Udo Lattek was a prominent German football player and coach who made significant contributions to the sport from 1935 to 2015.
Lattek began his football journey playing for local clubs while preparing for a teaching career before turning professional.
He led Bayern Munich to three consecutive Bundesliga titles and the European Champions Cup, marking a historic era for the club.
Biography
Early Life
Udo Lattek was born in Bosemb, East Prussia, Germany (now Boże, Poland) in 1935. Initially preparing for a career as a teacher, he played football with local clubs including SSV Marienheide, Bayer Leverkusen, and VfR Wipperfürth. In 1962, he joined VfL Osnabrück, where he made a significant impact as a centre forward, scoring 34 goals in 70 league matches before transitioning to coaching in 1965.
Coaching Career
Lattek's coaching career began with the German football association DFB, where he worked as a youth team coach. His big break came in March 1970 when he took over Bayern Munich, leading the team to unprecedented success, including three consecutive Bundesliga titles and the European Champions Cup in 1974. He was known for integrating young talents like Paul Breitner and Uli Hoeneß into the squad. After a brief stint at Bayern, he moved to Borussia Mönchengladbach, where he continued to excel, winning two Bundesliga titles and the UEFA Cup.
Later Life and Legacy
After retiring, Lattek held the record for the most Bundesliga titles won by a manager, with six at Bayern Munich and two at Borussia Mönchengladbach. He lived in a nursing home in Cologne, where he was fondly remembered for his love of beer. Lattek faced health challenges later in life, suffering from a stroke and Parkinson's disease, and he passed away on January 31, 2015. His contributions to football were recognized posthumously, with tributes from notable figures like Franz Beckenbauer, who mourned the loss of his friend and colleague.
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Gallery
Career & Clubs
Bayern Munich
In March 1970, Lattek took over the reins of Bayern Munich as successor of the Croatian, Branko Zebec. He was recommended to the club by Franz Beckenbauer, however his appointment was controversial as he had never previously coached a club side. To a team already boasting Beckenbauer, Gerd Müller and Sepp Maier, Lattek added the young talents of Paul Breitner and Uli Hoeneß, ushering in a period of near dominance for the Bavarian club. Lattek led Bayern to three consecutive league titles, a first in German football history, as well as the German Cup. In 1974 they became the first German team to win the European Champions Cup, defeating Atlético Madrid in the final, in a replay. It was the first of three consecutive European Cup successes for the club (although Lattek was only there for the first of them).
Six players from the Bayern side were also part of the West German side that won the 1974 World Cup and 1972 European Championship. A poor start to the 1974–75 domestic season saw Lattek's tenure come to an end, with Bayern replacing him with Dettmar Cramer, who was also recommended to the club by Beckenbauer. According to Lattek, after telling club president Wilhelm Neudecker that, given the club's poor domestic form changes were necessary, Neudecker replied, "Correct. You're sacked."
Borussia Mönchengladbach
At the beginning of the 1975–76 season, Lattek succeeded Hennes Weisweiler at Borussia Mönchengladbach, where he stayed until 1979.…
- Club
- Bayer 04 Leverkusen
- Club
- VfL Osnabrück (1962–1965)
- Club
- FC Bayern Munich
- Club
- Borussia Mönchengladbach
- Club
- Borussia Dortmund
- Club
- FC Barcelona
- National team
- Germany
Personal
Lattek was born in Bosemb, East Prussia, Germany (now Boże, Poland). While Lattek was preparing for a career as a teacher, he played football with SSV Marienheide, Bayer Leverkusen and VfR Wipperfürth. In 1962, he joined VfL Osnabrück. He spent his first season at the club in the first division (the northern division of the "Oberliga") and the remainder of his time in the second division, as the club did not qualify for the new Bundesliga at its inception 1963. He played primarily as a centre forward and became known for his heading ability. He scored 34 goals in 70 league matches between 1962 and 1965. Early in 1965, Lattek was prematurely released from his playing contract to join the German football association DFB as a youth team coach alongside Dettmar Cramer, one of the assistants to head coach Helmut Schön. In this role he was also part of the coaching staff which led Germany into the final of the 1966 World Cup.
Lattek retired having won 14 major trophies. He still holds the record for having managed teams to the most Bundesliga titles, six with Bayern Munich and two with Borussia Mönchengladbach. He lived in a nursing home in Cologne, where he was known for his continuous fondness of beer ("all great coaches have enjoyed a drink"). In 2012, Lattek suffered a stroke. Lattek later suffered from Parkinson's disease and dementia, and died on 31 January 2015. On the news of his death, Franz Beckenbauer tweeted: "Sad news: The great Udo Lattek is dead. Rest in peace, my friend."
Legacy
Manager
Bayern Munich
Bundesliga: 1971–72, 1972–73, 1973–74, 1984–85, 1985–86, 1986–87 DFB-Pokal: 1970–71, 1983–84, 1985–86 European Cup: 1973–74 Borussia Mönchengladbach
Bundesliga: 1975–76, 1976–77 UEFA Cup: 1978–79 German Supercup: 1977 Barcelona
European Cup Winners' Cup: 1981–82
Individual
ESPN 19th-Greatest Manager of All Time: 2013 France Football 30th Greatest Manager of All Time: 2019 World Soccer 36th Greatest Manager of All Time: 2013
Clubs
Played together with
Aaron MokoenaBayer 04 Leverkusen · 1998–1999
Abde EzzalzouliFC Barcelona · 2021–2023
Abdou DialloBorussia Dortmund · 2018–2019
Abel RuizFC Barcelona
Abelardo FernándezFC Barcelona · 1994–2002- Abraham González CasanovaFC Barcelona · 2008–2009
- Abraham González CasanovaFC Barcelona · 2009–2009
Achraf HakimiBorussia Dortmund · 2018–2020- Adam AznouFC Bayern Munich · 2022
Adam HložekBayer 04 Leverkusen · 2022–2024
Adam MatysekBayer 04 Leverkusen · 1998–2001
Adama TraoréFC Barcelona · 2004–2013
Archive
Passport
Identifiers & aliases
Udo Lattek was a German professional football player and coach.
Opinions of fans — not verified facts.
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