Soccer Coach and Player. 1974 FIFA World Cup Champion as coach of Germany. As an active player he was a striker for his native Dresdener SC from 1932 to 1944, winning the German Cup in 1940 and 1941 and, after a loss in the 1940 final, the German Championship in 1943 and 1944. He also made 16 appearances for Germany with 17 goals during that time. He later played for the post-war successor club SG Dresden-Friedrichstadt and ended his active carrer as a player coach with Hertha BSC Berlin in 1951. He transitioned to coaching after schooling in Cologne, coaching the short-lived Saarland national team from 1952 to 1956, and becoming an assistant coach for Germany after the Saar returned to German rule. In 1964, he was chosen as the new German coach. He led Germany in four FIFA World Cups, finishing second in 1966, third in 1970, and winning in 1974. He also won a European Championship in 1972 and finished second in 1976. He announced his retirement effective after the 1978 FIFA World Cup, where Germany failed to make it out of the second round. He was the first coach to win both a World Cup and a European Championship.
Soccer Coach and Player. 1974 FIFA World Cup Champion as coach of Germany. As an active player he was a striker for his native Dresdener SC from 1932 to 1944, winning the German Cup in 1940 and 1941 and, after a loss in the 1940 final, the German Championship in 1943 and 1944. He also made 16 appearances for Germany with 17 goals during that time. He later played for the post-war successor club SG Dresden-Friedrichstadt and ended his active carrer as a player coach with Hertha BSC Berlin in 1951. He transitioned to coaching after schooling in Cologne, coaching the short-lived Saarland national team from 1952 to 1956, and becoming an assistant coach for Germany after the Saar returned to German rule. In 1964, he was chosen as the new German coach. He led Germany in four FIFA World Cups, finishing second in 1966, third in 1970, and winning in 1974. He also won a European Championship in 1972 and finished second in 1976. He announced his retirement effective after the 1978 FIFA World Cup, where Germany failed to make it out of the second round. He was the first coach to win both a World Cup and a European Championship.
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Bio by: Kenneth Gilbert