Special Moments — The Swabian Sports Invalid
On 1 May 1979, a 27-year-old ex-striker with a ruined knee was appointed manager of FC Bayern. It was the beginning of the greatest success story in German club football.
1 May 1979
A grey blazer, a notebook, and a door that opened to an uncertain future.
The First Day
In a grey blazer, notebook under his arm, 27 years old, eager and highly motivated — Uli Hoeneß arrived at Säbener Straße 51.
It was 1 May 1979, and the streets were deserted. Most people were sitting over a late breakfast, enjoying Labour Day. Not Uli Hoeneß.
He stood at the front door of FC Bayern München's offices and wasn't quite sure whether he should go in or not.
As if an invisible force had read his thoughts, the door opened. Uli! Come in, come in!
Paul Breitner stood laughing in the doorframe, waving his old companion into the hallowed halls.
They asked me again yesterday whether I think you're too young for the job, Breitner teased. This isn't about age — it's about performance, commitment, ideas. I can't turn down an offer like this because I'm 27, Hoeneß replied.
At 35 it might be too late.
The Desk, the Phone, Twelve Million
A desk, a sideboard, a telephone. Lavish it was not.
Arriving on the first floor, the two buddies stopped in front of the door. We need to change the nameplate, Breitner observed. After you, please!
It's yours, after all.
Hoeneß opened the door to his new office for the first time and sat behind the desk. A press photographer was a must — PR professional Hoeneß knew that. On the desk still lay documents from his predecessor.
Financial plans and balance sheets.
Twelve million marks in revenue? Not exactly a lot, he muttered and picked up the phone. After just two hours, he left.
There wasn't much he could accomplish on a public holiday. But other days would come. Many days that would offer the chance to make history.
The Player Revolution
Weeks earlier, a handful of players had taken over an entire club.
The Revolt Against Max Merkel
For the first time in German football history, a handful of players took over an entire club.
For the first time in the history of German football, a handful of players had taken over an entire club, the author of the book Good Friends, Thomas Hüetlin, analysed the events of spring 1979 in 2006.
On the return journey from a 0-0 in Braunschweig, the players, on orders from Breitner and goalkeeper Sepp Maier, united when they learned that Max Merkel was to replace Gyula Lorant as the new coach — contrary to the agreement with the president. They rejected the appointment of the coaching dictator democratically, 16-0. If he came, they intended to boycott the first Monday morning training session under Merkel in protest. Their stubbornness prevailed, and Merkel would never come.
In disbelief at such insubordination, president Wilhelm Neudecker resigned the following Monday.
A mutinous squad driving their president to resign? Unbelievable. With such a captain and this team, I can no longer work together, he had told the squad on 19 March 1979. I wish you and your families all the best.
Goodbye.
The public blamed captain Sepp Maier, although in reality the entire squad was behind the putsch. People had just congratulated themselves on having driven the rebellious youth more or less off the streets — and now highly paid footballers were shaking the foundations of the business. The employer decides on dismissals and hirings; employees may be glad or annoyed about the decisions.
A works council with co-determination rights over the appointment of a football club's senior staff doesn't exist; a right to strike over coaching or management appointments even less so.
The Architect of His Own Fortune
Hoeneß was only indirectly involved in the toppling — but he had engineered the conditions.
While on loan at 1. FC Nürnberg, Hoeneß had negotiated a sponsorship deal with tractor manufacturer Magirus-Deutz from his hometown Ulm. The funds could be used for one purpose only: the buy-back of Paul Breitner from Eintracht Braunschweig.
Hoeneß had thus brought the revolutionary back to Munich and indirectly triggered the transformation from which he himself would benefit the most. Breitner took sporting command under new coach Pal Csernai.
And Uli — forced into retirement by his wrecked knee — became manager.
The Legacy
From twelve million to three-quarters of a billion.
The Numbers
He increased the revenue from 6 million euros to 750.4 million in the 2018/19 financial year.
The pre-tax profit alone, at the time of his departure, was more than 15 times the annual revenue he had found upon taking office. On 15 November 2019, he stepped down as president of FC Bayern München.
The resignation of Wilhelm Neudecker and the appointment of Uli Hoeneß are two very special moments in the history of Germany's most successful football club.
- Revenue 1979
- ~€6m (12m DM)
- Revenue 2018/19
- €750.4m
- Growth factor
- 125×
- Tenure
- 1979–2019 (40 years)