Thomas Schaaf is a renowned German footballer and manager, known for his long association with Werder Bremen.
He was awarded the German Football Manager of the Year in 2004 for his outstanding managerial achievements.
Schaaf played for SV Werder Bremen from 1978 to 1995, making him a true 'one-club man'.
Biography
Early Life
Thomas Schaaf was born in Mannheim, Germany, and began his football journey at a young age, joining the youth academy of SV Werder Bremen in 1972. He turned professional six years later, marking the start of a remarkable career that would see him become a significant figure in German football.
Playing Career
Schaaf spent his entire playing career at Werder Bremen from 1978 to 1995, earning the title of a "one-club man." Initially struggling to secure a spot in the first team, he eventually became a key player, making his Bundesliga debut on April 18, 1979. Over the years, he played 260 top-flight games, contributing to the club's success by winning two Bundesliga titles and two DFB-Pokal trophies. Notably, he was part of the squad that won the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup in 1992, stepping in during the final to help secure victory against AS Monaco.
Managerial Career
Transitioning to management, Schaaf began coaching Werder Bremen's youth teams while still playing. In 1999, he took over as head coach of the senior team, successfully guiding them away from relegation and winning the domestic cup in his first season. His tenure saw Werder Bremen achieve remarkable success, including winning the Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal double in 2004. Under his leadership, the team qualified for the UEFA Champions League five consecutive times and reached the UEFA Cup Final in 2009. Schaaf remained at the helm until 2013, making him one of the longest-serving coaches in Bundesliga history.
Legacy
Schaaf's contributions to Werder Bremen are celebrated, with numerous honors to his name, including the title of German Football Manager of the Year in 2004. His legacy as both a player and manager is firmly established, reflecting his deep connection to the club and the impact he had on German football.
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Gallery
Career & Clubs
Born in Mannheim, Schaaf arrived at Werder Bremen's youth academy in 1972, turning professional six years later. After a slow start with the first team, where he made only 21 league appearances in four years combined – 19 of them coming in 1980–81 in the second division – he eventually became an important squad member; he made his debut in the Bundesliga on 18 April 1979, in a 0–3 away loss against VfL Bochum. Schaaf went on to play in 260 top flight games in the following seasons, eventually retiring in 1995 at the age of 34. During his time with his only club, he helped the Hanseatic club win two national championships (he was already a fringe player by the time of the 1993 conquest, appearing in only five matches) and as many DFB-Pokal. In the 1991–92 edition of the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, he was on the bench in the final against AS Monaco FC, but replaced injured Thomas Wolter after 30 minutes in an eventual 2–0 win in Lisbon.
1987–2013: Werder Bremen
1987–99: Early career
Schaaf began his managerial career while still an active player, taking care of Werder's youth sides. After this he proceeded to manage the reserve team which competed in the third-tier Regionalliga Nord, before succeeding Felix Magath on 10 May 1999 as the senior side's coach, with the club under serious threat of relegation until the last day of the season: he managed to steer the team clear out of relegation, going on to win the campaign's domestic cup immediately afterwards, defeating Bayern Munich in a penalty shoot-out.
2000–04: Building up the team and "the Double"
Schaaf led Werder to the double (Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal) in 2003–04, as well as the team's first-ever DFB-Ligapokal two years later.
2004–09: European adventures
From 2004 the club managed to qualify five consecutive times for the UEFA Champions League, coming short in 2008–09 but winning the cup (his third as a manager – fifth overall – and Werder's sixth), thus qualifying for the following season's UEFA Europa League. That same season he also guided the club to the 2009 UEFA Cup Final, lost 1–2 to Shakhtar Donetsk after extra time.
2009–13: Final seasons
On 14 December 2009, Schaaf signed a new contract with Werder Bremen. He led the side to the third place in the league and the playoff stages in the 2010–11 Champions League, as well as to a second straight German Cup final, which was lost to Bayern…
- Club
- SV Werder Bremen (1978–1995)
- Club
- SV Werder Bremen II (1978–1980)
- Club
- Germany national under-21 football team (1987–1987)
- League
- Bundesliga
- League
- 2. Bundesliga
- National team
- Germany
Trophies & Awards
- Award
- Football Manager of the Year
Legacy
Player
Werder Bremen
Bundesliga: 1987–88, 1992–93 DFB-Pokal: 1990–91, 1993–94; runner-up: 1988–89, 1989–90 2. Bundesliga: 1980–81 DFL-Supercup: 1988, 1993, 1994; runner-up: 1991 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup: 1991–92 UEFA Super Cup runner-up: 1992
Manager
Werder Bremen
Bundesliga: 2003–04 DFB-Pokal: 1998–99, 2003–04, 2008–09; runner-up: 1999–2000, 2009–10 DFB-Ligapokal: 2006; runner-up: 1999, 2004 DFL-Supercup: 2009 UEFA Cup runner-up: 2008–09 Individual
German Football Manager of the Year: 2004
Clubs
- SV Werder Bremen1978–1995
- SV Werder Bremen II1978–1980
- Germany national under-21 football team1987–1987
Played together with
- Aaran LinesSV Werder Bremen
Aaron HuntSV Werder Bremen · 2004–2014- Abdullah DoğanSV Werder Bremen
- Adrian KunzSV Werder Bremen · 1997–1999
Aggelos CharisteasSV Werder Bremen · 2002–2005
Aleksandar IgnjovskiSV Werder Bremen · 2011–2014- Aleksandar StevanovićSV Werder Bremen · 2011–2014
Alexander HesselSV Werder Bremen
Alexander NouriSV Werder Bremen · 1999–2001
Alexander WalkeSV Werder Bremen · 2003–2005
Alexandros TziolisSV Werder Bremen · 2008–2009- Alexandros TziolisSV Werder Bremen · 2009–2010
Archive
Passport
Identifiers & aliases
Thomas Schaaf is a German professional football manager and former player who played as a defender. A "one-club man", Schaaf spent his entire playing career (1978–1995) and most of his managerial career with Bundesliga club Werder Bremen. He started coaching the team in 1999 and stepped down in 2013, being one of the longest-serving coaches in the Bundesliga. As a player, he won the Bundesliga and the DFB-Pokal twice and the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup (1992) once; as a manager, he won the Bundesliga once (2004) and the DFB-Pokal three times.
Opinions of fans — not verified facts.
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