Paul Breitner polarized like no other German footballer. The series “Good Friends” tells of the rise of Breitner and Bayern in the 1970s. In the interview he explains how he became a misunderstood rebel – and why football bores him today.
Mister Breitnerhow did you react when you found out that part of your career was being made into a film?
When I heard that a series was being made about FC Bayern in the 1960s and 1970s, I feared the worst. Such sports films are often embarrassing. When actors recreate scenes from football games, it usually seems awkward.
Have you watched “Good Friends – The Rise of FC Bayern” still viewed?
I was invited to a preview. I warned the production people. It could be, I said, that I get up and leave after five minutes if it becomes too uncomfortable. It wasn’t. I watched all six episodes in one go. It’s one of the best sports series I know because it avoids all the embarrassments that exist in this genre. I’m actually a sober guy. But I was touched to see the history of the club, and my history too, condensed in such a successful way.
The series also tells about the shared apartment in the east of Munich that you shared with Uli Hoeneß. They were both young, they were just beginning their careers, they were both studying part-time. And yet you seemed like two people who could hardly be more opposite. How did that go well?
When Uli and I went to them Bavaria We had already spent a lot of time together in youth teams. We knew how different we were. And we respected that. At some point we were like an old married couple. At times we even shared a bed. We also had a shared telephone. When the bell rang, either of us answered, regardless of who the call was for. I could make Uli’s phone calls and he could make mine because we knew everything about each other.