Bayern Munich's Jupp Heynckes completes 1,000 Bundesliga matches

FC Bayern Munich coach Jupp Heynckes yesterday in the match against SV Werder Bremen only became the second person in the history of German football to complete a 1,000 Bundesliga matches as player and coach.

"It's an imposing total," commented Jupp Heynckes, whose career top-flight total is considerably greater due to coaching spells in Spain and Portugal. In the Bundesliga, he is only behind the legendary Otto Rehhagel, the first individual to pass the 1,000 barrier with 1,033 matches, 201 as a player and 832 as a coach.

Heynckes had started his Bundesliga career on August 14, 1965 as a 20 year old for Borussia Mönchengladbach in a match against Borussia Neunkirchen, which had ended one-all. He played 389 matches for Mönchengladbach and Hannover 96 before hanging-up his boots. Then came his second career having now completed 631 matches as coach of Borussia Mönchengladbach, Eintracht Frankfurt, FC Schalke 04, Bayer 04 Leverkusen and at Bayern FC Munich

Yesterday 67 year old Jupp Heynckes completed that magic number of 1,000 Bundesliga matches, over 47 years after he first played in the German Bundesliga.

"It shows you how the years have flown by," said Heynckes, who further added, "as a player, I could never have dreamed of it. It's a long history and I could tell you all kinds of tales. There's enough material to write not just one book but several – although I'm not going to do that."

Could Jupp Heynckes be coaching Schalke 04 next season

At FC Bayern Munich, head coach Jupp Heynckes will be replaced by Spaniard Pep Guardiola in the new season and the 67 year old has said nothing about the fact if this will have been his last coaching assignment or if he would continue elsewhere.

Now a rumour has come out in the German media that Jupp Heynckes is a hot candidate to be the next FC Schalke 04 coach in the new season. Heynckes has not denied the rumour which could take him back for a second stint at Schalke, whom he unsuccessfully coached in the 2003/04 season.

Currently under their interim coach Jens Keller the royal blues have not been playing their best Bundesliga season with the qualification for the UEFA Champions League in danger, which the club management feels is a must.

In an illustrious coaching career since 1979 Heynckes has coached Borussia Mönchengladbach, FC Bayern Munich, Athletic Bilbao, Eintracht Frankfurt, CD Tenerife, Real Madrid, Benfica Lisboa, FC Schalke 04 and Bayer 04 Leverkusen.

Bayern Munich's pre-season injury problems

German giants FC Bayern Munich after two seasons without a title are preparing for a season in which the Bavarians can lift at least one trophy after only finishing second last season in three competitions - UEFA Champions League, Bundesliga and German Cup. The main aim is to win back the Bundesliga title, which in the last couple of years has been won by Borussia Dortmund.

The club has brought in a number of players to strengthen the overall squad, but now weeks into the pre-season there are injury worries to numerous players which has weakened the team. The latest to join the casualty list were Mario Gomez and Bastian Schweinsteiger over the weekend at the Liga Total Cup in Hamburg after injuries to David Alaba, Rafinha, Diego Contento and Claudio Pizarro.

Especially the injury to Mario Gomez could hit the club hard, then last season he scored 26 goals just alone in the Bundesliga. The striker is out with a foot injury and could miss upto three Bundesliga games. A potential replacement in seasoned Claudio Pizarro, who returned to Munich, is also out with hip problems leaving new Croatian striker Mario Mandzukic alone upfront.

Midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger is hoping for a better second half to the year 2012 after numerous injuries and failures, but again the Germany star is out with muscular problems. It is not known when he will be back.

Further the three side-backs David Alaba, Rafinha and Diego Contento are out. Young Alaba suffered a fatigue fracture, Rafinha has torn his ligaments while Diego Contento has bone problems.

All these injuries are forcing coach Jupp Heynckes to try out new combinations, then over the weekend Bayern Munich will face Borussia Dortmund in the German Super Cup and then the Bundesliga kicks-off a week later.

Bundesliga Finale: Dutt vs. Heynckes

Saturday will be the 34th and final match day of the 2010/11 German Bundesliga season with an interesting and often intense season coming to an end. But it isn't all over yet with the fight against relegation and for the final direct spot for the UEFA Champions League still on.

And there is a very interesting clash between SC Freiburg and Bayer 04 Leverkusen where the two coaches - Robin Dutt and Jupp Heynckes will be coaching for their present clubs, but both might at the very back of their mind have a thought about next season.

Robin Dutt is coaching his final game for SC Freiburg before he switches over to Bayer 04 Leverkusen and a win against his future club could deny him Champions League football next season, while on the other side Jupp Heynckes will be coaching Bayer 04 Leverkusen for the last time before returning for a third time to FC Bayern Munich and if he wins with Bayer 04 then Bayern Munich will have to go into the Champions League qualifiers.

The match is also a meeting of the generations. The seasoned Jupp Heynckes turns 66 next Monday and has been a very successful coach over the last three decades; while 46 year old Robin Dutt belongs to a different coaching generation. Dutt is termed as a concept coach like Borussia Dortmund's champion coach Juergen Klopp and Thomas Tuchel of FSV Mainz 05.

Talking about the situation Robin Dutt said, "I don't have a contractual obligation to give my best for SC Freiburg, but rather an emotional one. I guess Leverkusen will want to have coach who is committed until the last day and they are getting one."

Heynckes uttered similar sentiments by saying that if he was already thinking about his new club, then Bayern Munich would be signing the wrong coach.

But for Leverkusen the game is also about financial stability then not making it as Bundesliga second into the Champions League would be a loss of seven to 10 Million Euros as the Champions League qualifiers are always a gamble as they could face a tough opponent.

Leverkusen: Robin Dutt to replace Heynckes

Following a meeting in the morning between Jupp Heynckes, the clubs general manager Wolfgang Holzhauser and director of sports Rudi Voeller Bundesliga side Bayer 04 Leverkusen officially confirmed what had been making headlines over the weekend that their 65 year old coach Jupp Heynckes would leave the club at the end of the season and that 46 year old Robin Dutt, who happens to be of Indian origin, would take over from him.

The club had offered Heynckes a one year extension, while Heynckes wanted to extend his contract by a couple of years and then there is also an offer from his former club FC Bayern Munich on the table. But at the moment it is not clear if Heynckes will take the Bayern Munich offer or retire from active coaching.

Jupp Heynckes commented on his decision, "Bayer 04 Leverkusen are a well led club with a great team. It was hard for me to make this decision. I will put all of my power into securing the second rank and qualifying for the Champions League directly."

Knowing that Heynckes could be leaving at the end of the season Bayer 04's management had been working in the background to secure a suitable replacement. And the decision was taken to bring in Robin Dutt, who is currently successfully coaching SC Freiburg. Dutt has been given a two year contract and with his contract at Freiburg running until 2012, Leverkusen will have to pay the southwest German side some compensation.

Robin Dutt meanwhile said about his new upcoming assignment, "I'm very much looking forward to my new challenge in Leverkusen. I will work with a team that has been coached outstandingly by Jupp Heynckes. I agree with the football philosophy shared by Wolfgang Holzhäuser and Rudi Völler."

For Robin Dutt, who has a Bengali father, his new coaching assignment will be the biggest of his coaching career so far and it will bring him back to the Rhineland, where he was born on the other side of the Rhine in Cologne.


Here a link to an older blog post of mine: Robin Dutt: An Indo-German success story .