Ottmar Hitzfeld

Verified Timeline

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

In 1998, Hitzfeld was hired by Bayern Munich. His first season saw Bayern win the Bundesliga by a record margin of 15 points, but the Champions League final ended in dramatic defeat: Manchester United scored two goals in stoppage time to win 2–1. The next season, Bayern won the domestic double, clinching the league on a tiebreaker on the final day. The 2000–01 season was historic: Hitzfeld led Bayern to a league championship hat-trick and back to the Champions League final. There, Bayern defeated Valencia in a penalty shootout. This made Hitzfeld only the second coach after Ernst Happel to win the major European trophy with two clubs. He was again named "World Coach of the Year." Bayern then won the 2001 Intercontinental Cup final against Boca Juniors on a goal by Samuel Kuffour in extra time.

Reader's Guide

Hitzfeld's managerial career began in 1983 with SC Zug, leading them to promotion. He then coached Aarau, winning the 1985 Swiss Cup, and later Grasshoppers, winning four trophies between 1988 and 1991. At Borussia Dortmund (1991–1998), he won the Bundesliga in 1995 and 1996, and the 1996–97 Champions League. He then managed Bayern Munich from 1998 to 2004, winning multiple Bundesliga titles, the 2000–01 Champions League, and the 2001 Intercontinental Cup.

Did You Know?

• Hitzfeld scored six goals in a single 2. Bundesliga match for VfB Stuttgart, a record for that league.
• He retained his amateur status to play in the 1972 Summer Olympics.
• He is a trained mathematician and sports teacher.