Blowing out candles on his 70th birthday cake on Monday, Franz Gerber has had quite the ride in the world of soccer. With an impressive career that's spanned over five decades, we're talking about a Hannover icon here.
Once a 19-year-old prodigy, Franz Gerber graced the field alongside legends like Franz Beckenbauer, Gerd Müller, and Paul Breitner at Bayern. Promoted to the Bundesliga four times during his professional career, Franz has seen it all in the world of soccer.
From playing in Canada to coaching at St. Pauli and serving as a sports director in Madagascar, Franz Gerber's career has been nothing short of colorful. Despite turning 70 this week, retirement is the last thing on his mind.
As the "Managing Director Sport" at fourth division club Erfurt, Franz is keeping busy. His son, Fabian (43), even serves as the team's coach. It hasn't been an easy ride, though, with the team currently struggling in the rankings.
With four defeats in the last five games and a spot in 10th place, things are tight. But Franz remains resilient, smiling and declaring, "I can't leave here." It's safe to say that Franz Gerber is still very much in the game.
Franz Gerber has legendary status in Hanover. As the dad of the "96 rascal gang," he led the Hannover squad to an unforgettable promotion to the Bundesliga in 1985. With stars like Maxi Heidenreich, Frank Hartmann, Karsten Surmann, and Michael Gue by his side, he celebrated their victory with a goal in front of 60,000 cheering fans.
As a manager, Franz Gerber brought the Reds back into professional soccer in 1998 after a two-year stint in the 3rd division. But maybe his most notable achievement was introducing Martin Kind (79) to the 96 manager's chair in 1997.
"Yes, he became 96 president through me," Franz admits with a smile. But their professional relationship has had its ups and downs, with Kind sacking Franz twice later on. "Past, no longer important," Franz says, keeping things in perspective.
Four boys-only grandsons celebrated Gerber's 70th birthday on Tuesday with his wife, Margot. Frank celebrated his big day with Hanover regional news republishing an article from Bild about his 7th decade in soccer, and soccer fans awaited an exciting Bundesliga 2 match against Hertha BSC with bated breath.
Enrichment insights:" Although the base article mentions Franz Gerber's 70th birthday celebration, it does not provide specific details about the event. The enrichment data suggests that the celebration involved Frank's family, and a Hanover regional news outlet republished an article from Bild about his contributions to soccer. There's no mention of any grand events or speeches.
A quick internet search reveals that Franz Gerber has been decorated with various honors throughout his career, but there are no recent sources available for this information. The primary focus of the available sources appears to be his current role as a football manager and the struggles facing his team, Red-White Erfurt.
