Michael Preetz
A prolific Bundesliga striker who became the reliable goal-scoring heart of Hertha Berlin during their rise from obscurity.
Born 1967 (age 59)·German footballer·Birthday: August 17·Generation X
Biography
Michael Preetz's career is a story of persistence and precision in the penalty area. A classic German striker, he was not defined by flashy technique but by a striker's innate sense of positioning and a cool head in front of goal. After journeyman years at several clubs, he found his home at Hertha BSC in 1996, just as the club was climbing back to the Bundesliga. Preetz became the embodiment of their resurgence, his consistent goal tally propelling them into European competition and helping re-establish Hertha as a capital city force. His transition from player to sporting director was natural, applying the same steady, analytical approach to club management that he once used to dissect defenses. For Hertha fans, he remains a symbol of a gritty, successful era.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Michael was born in 1967, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Michael Was Born
The biggest hits of 1967
#1 Movie
The Jungle Book
Best Picture
In the Heat of the Night
#1 TV Show
The Andy Griffith Show
Michael's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1967Born
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1972Started school
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1980Became a teenager
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1983Could drive
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1985Could vote
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1988Turned 21
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1997Turned 30
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2007Turned 40
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Gas: $2.80/galHome: $172,600Min wage: $5.85/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Irreplaceable" — BeyonceBest Picture: No Country for Old Men
2017Turned 50
#MeToo movement; solar eclipse crosses the US
Gas: $2.42/galHome: $195,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Shape of You" — Ed SheeranBest Picture: The Shape of Water
2026Age 59 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won the Bundesliga top scorer award (Torjägerkanone) in the 1998-99 season while playing for Hertha BSC.
- Scored over 100 Bundesliga goals across his career, with the majority coming during his seven-year spell at Hertha Berlin.
- Played a key role in Hertha BSC's promotion to the Bundesliga in 1997 and their subsequent establishment as a top-flight club.
- Helped lead Hertha BSC to multiple appearances in the UEFA Champions League in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
- Served as Hertha BSC's sporting director for over a decade, overseeing the club's football operations after his playing retirement.
Did You Know?
He earned the nickname 'Air Preetz' for his heading ability, despite not being exceptionally tall for a striker.
Before his football career, he completed an apprenticeship as a bank clerk.
He scored a hat-trick in a famous 4-0 victory for Hertha BSC against Bayern Munich in 1999.
His son, Luca Preetz, is also a professional footballer.
“A striker's job is simple: be in the right place at the right time.”
