"Otto Rehhagel's Rocky Start in Munich: A Sour Farewell from Werder Bremen"
Werder Bremen's regrettable goodbye to manager Otto Rehhagel
By Ben Redelings
After a stretch of 14 years, Otto Rehhagel bid adieu to his club, Werder Bremen, in the summer of 1995 to join forces with Bayern- the record champions. However, things took a nasty turn even before he began his new venture in Munich.
"I sincerely hope he doesn't feel embarrassed. I opted out of running to the stands after each goal. You don't have to unnecessarily whip up the crowd," shared Bayern's national player, Mehmet Scholl, genuinely concerned about his future coach, Otto Rehhagel. The last match of the 1994/95 season saw Bayern beating Werder Bremen 3:1 at home, indirectly crowning Borussia Dortmund the new German champions. Although Werder could have earned a point for the title win, the Bayern pros'DEDICATED STRIKES dashed Rehhagel's beautiful farewell at his long-standing club.
The game was tense and a media spectacle due to Rehhagel's departure to Munich. For Werder's beloved coach, it signified a fresh start- one he had personally envisioned with a lap of honor with Rehhagel and a place on the Bayern bench for Mario Basler. However, the plans fell through, and Bayern captain, Thomas Helmer, echoed Scholl's concerns about Rehhagel's mood, "Let's hope he's not so belligerent that our start with him isn't optimal."
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A week prior to the mayhem, Rehhagel's world seemed in order. Emotional goodbyes- teary-eyed and filled with heartfelt words- marked the departure of their beloved coach, following a home win in the last game."Otto Rehhagel, Mr. Werder Bremen, is switching to Bayern Munich, after achieving everything here," announced stadium announcer Christian Günther. However, they made it clear to the trainer that he was always welcome to return."If you don't make it in Munich, we Bremen are there for you!" Rehhagel's emotional farewell was accompanied by a heartfelt wish from the trainer himself. He appealed to the fans not to harbor any "resentful feelings" towards the Munich people, as he put it candidly,"The Bayern are human too!"
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While the coach of SV Werder might have imagined a very different welcome in Munich, he approached the situation naively. Thus, the monumental leap from the serene Bremen to the bustling Munich, which served him so well as "King Otto" in Bremen, proved much bigger than he had anticipated in his wildest dreams. What had worked in Bremen for years caused confusion in Munich, and rightly so, in some instances.
Comedian Harald Schmidt Mocks Otto Rehhagel
Unbeknownst to the trained painter and varnisher Rehhagel, his arrival in Munich brought with it a wave of mocks and jabs. Proposing, in all seriousness, that his wife Beate could be appointed as the Bavarian Minister of Culture, this proposition drew significant backlash within the ministry itself. They countered with a sarcastic response, stating they currently had no need for such a position and could not afford the "severance package for Mrs. Rehhagel". In a counter-proposal, they recommended reconsidering the re-appointment of the Bayern Bank, favoring theatrical personality, August Everding, as the trainer. This stinging jab hit its mark!
The press immediately targeted Rehhagel when it was revealed that his doorbell in the Schwabing "Casa Schellissima" read "Rubens" instead of "Rehhagel". The papers sarcastically announced,"From Master Painter to Master Painter". From then on, even a master painter like the Flemish Baroque artist could not have repaired the damage to Rehhagel's authority.
The turbulent start to Rehhagel's tenure at Bayern Munich became more apparent by mid-February 1996. TV comedian, Harald Schmidt, mocked the coach in his show:
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Author Ben Redelings
Ben Redelings is a bestselling author and comedian from the Ruhr area. His book "A Goal Would Do the Game Good. The Ultimate Book of Football Truths" has just been published in an updated and expanded new edition! With his football programs, he is touring throughout Germany. For more information and dates, visit www.scudetto.de.
And so, it came as no surprise when, after a 0:1 defeat against Hansa Rostock on the 30th matchday, the FC Bayern, level on points with league leaders BVB, but with one game remaining, finally parted ways with Otto Rehhagel. Karl-Heinz Rummenigge stated at the time:
Otto Rehhagel's Munich adventure thus ended after just a few months. And his words upon leaving Bremen had caught up with him sooner than he or many experts had expected, "Since signing my contract 14 years ago, Werder's path has been steadily upward. What I've accomplished in Bremen will only truly be appreciated when I'm gone. And I'll see just how good I had it at Werder."
Just two years later, however, Otto Rehhagel was back on top for good. After a sensational promotion with 1. FC Kaiserslautern from the second to the first Bundesliga, the Palatinate team was set to start the following season with a bang- and did so with a victory, of all places, against Bayern Munich. Little did anyone know at the time: it was just the beginning of a miracle season. In the end, Otto Rehhagel led the Red Devils to the German championship and relegated FC Bayern Munich to second place. Even if Otto Rehhagel never said it out loud, there could be no greater satisfaction for the humble, multiple championship-winning coach.
- Despite the turbulent start of Otto Rehhagel's tenure at Bayern Munich, the European leagues and Premier League football enthusiasts eagerly await sports analysis to understand how Rehhagel's coaching style will perform with the record champions.
- Otto Rehhagel's approach towards sports management was starkly different when he transitioned from Werder Bremen to Bayern Munich, a difference that, at times, caused confusion even in the European league arena.
- As a renowned coach, Otto Rehhagel has proven his worth in German football, earning him a spot in discussions surrounding the implementation of Article 93 (2) of the Treaty in various sports leagues, such as those in Europe and the Premier League.
