’s self-substitution in his last game for Gladbach will be played again in the sports bar on Friday, of course it starts at exactly 4 p.m. – like 50 years ago. The 270 seats have long been sold out. Christian Kulik, who made way for Netzer completely exhausted before the extra time, comes over, as does the goalkeeper at the time, Wolfgang Kleff.
“This story is so amazing”
Netzer himself does not come, but reminisced. “I’m saying it a little exaggerated: That hadn’t happened before in 100 years, and it won’t happen in the next 100 either. We’ve already done 50,” said the 78-year-old to the newspapers of the Funke media group : “This story is so incredible from start to finish.”
In fact, what’s happening is actually too cheesy to be true. Ten days before the final against 1. FC Köln in Düsseldorf’s Rheinstadion, Netzer’s move to Real Madrid was announced after ten years at Borussia. Netzer’s mother died a week before the game. Because Netzer also had a training deficit, the number ten initially sat on the bench in his farewell game – with shirt number twelve.
The rest is history. At half-time, Weisweiler asked his playmaker to “get ready”, but he refused. After 90 sweaty minutes, the score was 1-1, and the “Netzer, Netzer” chants grew louder and louder. Netzer went to Kulik, who wanted to be substituted, and then to Weisweiler. “I’m playing now,” said Netzer, Weisweiler just nodded tiredly, Netzer took off his training pants, the audience cheered.
“It was a legacy”
The extra time was less than four minutes when Netzer finished a one-two with Rainer Bonhof on the edge of the penalty area, didn’t hit the ball properly – and sank it in the top left corner. Netzer took off and jumped into Jupp Heynckes’ arms with his hair blowing – the photo is almost as famous as the goal itself. The goal was “like a catharsis”, wrote author Helmut Böttiger in his book “Günter Netzer. Manager und Rebell”. about that moment: “It was the logical farewell of the hero from Germany. It was a legacy.”
The goal was later voted Goal of the Year, and Netzer was voted Footballer of the Year. And Netzer? “I felt no personal triumph over Weisweiler. I almost felt sorry for Weisweiler, he really didn’t deserve this malice. He actually made the right decision technically,” he once said: “But he just misjudged my abilities, did something special in special moments to be able to.”