1972–73 Bundesliga
# 1972–73 Bundesliga

The 1972–73 Bundesliga was the tenth season of the Bundesliga, West Germany's premier football league. It began on 16 September 1972 and ended on 9 June 1973. FC Bayern Munich were the defending champions.

## Competition modus

Every team played two games against each other team, one at home and one away. Teams received two points for a win and one point for a draw. If two or more teams were tied on points, places were determined by goal difference and, if still tied, by goals scored. The team with the most points were crowned champions while the two teams with the fewest points were relegated to their respective Regionalliga divisions.

## Team changes to 1971–72

Borussia Dortmund were relegated to the Regionalliga after finishing in 17th place. They were accompanied by Arminia Bielefeld, who were demoted by the DFB for playing a key role in the 1971 match fixing scandal (although their playing record would have relegated them anyway). Both teams were replaced by Wuppertaler SV and Kickers Offenbach, who won their respective promotion play-off groups.

## Team overview

| Club | Ground | Capacity |
| - | - | - |
| Hertha BSC Berlin | Olympiastadion | 100,000 |
| VfL Bochum | Ruhrstadion | 40,000 |
| Eintracht Braunschweig | Eintracht-Stadion | 38,000 |
| SV Werder Bremen | Weserstadion | 32,000 |
| MSV Duisburg | Wedaustadion | 38,500 |
| Fortuna Düsseldorf | Rheinstadion | 59,600 |
| Eintracht Frankfurt | Waldstadion | 87,000 |
| Hamburger SV | Volksparkstadion | 80,000 |
| Hannover 96 | Niedersachsenstadion | 86,000 |
| 1. FC Kaiserslautern | Stadion Betzenberg | 42,000 |
| 1. FC Köln | Radrennbahn Müngersdorf | 29,000 |
| Borussia Mönchengladbach | Bökelbergstadion | 34,500 |
| FC Bayern Munich | Olympiastadion | 70,000 |
| FC Bayern Munich | Stadion an der Grünwalder Straße | 44,300 |
| Rot-Weiß Oberhausen | Niederrheinstadion | 30,000 |
| Kickers Offenbach | Bieberer Berg | 30,000 |
| FC Schalke 04 | Glückauf-Kampfbahn | 35,000 |
| VfB Stuttgart | Neckarstadion | 53,000 |
| Wuppertaler SV | Stadion am Zoo | 28,000 |

## League table

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Bayern Munich (C) | 34 | 25 | 4 | 5 | 93 | 29 | +64 | 54 | Qualification to European Cup first round |
| 2 | 1. FC Köln | 34 | 16 | 11 | 7 | 66 | 51 | +15 | 43 | Qualification to UEFA Cup first round |
| 3 | Fortuna Düsseldorf | 34 | 15 | 12 | 7 | 62 | 45 | +17 | 42 | Qualification to UEFA Cup first round |
| 4 | Wuppertaler SV | 34 | 15 | 10 | 9 | 62 | 49 | +13 | 40 | Qualification to UEFA Cup first round |
| 5 | Borussia Mönchengladbach | 34 | 17 | 5 | 12 | 82 | 61 | +21 | 39 | Qualification to Cup Winners' Cup first round |
| 6 | VfB Stuttgart | 34 | 17 | 3 | 14 | 71 | 65 | +6 | 37 | Qualification to UEFA Cup first round |
| 7 | Kickers Offenbach | 34 | 14 | 7 | 13 | 61 | 60 | +1 | 35 | |
| 8 | Eintracht Frankfurt | 34 | 15 | 4 | 15 | 58 | 54 | +4 | 34 | |
| 9 | 1. FC Kaiserslautern | 34 | 12 | 10 | 12 | 58 | 68 | −10 | 34 | |
| 10 | MSV Duisburg | 34 | 12 | 9 | 13 | 53 | 54 | −1 | 33 | |
| 11 | Werder Bremen | 34 | 12 | 7 | 15 | 50 | 52 | −2 | 31 | |
| 12 | VfL Bochum | 34 | 11 | 9 | 14 | 50 | 68 | −18 | 31 | |
| 13 | Hertha BSC | 34 | 11 | 8 | 15 | 53 | 64 | −11 | 30 | |
| 14 | Hamburger SV | 34 | 10 | 8 | 16 | 53 | 59 | −6 | 28 | |
| 15 | Schalke 04 | 34 | 10 | 8 | 16 | 46 | 61 | −15 | 28 | |
| 16 | Hannover 96 | 34 | 9 | 8 | 17 | 49 | 65 | −16 | 26 | |
| 17 | Eintracht Braunschweig (R) | 34 | 9 | 7 | 18 | 33 | 56 | −23 | 25 | Relegation to Regionalliga |
| 18 | Rot-Weiß Oberhausen (R) | 34 | 9 | 4 | 21 | 45 | 84 | −39 | 22 | Relegation to Regionalliga |

* ↑ Bayern Munich played only the first match at this stadium.
* ↑ As Borussia Mönchengladbach qualified for the Cup Winners' Cup and DFB-Pokal runners-up 1. FC Köln had already qualified for the UEFA Cup via league placement, M'gladbach's spot was transferred to sixth-placed team VfB Stuttgart.

## Results

| Home \ Away | BSC | BOC | EBS | SVW | DUI | F95 | SGE | HSV | H96 | FCK | KOE | BMG | FCB | RWO | KOF | S04 | VFB | WSV |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Hertha BSC | — | 2–0 | 3–0 | 2–1 | 0–0 | 2–3 | 3–1 | 2–1 | 2–1 | 4–1 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 2–5 | 3–1 | 2–5 | 3–0 | 5–1 | 0–1 |
| VfL Bochum | 2–1 | — | 2–2 | 2–0 | 2–1 | 2–2 | 2–1 | 3–3 | 2–0 | 3–0 | 2–4 | 3–0 | 0–2 | 2–2 | 2–3 | 2–0 | 3–1 | 2–2 |
| Eintracht Braunschweig | 2–1 | 0–2 | — | 1–0 | 1–1 | 1–2 | 2–1 | 1–1 | 3–2 | 0–0 | 2–0 | 0–0 | 0–2 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 0–1 |
| Werder Bremen | 1–1 | 5–2 | 4–2 | — | 0–2 | 1–3 | 2–0 | 1–4 | 3–1 | 5–1 | 2–1 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 0–0 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 0–1 |
| MSV Duisburg | 2–1 | 0–1 | 3–2 | 1–2 | — | 0–0 | 2–1 | 3–0 | 3–1 | 3–4 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 2–0 | 4–1 | 4–0 | 0–1 | 0–1 | 0–0 |
| Fortuna Düsseldorf | 3–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 2–1 | 2–1 | — | 2–2 | 2–2 | 0–1 | 2–1 | 3–2 | 1–3 | 0–0 | 3–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 6–1 | 2–1 |
| Eintracht Frankfurt | 2–2 | 4–1 | 1–0 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 2–1 | — | 2–1 | 2–0 | 3–1 | 5–0 | 3–0 | 2–1 | 2–1 | 0–3 | 4–2 | 2–1 | 2–1 |
| Hamburger SV | 4–0 | 2–1 | 1–0 | 2–2 | 1–2 | 2–1 | 3–1 | — | 2–0 | 2–2 | 0–0 | 1–3 | 0–2 | 6–0 | 1–0 | 0–1 | 2–0 | 2–2 |
| Hannover 96 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 2–2 | 3–3 | 2–2 | 2–1 | 3–2 | — | 2–3 | 0–0 | 1–2 | 1–3 | 3–2 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 3–1 | 1–1 |
| 1. FC Kaiserslautern | 2–2 | 2–2 | 3–0 | 3–1 | 0–0 | 1–1 | 0–1 | 2–2 | 2–1 | — | 2–1 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 6–2 | 3–1 | 2–0 | 2–1 | 1–1 |
| 1. FC Köln | 4–0 | 2–1 | 4–3 | 1–0 | 3–1 | 1–0 | 3–1 | 2–1 | 3–3 | 2–0 | — | 3–1 | 2–1 | 3–1 | 1–1 | 3–0 | 5–1 | 1–1 |
| Borussia Mönchengladbach | 2–2 | 6–0 | 4–0 | 3–1 | 4–3 | 2–3 | 0–2 | 6–1 | 3–1 | 6–2 | 5–2 | — | 0–3 | 4–1 | 3–2 | 4–1 | 3–4 | 2–1 |
| Bayern Munich | 4–0 | 5–1 | 3–0 | 2–1 | 2–0 | 3–2 | 3–1 | 1–0 | 7–2 | 6–0 | 1–1 | 3–0 | — | 5–3 | 3–1 | 5–0 | 5–1 | 4–1 |
| Rot-Weiß Oberhausen | 2–1 | 1–1 | 0–1 | 2–3 | 4–0 | 0–3 | 1–0 | 3–1 | 1–0 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 0–5 | — | 2–1 | 2–1 | 2–2 | 2–1 |
| Kickers Offenbach | 0–0 | 4–0 | 1–0 | 2–1 | 4–1 | 1–1 | 3–2 | 2–1 | 2–1 | 2–2 | 2–3 | 2–1 | 0–3 | 4–0 | — | 2–0 | 1–3 | 3–1 |
| Schalke 04 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 0–1 | 1–2 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 3–2 | 2–0 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 3–0 | 6–1 | — | 2–0 | 1–2 |
| VfB Stuttgart | 4–0 | 4–0 | 4–0 | 2–1 | 3–4 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 2–1 | 2–0 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 3–0 | 0–1 | 3–0 | 4–2 | 6–2 | — | 4–2 |
| Wuppertaler SV | 4–1 | 3–0 | 2–1 | 1–1 | 5–0 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 5–1 | 0–4 | 2–0 | 2–2 | 0–5 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 4–3 | 4–1 | 4–0 | — |

* ↑ The Eintracht Braunschweig v Eintracht Frankfurt match from 31 October 1972 was suspended after 45 minutes (half-time) and a score of 3–0 due to poor visibility caused by heavy fog. The replay took place on 28 November 1972 and finished with a score of 2–1.

## Top goalscorers

### 36 goals

* Gerd Müller (FC Bayern Munich)

### 28 goals

* Jupp Heynckes (Borussia Mönchengladbach)

### 21 goals

* Günter Pröpper (Wuppertaler SV)

### 19 goals

* Erwin Kostedde (Kickers Offenbach)

### 18 goals

* Hans Walitza (VfL Bochum)

### 17 goals

* Uli Hoeneß (FC Bayern Munich)
* Klaus Wunder (MSV Duisburg)

### 16 goals

* Reiner Geye (Fortuna Düsseldorf)

### 14 goals

* Klaus Budde (Fortuna Düsseldorf)
* Willi Reimann (Hannover 96)

## Champion squad

* FC Bayern Munich
* Goalkeeper: Sepp Maier (34).
* Defenders: Franz Beckenbauer (34 / 6); Johnny Hansen (34 / 1); Hans-Georg Schwarzenbeck (34 / 1); Paul Breitner (32 / 4); Gernot Rohr (3); Günther Rybarczyk (2).
* Midfielders: Uli Hoeneß (34 / 17); Franz Roth (32 / 5); Franz Krauthausen (29 / 4); Rainer Zobel (28 / 2).
* Forwards: Gerd Müller (33 / 36); Bernd Dürnberger (31 / 3); Wilhelm Hoffmann (24 / 9); Edgar Schneider (16 / 3); Hans Jörg (3); Herbert Zimmermann (1).
* (league appearances and goals listed in brackets)
* Manager: Udo Lattek.
* On the roster but have not played in a league game: Manfred Seifert; Zlatko Škorić ; Matthias Obermeier; Georg Weiß; Wolfgang Sühnholz; Martin Wildgruber.
