Reinhard Häfner played a significant part in the first Olympic victory of a German football team, scoring the goal for the GDR (East Germany) that won the 1976 final in the 3-1 win against Poland. The München team four years earlier claimed the bronze medal together with the Soviet Union after a 2-2 tie, after extra time. During the extra time the teams did not try to beat each other as both knew they would receive bronze medals. During his extraordinary career Häfner played 58 international matches for the former GDR as well as 391 matches in the top GDR football league for Rot-Weiß Erfurt and Dynamo Dresden. With Dresden, he won four national championships (1973, 1976, 1977, 1978) as well as four national cup finals (1977, 1982, 1984, 1985).
In 1988, immediately after his career Häfner became a coach and led Dynamo Dresden 1990 to the final GDR Championship and a win in the final GDR Cup. A year later, he entered the German Bundesliga with Dynamo. After further coaching stations at different clubs Häfner worked as a sports therapist in a rehabilitation clinic. He later suffered from alcohol abuse and depressions, and died at the age of 64 from cancer.
East Germany