Ewald Lienen

Lienen began his professional career at Arminia Bielefeld of the 2. Bundesliga North in 1974. After three seasons, he moved up to the top flight with Borussia Mönchengladbach. The club had just won three successive titles, but Lienen did not manage to achieve this as the team finished runners-up in his first season then failed to mount a title challenge in the subsequent years. However, Europe was to prove a more successful venture as the club's runners-up finish of 1977–78 qualified them for the UEFA Cup. This, they duly lifted beating Red Star Belgrade 2–1 on aggregate in the final in May 1979. Lienen played in the final, and in each of the previous rounds, scoring two goals along the way (against Manchester City and future club MSV Duisburg). As holders, they were entered into the following season's tournament, where Lienen again would make it through to the UEFA Cup final. This time, he was not to capture the prize as the team frustratingly lost on away goals to countrymen Eintracht Frankfurt. Lienen again played in all rounds of the trophy and again chipped in with two goals (against Viking and Saint Étienne). After a further season here, he returned to Arminia Bielefeld, newly promoted to the Bundesliga. The club managed to survive and stabilise as a top-flight team during Lienen's spell here in the early 1980s. On 14 August 1981, Lienen suffered a severe injury, as Norbert Siegmann of Werder Bremen slit his thigh open with his studs resulting in an open deep wound of…

Early career (1989–1997)

Lienen remained at MSV Duisburg after ending his playing days, coaching the club's amateurs from 1 July 1989 to 22 March 1993. He quickly got the opportunity to move up into the first team management on 22 March 1993, after the club regained its Bundesliga status. His first season coaching at this level saw him attain a comfortable ninth-place finish in the 1993–94 season. The next year started less favourably though, and saw MSV Duisburg rock bottom by November (with just two points from 22). Lienen was fired on 1 November 1994 after a 0–5 home defeat to Hamburger SV on 30 October 1994. He finished his reign with a record of 25 wins, 14 draws, and 26 losses in 65 matches. He then accepted the invitation of his former Borussia Mönchengladbach coach Jupp Heynckes to join him at Spanish club CD Tenerife as his assistant. The team achieved an excellent fifth place spot in 1994–95 in La Liga. The following season was not as spectacular but still a solid tenth-place position.

Hansa Rostock, 1. FC Köln, Spain, and back to Germany (1997–2005)

When Heynckes left Tenerife to move to Real Madrid C.F., Lienen's time in Spain was up and he returned to his homeland as head coach of Hansa Rostock. He started on 1 July 1997. Lienen led the club to a sixth-place finish in the 1997–98 season. The next season proved a far trickier affair as the club sat in the relegation zone throughout the majority of the campaign. Lienen paid the price on 8 March…