In the competition for Bayern's worst coach of the last 30 years, three names always come up: Jürgen Klinsmann, Sören Lerby and Erich Ribbeck. How Bayern sacked Ribbeck — embarrassing and touching in equal measure. Sir Erich succeeded the ill-fated Sören Lerby in March 1992.
Shortly before him, Franz Beckenbauer and Karl-Heinz Rummenigge were brought into the club as crisis managers and elected vice-presidents. With a newly assembled squad, Ribbeck competed for the 1992/93 title — but managed no more than the runners-up spot behind Otto Rehhagel's Werder Bremen. What stuck in the memory was Ribbeck's "coffin-nail statement" that they didn't necessarily have to become German champions.
When, in his second year in charge, the team again failed to get going and was eliminated from both the DFB-Pokal and the UEFA Cup during the first half of the season, the Bayern grandees met during the winter break to discuss how to dispose of "The Sir" with style. Ribbeck, however, had flown straight to Gran Canaria for his holiday after the mid-season break.
Not a good idea. At the subsequent board meeting, grumbling about the coaching situation set in. But there was no alternative. Uli Hoeneß suddenly proposed vice-president Beckenbauer, who accepted with a heavy heart. The Kaiser was only willing to succeed his friend Ribbeck, though, if Ribbeck resigned of his own accord. Legend has it that shortly before Christmas, two board members flew to Gran Canaria by private jet. Sir Erich, suspecting nothing, hosted the two surprise guests so warmly that they couldn't bring themselves to tell him the truth.
Back to Munich without delivering the sacking notice. 25,000 marks in flight costs down the drain! Whether the story is true has never been proven. What is documented is that Franz Beckenbauer replaced Erich Ribbeck and stepped in for the second time. In the second half of the season he collected just as many points as Ribbeck had in the first. But with the "luminary" as team boss, the squad chased down autumn champions Eintracht Frankfurt — with Bayern-baiter Klaus Toppmöller ("Bye-bye Bayern") — and finished one point ahead of 1. FC Kaiserslautern as champions. Nobly, Ribbeck received the full championship bonus (250,000 DM) and his salary through to 30 June (500,000 DM). That's how you say goodbye to a friend...