The men's 400 metres event at the 1972 European Athletics Indoor Championships was held on 11 and 12 March in Grenoble. [1] [2]
| Gold | Silver | Bronze |
| Georg Nückles | Ulrich Reich | Wolfgang Müller |
First 2 from each heat (Q) and the next 2 fastest (q) qualified for the semifinals.
Held on 11 March
| Rank | Heat | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | Wolfgang Müller | 47.56 | Q | |
| 2 | 2 | Ulrich Reich | 47.57 | Q | |
| 3 | 1 | Alfonso Gabernet | 47.81 | Q, NR | |
| 4 | 1 | Georg Nückles | 47.84 | Q | |
| 5 | 1 | Luciano Sušanj | 47.84 | q | |
| 6 | 1 | Willy Vandenwyngaerden | 48.64 | q | |
| 7 | 2 | Jean-Pierre Sgard | 49.33 | ||
| 8 | 3 | Benno Stops | 49.93 | Q | |
| 9 | 3 | František Štross | 51.67 | Q |
First 2 from each heat (Q) qualified directly for the final.
Held on 11 March
| Rank | Heat | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Ulrich Reich | 47.58 | Q | |
| 2 | 1 | Alfonso Gabernet | 47.63 | Q, NR | |
| 3 | 1 | Benno Stops | 47.75 | ||
| 4 | 1 | Luciano Sušanj | 47.85 | ||
| 5 | 2 | Wolfgang Müller | 47.99 | Q | |
| 6 | 2 | Georg Nückles | 48.06 | Q | |
| 7 | 2 | Willy Vandenwyngaerden | 48.77 | ||
| 8 | 2 | František Štross | 49.55 |
Held on 12 March
| Rank | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Georg Nückles | 47.24 | |||
| Ulrich Reich | 47.42 | |||
| Wolfgang Müller | 47.42 | |||
| 4 | Alfonso Gabernet | 47.66 |