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 Taming the shrews Hitzfeld turns 'FC Hollywood' into German juggernaut
Posted: Monday May 24, 1999 02:11 PM
MUNICH, Germany (AP) -- There may be many reasons why Bayern Munich is just one victory away from becoming European Cup champion after 23 frustrating years of longing and failing. But players and management invariably give credit to one person: coach Ottmar Hitzfeld. "It's because of him," said Munich president Franz Beckenbauer, who has yearned for his club to become Europe's best again ever since he guided the side to three straight cups from 1974-76. "If you follow Bayern Munich, we always have had troubles," Beckenbauer said. "[Hitzfeld] is a strong coach -- he's the coach we've been looking for." Winning aginst Manchester United on Wednesday in Barcelona would make Hitzfeld only the second coach after the late Ernst Happel to win the European Cup with two different clubs. But the 50-year-old Hitzfeld shrugs off the potential feat with a typical answer. "I didn't know that, and even if it's true, the important thing is the success of Bayern Munich," he said. The taciturn Hitzfeld won his other cup just two years ago with Borussia Dortmund. Never one to seek the limelight, he was largely overlooked as the architect of the Ruhr Valley club's ascent from an average Bundesliga side to the European throne in just six years under his control. By last year, Hitzfeld was largely a forgotten man in German soccer circles. By the time Dortmund capped its rise by beating Juventus 3-1 in the Champions Cup final, his players had begun to chafe at the iron fist of the self-described "ambitious and tough" Hitzfeld. He resigned and spent last season floating in the vague position of sports director for Dortmund, while the club disintegrated on the field without his direction. But respect for the former mathematics teacher soared this season as Hitzfeld tamed "FC Hollywood," the nickname given Bayern Munich for the bickering and dissension that kept the pages of German tabloids filled. Players like Stefan Effenberg, Lothar Matthaeus and Mario Basler -- all known as hard to handle -- have appeared in headlines singing Hitzfeld's praises. And the hallmark of the club under its new coach is an unshakeable self-confidence. "He's perhaps the best coach I've had in club soccer," said French midfielder Bixente Lizaruzu, who will miss the final with an injury. "Under Hitzfeld, Munich will stay at the top for at least two or three years, but only because you can not speak of 10 years in soccer." Hitzfeld was a former striker who played just 22 matches in the Bundesliga and started his coaching career by climbing up the ranks of clubs in Switzerland. In 1991, he moved from Grasshopper Zurich and took over 10th-place Dortmund. The team claimed two Bundesliga titles, reached a UEFA Cup final and finally won Europe's biggest trophy in 1997. For veteran libero Matthaeus, Hitzfeld's strength is clear. "He can communicate what he wants more clearly than any coach I've played for," the 38-year-old said. "He's had everything under control here from the start."
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