Dieter Hoeneß

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Hoeneß was born in Ulm, West Germany, and played as a goalkeeper at amateur level for VfB Ulm from age six to fourteen. The club was co-founded by his father, master butcher Erwin Hoeneß, on 13 November 1949. Along with his brother Uli, he helped the team win the 1960–61 1st district championship in the D-Youth category. From 1967 to 1973, Hoeneß played for TSG Ulm 1846. In 1973, at age 20, he moved to VfR Aalen in the first amateur league, before joining the professional ranks in 1975 with VfB Stuttgart in the second division. After two seasons and 19 league goals, he helped Stuttgart earn promotion to the Bundesliga. After the 1978–79 season, during which he scored 16 goals to help Stuttgart finish in second place, Hoeneß signed with FC Bayern Munich. He won five league titles and three cups with Bayern, scoring 102 goals in 224 Bundesliga games and 26 goals in 52 European Cup appearances. He retired in 1987 at age 34.

In Their Own Story

On 25 February 1984, Dieter Hoeneß produced one of the most remarkable individual performances in Bundesliga history. During a 6–0 home win over Eintracht Braunschweig, he scored five goals in just 21 minutes. His 58th and final European match came in his last season (1986–87) during the defeat in the European Cup Final against FC Porto. At the 1986 FIFA World Cup in Mexico, Hoeneß played twice for the eventual runners-up, including in the final against Argentina, where he replaced Felix Magath at the hour mark. At 33 years and 173 days, he was the oldest player on the field in that match.

Reader's Guide

Hoeneß led Bayern to the semi-finals of the 1979–80 UEFA Cup, finishing as the competition's top scorer with seven goals. In 1982, he reached the European Cup final but lost to Aston Villa. He again finished as the tournament's top scorer, with seven goals. On 25 February 1984, Hoeneß scored five goals in 21 minutes during a 6–0 home win over Eintracht Braunschweig. His 58th and final European match came in his last season (1986–87) during the defeat in the European Cup Final against FC Porto. After retiring, he worked as PR manager for Commodore International, then as commercial/general manager for Stuttgart (1990–1995), vice-president of Hertha BSC (from 1997), and general manager at VfL Wolfsburg (2010–2011).

Did You Know?

• Hoeneß scored on his debut for West Germany against the Republic of Ireland on 22 May 1979.
• He played in the 1986 World Cup final against Argentina, replacing Felix Magath at the hour mark.
• At 33 years and 173 days, he was the oldest player on the field in that final.
• His brother Uli was also a successful forward and later Bayern Munich's general manager and club president.
• Hoeneß's son Sebastian Hoeneß is a former footballer.