Dettmar Cramer facts for kids
Ryuichi Sugiyama and Dettmar Cramer (right) at the 1964 Olympics
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||
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| Date of birth | 4 April 1925 | |||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Dortmund, Weimar Republic | |||||||||||||||
| Date of death | 17 September 2015 (aged 90) | |||||||||||||||
| Place of death | Reit im Winkl, Germany | |||||||||||||||
| Teams managed | ||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | |||||||||||||||
| 1960–1963 | Japan (technical advisor) | |||||||||||||||
| 1964–1966 | West Germany (assistant) | |||||||||||||||
| 1971–1974 | Egypt | |||||||||||||||
| 1974 | United States | |||||||||||||||
| 1974 | Hertha BSC | |||||||||||||||
| 1975–1977 | Bayern Munich | |||||||||||||||
| 1977–1978 | Eintracht Frankfurt | |||||||||||||||
| 1978–1981 | Al-Ittihad | |||||||||||||||
| 1981–1982 | Aris Salonika | |||||||||||||||
| 1982–1985 | Bayer Leverkusen | |||||||||||||||
| 1984–1985 | Malaysia | |||||||||||||||
| 1991–1992 | South Korea U-23 (technical advisor) | |||||||||||||||
| 1997 | Thailand | |||||||||||||||
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Honours
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Dettmar Cramer was a famous German football coach. He was born in Dortmund in 1925 and passed away in 2015. He is best known for leading Bayern Munich to win the European Cup twice. Many people also call him the "father of modern football" in Japan because of his big impact there. He even coached the United States national team for a short time.
Contents
Early Life and Coaching Beginnings
Dettmar Cramer was often called the "Football Professor." This was because he paid great attention to every small detail in the game. Some also called him "Napoleon" because he was not very tall (1.61 meters). He started playing football at clubs like Viktoria Dortmund. Later, he began his coaching career with smaller teams. In 1948, he joined the German Football Association (DFB). He worked there as a head coach for West Germany until 1963.
For a short time, Cramer tried working in journalism. He became a sports editor for a German TV station. But he missed being involved in football. So, after only six months, he left that job. Soon after, the DFB sent him to Japan. His mission was to teach football there.
Making a Mark in Japan
In 1960, the Japan Football Association wanted to make their national team stronger. They planned for the Tokyo Olympic Games four years later. They decided to bring in a foreign professional coach. Dettmar Cramer was chosen for this important role.
With Cramer's coaching, the Japanese national team achieved a big surprise. They beat Argentina at the Tokyo Olympics. Cramer saw this as proof that Japanese football was getting much better. His work was not just with the national team. He also created plans for how football should grow in Japan. He helped start a national league and trained many other coaches. These efforts helped Japan win a bronze medal at the Mexico City Olympics four years later.
Coaching in Germany and Around the World
On January 1, 1964, Cramer returned to Germany. He became an assistant coach for the German national team. He was part of the coaching staff at the World Cup in 1966. In that tournament, West Germany lost to England in the final match.
FIFA (the world football organization) thought highly of Cramer's skills. They hired him as a coach from 1967 to 1974. During this time, he traveled the world, teaching football. He also led the first FIFA Coaching Course in Japan in 1969. This helped set up a system for training coaches in Japan. On August 1, 1974, Cramer also became the head coach of the United States men's national football team.
While working with national teams, Cramer received many offers from German clubs. He always said no to them. But on January 16, 1975, he finally took over as manager of Bayern Munich. This was a very famous German club.
Leading Bayern Munich to Glory
At first, Cramer faced criticism in Munich. Some people thought his coaching style was too quiet. There were rumors that he might be fired. But the team captain, Franz Beckenbauer, strongly supported him. Beckenbauer felt thankful to Cramer. This was because Cramer had insisted that Beckenbauer be allowed to play for the German national team again.
Cramer led Bayern Munich to win the European Champions Cup in both 1975 and 1976. He also helped them win the World Club Cup in 1976. However, in the 1976 Bundesliga season (the German league), Bayern did not play as well. They failed to win their domestic title. Because of this, Cramer had to leave his position.
Cramer then moved to Eintracht Frankfurt as part of a manager swap. Neither club was happy with the results. Bayern finished in a low 12th place, and Frankfurt's performance was not great. So, Cramer left Frankfurt on June 30, 1978.
Later Career and Retirement
Cramer did not coach in the Bundesliga again until the 1982–83 season. This time, he joined Bayer Leverkusen. In his second year there, he led the club to their first top-9 finish in the league. But they could not build on that success. He was dismissed after his third season.
After that, Cramer coached various international clubs and teams around the world. In 2002, Dettmar Cramer officially announced his retirement from football. In 2005, he was honored by being added to the Japan Football Hall of Fame.
Personal Life and Honors
Cramer served as a Senior Lieutenant in a German paratrooper division during World War II. For his international achievements, Cramer received two special honorary doctorates. He was also given the Federal Cross of Merit in Germany. In 1971, Emperor Hirohito of Japan personally gave him membership in the Order of the Sacred Treasure. This was for his great service to Japan. Cramer also became an honorary chieftain in the Native American Sioux and Mohican tribes. Dettmar Cramer passed away at the age of 90 on September 17, 2015.
Honours
- European Cup: 1974–75, 1975–76
- Intercontinental Cup: 1976
- Individual
- France Football 40th Greatest Manager of All Time: 2019
Images for kids
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Ryuichi Sugiyama and Dettmar Cramer (right) at the 1964 Olympics
