Jürgen Kohler facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Jürgen Kohler

Kohler in 2005
Personal information
Date of birth	(1965-10-06) 6 October 1965 (age 59)
Place of birth	Lambsheim, West Germany
Height	1.86 m (6 ft 1 in)
Position(s)	Centre-back
Team information
Current team	Bonner SC (U17 manager)
Youth career
1975–1981	TB Jahn Lambsheim
1982–1983	Waldhof Mannheim
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1983–1987	Waldhof Mannheim	95	(6)
1987–1989	1. FC Köln	57	(2)
1989–1991	Bayern Munich	55	(6)
1991–1995	Juventus	102	(8)
1995–2002	Borussia Dortmund	191	(14)
Total		500	(36)
International career
1983–1984	West Germany U18	8	(1)
1985–1987	West Germany U21	11	(0)
1986–1998	Germany	105	(2)
Managerial career
2002–2003	Germany U21
2005–2006	MSV Duisburg
2008	VfR Aalen
2012	Bonner SC (U19 manager)
2013–2015	SpVgg EGC Wirges
2015–2016	SC Hauenstein
2016–2017	VfL Alfter
2018–2020	Viktoria Köln (U19 manager)
2019	Viktoria Köln (caretaker)
2024–	Bonner SC (U17 manager)
Medal record Men's football Representing  Germany FIFA World Cup Winner 1990 Italy UEFA European Championship Winner 1996 England Runner-up 1992 Sweden
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Jürgen Kohler (born 6 October 1965) is a famous German former football player and manager. He played as a centre-back, which is a defender who plays in the middle of the field. He is currently the U17 manager for Bonner SC.

Playing Career Highlights

Jürgen Kohler had a long and successful career playing football at the highest levels. He played in 500 top league matches, mostly as a centre-back. He achieved great success with teams like Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, and Juventus.

Playing for Clubs

Kohler started his professional journey at Waldhof Mannheim. He played his first game in Germany's top league, the Bundesliga, in April 1984. He scored his first goal in January 1985.

After playing for Waldhof Mannheim, he joined 1. FC Köln for two years. Then, he moved to Bayern Munich. In his very first season with Bayern Munich, in 1989–90, his team won the Bundesliga championship.

In 1991, Kohler moved to Italy to play for Juventus. He was named the best foreign player in Italy's top league, Serie A, in 1992. With Juventus, he helped his team win the 1992–93 UEFA Cup (a big European competition) and also won both the league and the Italian Cup in the 1994–95 season.

He returned to Germany in 1995 to play for Borussia Dortmund. He won another Bundesliga title with them in 1996. He also helped Dortmund reach the 1997 UEFA Champions League Final. In this final, Dortmund beat his old team, Juventus, to become European Champions for the first time! Because of this amazing success, Jürgen Kohler was named the Footballer of the Year (Germany) in 1997. In his last season, 2001–02, Kohler won his third Bundesliga title with Dortmund.

His very last professional game was the 2002 UEFA Cup Final against Feyenoord. During this match, he was sent off (given a red card) early in the game. Dortmund ended up losing the match 3–2.

Playing for Germany

Jürgen Kohler also played a lot for the German national team. He played in over 100 international games. He took part in three FIFA World Cup tournaments and three UEFA European Championships. He helped Germany win the 1990 FIFA World Cup and the UEFA Euro 1996.

How He Played

Experts say Jürgen Kohler was one of the best defenders of his time. He was a strong centre-back who was great at understanding the game, reacting quickly, and marking opponents. He was also very good in the air, meaning he could jump high and head the ball well, which also helped him score goals from set-pieces (like corner kicks).

At first, some people in Germany called him "Eisenfuss" (which means "iron foot") because he was known for his powerful tackles. But as his career went on, especially in Italy, he improved his ball control and passing skills. He was also known for his strong mindset and leadership on the field.

Coaching Career

After he stopped playing football, Jürgen Kohler became a coach and sports director.

• From 2002 to 2003, he managed the German under-21 national team.
• He was the sports director for Bayer Leverkusen from 2003 to 2004.
• In December 2005, he became the coach of MSV Duisburg.
• In 2006, he was offered the chance to coach the Ivory Coast national team, but he turned it down.
• In 2008, he signed a contract to manage VfR Aalen, but he had to stop coaching due to a heart condition. He continued as their sports director for a while.
• In April 2013, he started working as a sports director for his former club, SV Waldhof Mannheim.
• Since 2024, he has been the U17 manager for Bonner SC.

Honours and Awards

Jürgen Kohler won many important titles and awards during his career:

Club Honours

• Bayern Munich
  • Bundesliga: 1989–90
  • DFB-Supercup: 1990

• Juventus
  • Serie A: 1994–95
  • Coppa Italia: 1994–95
  • UEFA Cup: 1992–93

• Borussia Dortmund
  • Bundesliga: 1995–96, 2001–02
  • DFB-Supercup: 1995, 1996
  • UEFA Champions League: 1996–97
  • Intercontinental Cup: 1997
  • UEFA Cup runner-up: 2001–02

International Honours

• Germany
  • FIFA World Cup: 1990
  • UEFA European Championship: 1996 (Winner), 1992 (Runner-up)
  • U.S. Cup: 1993

Individual Awards

• kicker Bundesliga Team of the Season: He was chosen for this team multiple times (1986–87, 1987–88, 1988–89, 1990–91, 1998–99, 2000–01).
• UEFA European Championship Team of the Tournament: 1992
• Footballer of the Year in Germany: 1997

Images for kids

• 

  Kohler in 2005

See also

In Spanish: Jürgen Kohler para niños