Klaus Augenthaler

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Lore & Background

Augenthaler was born in Fürstenzell, Bavaria, West Germany. He played generally as a centre-back or sweeper. He joined Bayern Munich in 1975 and made his Bundesliga debut in 1977, scoring in a 3-0 win over Borussia Dortmund. He won the Bundesliga for the first time in 1980, and Bayern retained the title in 1981. Augenthaler played in the 1982 European Cup final against Aston Villa, which Bayern lost 1-0. In 1984 he became Bayern captain, remaining so until his retirement in 1991. In November 1985 he committed a notorious foul on Werder Bremen's Rudi Völler, badly injuring him and receiving death threats from Bremen fans. Bayern lost the 1986–87 European Cup final, though Augenthaler was suspended for that final after being sent off for a slap on Hugo Sánchez in the semi-final. In 1989, he scored a shot from the halfway line against Eintracht Frankfurt goalkeeper Uli Stein, which was awarded Sportschau's goal of the year award. During his final season, Augenthaler scored a last-minute own goal in the 1990–91 European Cup semi-final against Red Star Belgrade which knocked Bayern out. He won seven Bundesliga titles and three DFB-Pokal titles with Bayern, playing 404 Bundesliga matches and 89 European cup appearances.

In Their Own Story

On a fateful day in November 1985, Augenthaler's tackle on Werder Bremen's Rudi Völler changed the course of the season and his reputation. The foul badly injured Völler, forcing him out for nearly the rest of the campaign, and left Augenthaler facing death threats from furious fans across Germany. Yet, his resilience was evident in 1986–87 when Bayern reached another European Cup final; although he was suspended for the match after being sent off for slapping Hugo Sánchez in the semi-final, his leadership remained pivotal throughout the season. His captaincy began in 1984 and lasted until 1991, during which time Bayern conceded fewer goals than any other team while winning the league. Even in defeat against Red Star Belgrade in 1990–91, where a last-minute own goal eliminated them from the European Cup semi-final, Augenthaler's commitment never wavered.

Reader's Guide

Augenthaler's managerial career started as assistant coach with Bayern Munich, serving under several coaches. He managed the last match of the 1995–96 season. He then became head coach of Austrian side Grazer AK from 1997 to 2000, taking them to two third placings. In the winter break of 1999–2000, he left Graz and took over 1. FC Nürnberg on 2 March 2000, then in the second division, leading them to promotion. On 29 April 2003, Nürnberg sacked him as the club faced relegation. He took over Bayer 04 Leverkusen in May 2003, saved them from relegation, and stayed until September 2005. In December 2005, he was hired by VfL Wolfsburg, leaving shortly before the end of the 2006–07 season. On 23 March 2010, he signed a half-year contract with SpVgg Unterhaching, which was terminated on 3 June 2011. He rejected contract offers from China and Turkey due to lack of interest, and applied to become head coach of 1860 Munich in 2015.

Did You Know?

• Augenthaler won the FIFA World Cup with West Germany in 1990.
• He was named to the greatest Bayern Munich XI in 2005.
• His 1989 halfway-line goal won Sportschau's Goal of the Year award.
• He received death threats from Bremen fans after a foul on Rudi Völler in 1985.