Uli Hoeneß

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Hoeneß was born on 5 January 1952 in Ulm, Württemberg-Baden, West Germany. He grew up in a conservative, Catholic-influenced family as the son of master butcher Erwin Hoeneß and his wife, Paula. He attended the Hans-Multscher-Grundschule before transferring to the Schubart-Gymnasium, both in Ulm. Along with his younger brother Dieter, he began playing football in the youth department of VfB Ulm, later transferring to TSG Ulm 1846. At age 15, he became captain of the DFB's school selection team. During training camps, he shared a room with Paul Breitner, and they later moved into a shared apartment in Munich. In 1971, he graduated from the Schubart-Gymnasium with an average grade of 2.4. He was exempted from military service due to a knee injury. He initially intended to study business administration at LMU Munich but was unable due to a penalty for non-Bavarian applicants; he studied English and history for teaching instead but dropped out after two semesters.

In Their Own Story

Hoeneß's life took a dramatic turn on 17 February 1982, when he was the sole survivor of a light aircraft crash that killed three others; he had been traveling to a national team friendly and sustained only minor injuries while sleeping in the rear. His administrative legacy began in May 1979 when he was appointed commercial manager. In 2009, after three decades as general manager, he was elected president. Under his leadership, Bayern built the Allianz Arena between 2002 and 2005 at a cost of €340 million. His path faced a severe test in April 2013 when tax evasion investigations revealed a Swiss bank account holding undeclared investment income. On 13 March 2014, he admitted to evading €28.5 million in taxes, was sentenced to three and a half years, and resigned from his presidency the next day. He served 18 months at Landsberg Prison, released on 29 February 2016, before returning as president in November 2016 with over 97% of the vote. He retired again on 15 November 2019 after a total of 49 years with the club.

Reader's Guide

In 1970, Hoeneß played as a left-sided forward with amateur club TSG Ulm 1846 and was recruited by Udo Lattek, then manager of Bayern Munich. He made an immediate impact, scoring six times in 31 matches as Bayern finished second in the Bundesliga and won the domestic cup. During his eight-and-a-half-year stint with Bayern, he won eight major titles, including three league titles and three European Cups. In the 1973–74 European Cup final replay against Atlético Madrid, he scored two goals in the 4–0 victory. However, in the final of the following year's European Cup, he suffered an injury to his right knee from which he never fully recovered. In late 1978, he was loaned to 1. FC Nürnberg, where it was hoped he could get more match practice, but his recovery failed and he was forced to retire at age 27. He appeared in 250 Bundesliga matches, netting 86 goals. Hoeneß played 35 times for West Germany, debuting on 29 March 1972. He won UEFA Euro 1972 and the 1974 FIFA World Cup. In the 1974 World Cup final, he committed a foul on Johan Cruyff that led to a penalty goal, but West Germany won 2–1. He also played in Euro 1976, where he missed the decisive penalty in the shootout loss against Czechoslovakia. He retained his amateur status until 1972, allowing him to play in the 1972 Summer Olympics, where West Germany failed to qualify for the semifinals. Immediately after retiring as a player in May 1979, Hoeneß was appointed commercial/general manager of Bayern Munich. On 27 November 2009, after 30 years as general manager, he was elected president. He was re-elected in November 2016 with more than 97% of the votes. On 15 November 2019, he retired as president and was succeeded by Herbert Hainer. He spent 49 years at Bayern as a player and in management.

Did You Know?

• Hoeneß scored two goals in the 1974 European Cup final replay against Atlético Madrid.
• He was the sole survivor of a light aircraft crash on 17 February 1982 that killed three others.
• Hoeneß co-owns HoWe Wurstwaren KG, a Nuremberg-based bratwurst factory.
• He helped former Bayern players such as Sebastian Deisler, Breno, and Gerd Müller in times of need.
• Hoeneß served 18 months in prison for tax evasion, reporting to Landsberg Prison on 2 June 2014.