Udo Lattek
Legendary German coach who won all three major European trophies with three different clubs—one of only two to achieve this feat.
Udo Lattek (16 January 1935 – 31 January 2015) was a German professional football player and coach. He is one of the most successful coaches in the history of the game, having won 15 major titles, most famously with Bayern Munich. He also won major trophies with Borussia Mönchengladbach and Barcelona. In addition to these clubs, his managerial career saw him coach Borussia Dortmund, Schalke 04 and 1. FC Köln before his retirement from the game. Alongside the Italian Giovanni Trapattoni and Portuguese José Mourinho, he is one of only two coaches to have won all three major European club titles, and—along with Mourinho—one of two to do so with three clubs.
- Legacy Status
- One of two coaches to win all three major European club titles with three different clubs; First German coach to achieve this
Verified Timeline
Lore & Background
Lattek led Bayern Munich to three consecutive Bundesliga titles (1971–72, 1972–73, 1973–74), a first in German football history, as well as the DFB-Pokal in 1970–71. In 1974 they became the first German team to win the European Champions Cup. At Borussia Mönchengladbach he won two more German titles and the 1979 UEFA Cup. At Barcelona he won the European Cup Winners' Cup in 1982. He is one of only two coaches (along with José Mourinho) to lead three clubs to three different major European trophies.
In Their Own Story
The 1973–74 European Cup final in Munich remains a defining moment of Lattek's career. Bayern faced Atlético Madrid in a match that required a replay to decide the champion. With six of his players also part of the West German squad that would win the 1974 World Cup and 1972 European Championship, the stakes were immense. In the replay, Lattek's side secured victory, marking a historic first for German football on the continental stage. The atmosphere was electric as the club celebrated its entry into the elite of European football. However, the following domestic season began poorly. Tensions rose between Lattek and the board regarding player management and team form. In a decisive meeting with president Wilhelm Neudecker, Lattek suggested changes were needed; Neudecker's response was immediate and final: "Correct. You're sacked." This abrupt end to his first stint left Bayern without their architect just as they were beginning a new chapter.
Reader's Guide
Lattek's managerial career included spells at Bayern Munich (1970–1974 and 1984–1987), Borussia Mönchengladbach (1975–1979), Borussia Dortmund (1979–1981 and 2000), Barcelona (1981–1983), 1. FC Köln (1991 as sporting director and one match as head coach), and Schalke 04 (1992). He won six Bundesliga titles with Bayern and two with Mönchengladbach, plus the DFB-Pokal three times with Bayern, the European Cup in 1973–74, the UEFA Cup in 1978–79, and the European Cup Winners' Cup in 1981–82.
Did You Know?
- Lattek is one of only two coaches (along with José Mourinho) to have won all three major European club titles with three different clubs.
- He still holds the record for most Bundesliga titles won as a manager: eight (six with Bayern Munich, two with Borussia Mönchengladbach).
More in Club History & Eras
Elsewhere in the Bayern Munich universe
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