Klaus Augenthaler is a former professional football player and manager from Germany, known for his defensive skills.
He won seven Bundesliga titles during his illustrious 15-year career with Bayern Munich.
Augenthaler was part of the West Germany national team that won the FIFA World Cup in 1990.
Biography
Early Life
Klaus Augenthaler was born in Fürstenzell, Bavaria, West Germany, where he developed a passion for football from a young age. His journey in the sport began with the Germany national under-18 football team, where he played from 1975 to 1976, showcasing his potential as a defender.
Club Career
Augenthaler joined FC Bayern Munich in 1975, making his Bundesliga debut in 1977. Over his 15-year career with the club, he became a key player, winning seven Bundesliga titles and earning a reputation as one of the league's best defensive players. He captained Bayern from 1984 until his retirement in 1991, leading the team to numerous victories, including the DFB-Pokal and the DFB-Supercup. Notably, he played in two European Cup finals, although Bayern lost both. His career was marked by a controversial incident in 1985 when he injured Werder Bremen's Rudi Völler, which led to significant backlash from fans.
International Career
On the international stage, Augenthaler represented West Germany from 1983 to 1990, earning 27 caps and playing a crucial role in the team's success at the 1990 FIFA World Cup, where they triumphed over Argentina in the final. He was also part of the squad that reached the final in 1986, solidifying his legacy in German football.
Managerial Career and Legacy
After retiring as a player, Augenthaler transitioned into management, starting as an assistant coach at Bayern Munich before taking on head coaching roles at various clubs, including Grazer AK and 1. FC Nürnberg. His managerial career saw him achieve promotion with Nürnberg and win the Austrian Cup with Grazer AK. Augenthaler's contributions to football have been recognized with the Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany, highlighting his impact both on and off the pitch.
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Career & Clubs
Augenthaler was born in Fürstenzell, Bavaria, West Germany. He played generally in the position of centre-back or, especially in the later part of his career, as a sweeper. Augenthaler joined Bayern Munich in 1975 and made his Bundesliga debut for the club in 1977, scoring in a 3-0 win over Borussia Dortmund. He won the Bundesliga for the first time in 1980, and Bayern retained the title in 1981. Augenthaler played for Bayern in 1982 European Cup final against Aston Villa and came close to scoring twice, but Bayern ultimately lost 1-0, becoming the first ever Bayern team to lose a final. In 1984 Augenthaler became Bayern captain, which he would remain until his retirement in 1991. Bayern won the league again in his first season as captain and Augenthaler, playing as a libero, was one of the league's best defensive players in a Bayern defence that conceded fewer than any other team. In November 1985 Augenthaler committed one of the most infamous fouls in Bundesliga history, injuring Werder Bremen's star player Rudi Völler with a tackle which badly injured Völler and forced him to miss almost the entire remainder of the season. Augenthaler received death threats from Bremen fans after the incident and was booed by fans of other clubs around the country. Bayern lost another European Cup final in 1986–87, though Augenthaler was suspended for the final after being sent off for a slap on Hugo Sánchez in the semi-final. In 1989, Augenthaler scored a shot from the halfway line…
Between 1983 and 1990, he played 27 times for West Germany, with which he won the World Cup 1990 in Italy in the final against Argentina (1–0). He was also part of the squad that reached the final of the 1986 World Cup.
Augenthaler's managerial career started as assistant coach with Bayern Munich, serving under coaches Søren Lerby, Erich Ribbeck, Franz Beckenbauer, Giovanni Trapattoni and Otto Rehhagel. He managed the last match of the 1995–96 season against Fortuna Düsseldorf. From there he moved to become head coach of Austrian side Grazer AK from 1997 to 2000, taking them to two third placings. In the winter break of 1999–2000, Augenthaler left Graz and took over 1. FC Nürnberg on 2 March 2000, then in the second division, leading them to promotion. On 29 April 2003, Nürnberg sacked Augenthaler, as the club was facing relegation. He took over the reins at Bayer 04 Leverkusen in May 2003. He managed to save the club from relegation and stayed on there until September 2005. In December of that same year, he was hired by VfL Wolfsburg. His undistinguished time there ended shortly before the end of the season 2006–07. On 23 March 2010, he signed a half-year contract with SpVgg Unterhaching and replaced Matthias Lust. His contract was terminated on 3 June 2011. Augenthaler rejected contract offers from China and Turkey due to a lack of interest. He applied to become the new head coach of 1860 Munich in 2015.
- Club
- FC Bayern Munich (1976–1991)
- Club
- Germany men's national association football team (1983–1990)
- Club
- Germany national football B team (1979–1981)
- Club
- Germany national under-18 football team (1975–1976)
- League
- Bundesliga
- National team
- Germany
Trophies & Awards
- Award
- Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
Legacy
Player
Bayern Munich
Bundesliga: 1979–80, 1980–81, 1984–85, 1985–86, 1986–87, 1988–89, 1989–90 DFB-Pokal: 1981–82, 1983–84, 1985–86 DFB-Supercup: 1987, 1990 Länderpokal: 1977 European Cup runner-up: 1982, 1987 Germany
FIFA World Cup: 1990, runner-up 1986 Individual
kicker Bundesliga Team of the Season: 1984–85, 1988–89 Goal of the Year (Germany): 1989 Goal of the Decade (Germany) Bayern Munich All-Time XI
Manager
Grazer AK
Austrian Cup: 1999–2000 1. FC Nürnberg
2. Bundesliga: 2000–01
Clubs
- Germany national under-18 football team1975–1976
- FC Bayern Munich1976–1991
- Germany national football B team1979–1981
- Germany men's national association football team1983–1990
Played together with
- Adam AznouFC Bayern Munich · 2022
- Adolfo ValenciaFC Bayern Munich · 1993–1994
Alain SutterFC Bayern Munich · 1994–1995
Alan McInallyFC Bayern Munich · 1989–1993
Aleksandar PavlovićFC Bayern Munich · 2023
Alessandro SchöpfFC Bayern Munich · 2014–2014
Alexander BaumjohannFC Bayern Munich · 2009–2010
Alexander NübelFC Bayern Munich · 2020–2026
Alexander ZicklerFC Bayern Munich · 1993–2005
Alfréd SchafferFC Bayern Munich
Ali DaeiFC Bayern Munich · 1998–1999
Ali KarimiFC Bayern Munich · 2003–2005
Archive
Passport
Identifiers & aliases
Klaus "Auge" Augenthaler is a German former professional football player and manager. A defender, he won seven Bundesliga titles in his 15-year club career with Bayern Munich. He also represented the West Germany national team, winning the FIFA World Cup in 1990.
Opinions of fans — not verified facts.
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