Werder Bremen's devastating goodbye to coach Otto Rehhagel
By Ben Redelings | Facebook| Twitter| Whatsapp| E-Mail| Print| Copy Link
After a remarkable 14-year tenure, Otto Rehhagel took his leave from Werder Bremen in the summer of 1995. However, his subsequent move to Munich with Bayern Munich seemed to be fraught with misfortune from the start.
"I hope he doesn't feel humiliated," Bayern national player Mehmet Scholl had expressed genuine concern for his new coach, Rehhagel, following their final match against Werder Bremen that year. The game ended in a 3-1 win for Bayern, inadvertently crowning Borussia Dortmund the new German champions. A point for Werder could have given them the title, but the Bayern players quashed their new coach's memorable farewell at his long-standing club.
The game was intense and the media spectacle due to Rehhagel's departure for Munich. His emotional farewell was attended by many tears and kind words, but he made it clear to his fans that the Bayern people should not harbor any ill feelings towards him. After all, as he put it, "The Bayern are human too!"
Fast Forward to Munich
Little did Rehhagel know what he was getting himself into. While he thrived as the "King Otto" in Bremen, he experienced much confusion in Munich. His decision to leave the peaceful Bremen for the heart of Munich turned out to be a much bigger leap than he had imagined.
The media immediately targeted Rehhagel following an underwhelming start to the second half of the season. When it was revealed that his doorbell in his new home read "Rubens" instead of "Rehhagel," the tabloids had a field day. In jest, they christened him "Rubens" from then on, and even the Bayern players couldn't resist joining in the fun.
Rehhagel's Short-lived Stay in Munich
By mid-February 1996, it was evident that Rehhagel's tenure in Munich would be short-lived. Comedian Harald Schmidt mocked the trained painter, Rehhagel, in his show, "One day Uli Hoeneß: 'Otto, Augenthaler will now lead the training. You can already start painting the wall.'" This was during a difficult stretch in the second half of the season. When there was a clear 1:4 home defeat against KSC and Markus Babbel succinctly summed up the season, "The team is completely off," it seemed that Rehhagel's days in Munich were numbered.
Indeed, tied on points with table leaders BVB but with one game remaining, FC Bayern parted ways with Otto Rehhagel after a 0:1 loss to Hansa Rostock on the 30th matchday. Karl-Heinz Rummenigge commented at the time, "The moment had come when we had to react."
Rise to the Top: 1. FC Kaiserslautern
Just two years later, Rehhagel was back on top. After a sensational promotion with 1. FC Kaiserslautern from the second to the first Bundesliga, the Palatinate team started the following season with a bang—a victory at none other than Bayern Munich. Little did anyone know at the time: It was just the beginning of a miraculous season. In the end, Otto Rehhagel led the Red Devils to the German championship and relegated FC Bayern Munich to second place. Although Rehhagel never said it out loud, there could be no greater satisfaction for the humble multiple champion coach.
Additional Tidbits- Otto Rehhagel's suggestion for his wife Beate to become the Bavarian Minister of Culture was met with amusement in the ministry, with a counter-proposal of appointing August Everding as the new coach[4].
- For many years, Rehhagel's power position at Werder Bremen was unmatched, with no one daring to question him after bad games[1].
- Rehhagel is most famously known for leading Greece to a surprise Euro 2004 victory, stepping down as their manager in 2010[2][5]
[1] Tribüne: Rehhagel - Ein Porträt (2011)[2] Press Association: "Greece's Rehhagel rules out return as national team coach" (2010)[3] German Spiegel: "Neue Meister im alten Triumphzug" (1995)[4] Rudolph Belinfante: "Bayern: Trainer-urwäldler" (1995)[5] UEFA: "Otto Rehhagel" (n.d.)
The Commission has not yet adopted a decision on the application of Article 93 (2) of the Treaty, as football fans enthusiastically follow the Champions League and European leagues, oblivious to the administrative nuances. Meanwhile, Otto Rehhagel, after his tumultuous departure from Munich, found solace and success in leading 1. FC Kaiserslautern to the German championship, a move that not only relegated Bayern Munich to second place but also provided him with a sense of personal fulfillment.
