Ottmar Hitzfeld

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Lore & Background

A striker in his playing days, Hitzfeld won two Swiss Super League titles (1971–72, 1972–73) with Basel. He was top goalscorer in the league for the 1972–73 season. He earned six caps for the West Germany national team, all at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich. A trained mathematician and sports teacher, Hitzfeld is one of the most successful coaches of German and international football. As manager, he won two Bundesliga titles with Dortmund and five Bundesliga titles with Bayern Munich. He won the 1996–97 Champions League with Dortmund, beating a star-studded Juventus team in the final. He won the 2000–01 Champions League with Bayern, defeating Valencia in the final. He has been elected 'World Coach of the Year' twice; he is one of only seven managers to win the European Cup/UEFA Champions League with two clubs, along with Ernst Happel, Luis Enrique, Pep Guardiola, José Mourinho, Jupp Heynckes, and Carlo Ancelotti.

In Their Own Story

The rain hammered the roof of Munich's Olympiastadion on May 28, 1997, drowning out the pre-match roar. In the tunnel, Ottmar Hitzfeld stood statue-still, hands clasped behind his back, watching Karl-Heinz Riedle, Andreas Möller, and a young Lars Ricken prepare to face the Italian giants of Juventus. He offered no frantic shouts; instead, he gave a single, deliberate nod—a silent transfer of absolute conviction. When Ricken unleashed that lightning-fast counter-attack goal in the 71st minute, Hitzfeld didn't erupt. He simply turned to his assistant, a faint, satisfied smile cracking his stoic mask. The deafening roar of the Black and Yellow section washed over him, but for the man who had orchestrated this masterpiece, it was merely the sound of a plan executed with surgical precision.

Reader's Guide

In 1991, Hitzfeld became manager of Borussia Dortmund. In his first year, he and his assistant Michael Henke took the team to second spot in the league. The following season, Dortmund reached the UEFA Cup finals, but both matches were lost against Juventus. In 1995, he gained his first Bundesliga title with Dortmund. In 1995–96, he had a successful defence of the title. In 1997, Dortmund finished third in the league, but reached the UEFA Champions League final, where they beat Juventus 3–1. For his success, Hitzfeld was rewarded with the 'World Coach of the Year' award, but as frictions with the team had come to a head, he was promoted out of the firing line to the position of sports manager with the club. He finished with a record of 144 wins, 63 draws, and 65 losses. In 1998, Hitzfeld was hired by Bayern Munich. In his first year, he led the club to the league title by 15 points, but lost the DFB-Pokal final and the Champions League final to Manchester United. In the next season, Bayern won the double. In the 2000–01 season, Hitzfeld led Bayern to the league championship hat-trick and the Champions League final, defeating Valencia on penalties. This made Hitzfeld only the second coach after Ernst Happel to win the major European trophy with two teams. He was again recognized with 'World Coach of the Year'. In the 2002–03 season, Bayern once more dominated German football, claiming the league title and the DFB-Pokal for another double. The 2003–04 season yielded no titles, and the club sacked Hitzfeld. His final match was a 2–0 win against SC Freiburg on 22 May 2004. Hitzfeld finished with a record of 193 wins, 73 draws, 53 losses. On 1 February 2007, following the sacking of Felix Magath, he returned to Bayern Munich.

Did You Know?

• Hitzfeld scored six goals in one match for VfB Stuttgart against SSV Jahn Regensburg, still the record for a 2. Bundesliga player.
• He retained his amateur status to participate in the 1972 Summer Olympics, where he scored one of his five tournament goals in the first match between West and East Germany.
• Hitzfeld graduated from Lörrach College as a teacher of mathematics and sports while playing for Basel.