Not many Bundesliga coaches have managed to get the championship title in the first season. Vincent Kompany could become number nine.
Georg Knöpfle – 1. FC Köln (season 1963/64): The Black Forest, himself an active half -streak in the 1920s and 1930s (SpVgg Fürth and FSV Frankfurt), took over the coaching job at 1.FC Köln from Zlatko “Tschik” Cajkovski, who won the first championship in the top league with the “Geißböcken” in 1962.
And Knöpfle continued the successful series, won the first title before the Meidericher SV with legends such as Wolfgang Overath and Wolfgang Weber immediately after the Bundesliga was introduced. Knöpfle, who because of its low body size the nickname “Button“Missed, remained a trainer until mid -1966. At the 1966/1967 season, Knöpfle was appointed technical director of FC, today the position would probably be called the manager.
Trainer Georg Knöpfle (1. FC Köln) training
Branko Zebec – FC Bayern Munich (season 1968/69): The then 40 -year -old Branko Zebec became German champion with the young team around Sepp Maier, Franz Beckenbauer and Gerd Müller in his first season and also crowned the season with the cup victory – the first “double” of the Bundesliga history.
The Yugoslave was considered a very uncompromising, almost dictatorial coach. He often controlled the players at night with calls and had very hard training. The clever tactic was initially successful, in the following season it was “only” second place. The Bayern players also no longer cope with the male tone and the strict training methods – Zebec did not extend his expiring contract.
ERnst Happel – Hamburger SV (season 1981/82): Branco Zebec had shaped a strong team in the Hanseatic city, Happel made them one of the best teams in Bundesliga history. The Hamburg played the pressing developed by Happel, covered in the room (Happel: “If you play a man cover, then you have eleven donkeys on the pitch.”) with a perfectly functioning offside trap and delighted with their offensive football.
In Happel’s first year of coaching, the HSV stormed through the Bundesliga, scored an incredible 95 goals and remained undefeated between January 1982 and January 1983. The 1982 championship followed the title defense twelve months later. Happel was a chain smoker, vineyard drinker, gambler, tactic, a grantler who maintained a good, if not friendly relationship with his players. In his time he was considered one of the best coaches in the world. Until 1987 he stayed with the association, with which he was also able to win the trophy of the national champions (1983).
Franz Beckenbauer – FC Bayern Munich (season 1993/94): Franz Beckenbauer was actually everything at FC Bayern: players, functional and also (master) trainer. The “emperor” unexpectedly became a transition coach to save a actually messed up season. He was never able to gain much out of the coaching profession.
Erich Ribbeck, to which Beckenbauer maintained a friendly relationship and whom he had lured to the Isar as Vice President, was not as successful as expected. The club chose an internal solution, against which Beckenbauer initially resisted, not to annoy his friend Ribbeck. The then 48 -year -old emperor did it and led the team to the 13th title.
Louis van Gaal – FC Bayern Munich (season 2009/10): Van Gaal, then 58, was the first Dutch coach to become a German champion. He knew how to quickly teach Bayern professionals to his position and ball ownership. In addition, Van Gaal integrated the young professionals Holger Badstuber and Thomas Müller, which were rather unknown until then.
The result: the self -proclaimed “party beast”, which in his team placed great emphasis on discipline, secured the title with a five -point lead over FC Schalke 04. He also won the trophy. Until April 2011, van Gaal was coaching the record champion before he had slipped because of the unsuccessful, his team had slipped to four in the table.
Pep Guardiola – FC Bayern Munich (season 2013/14): Under the Spaniard, who took over the Munich team from Jupp Heynckes, FC Bayern consolidated its dominance in the league, even expanded it. Guardiola’s handwriting shaped the club. Under him, FCB immediately exceeded the (own) record season of the previous year. Already on the 27th matchday – as early as possible – the club was determined as a German champion. It was the first March Championship in Bundesliga history.
FCB won seven titles under Guardiola, but the very big triumph failed to materialize. Three times in a row was the end station in the semi -finals of the Champions League. At the end of his three years, Guardiola had confidently recorded three championship titles and two cup wins before he Manchester City continued and further success.
Carlo Ancelotti – FC Bayern Munich (season 2016/17): It was a very short liaison between one of the best coaches in the world and FC Bayern. The Italian’s time in Munich, which had taken over from Guardiola, only lasted one year and around three months. “In the end, we trainers have to have the support of the club, this is fundamental”said Ancelotti and made it clear what he was missing in Munich. But despite the many misunderstandings, it immediately submitted the title in the Bundesliga. The Bayern prevailed in front of RB Leipzig with 15 points ahead of Ancelotti.
Hans -Dieter Flick – FC Bayern Munich (season 2019/20): In just 19 months, Hansi Flick wrote a real success story at FC. Highly attractive football paired with lots of goals and seven titles were at the end of FCB. As an assistant to the dismissed Niko Kovac, Flick became head coach in November 2019 – and could not be stopped.
On the 10th matchday, Flick took over the Munich in fourth place, at the end of the season the FCB finished a 13 -point lead ahead of Borussia Dortmund. Overall, Flick became German champion twice and once won the DFB Cup, which Champions League, the club World Cup and the German and the European Supercup. Flick 70 won out of 86 games. He had a victory rate of 81 percent-record for a Bayern coach in professional football.