Josef "Jupp" Heynckes (born 9 May 1945) is a famous German retired footballer and manager. He was known as a powerful striker for Borussia Mönchengladbach during their best years in the 1960s and 1970s. With them, he won many national championships and the DFB-Pokal, along with the UEFA Cup. He also played in their only European Cup final in 1977. Jupp Heynckes is the fourth-highest goalscorer in the history of the Bundesliga, with 220 goals. He was also part of the West Germany national team that won the UEFA Euro 1972 and the 1974 FIFA World Cup.

As a manager, Heynckes led Bayern Munich to four Bundesliga titles. He also won the UEFA Champions League twice: first with Real Madrid in 1997–98, and then with Bayern in 2012–13. His win with Bayern was part of a "continental treble," meaning they won three major trophies in one season. Many people consider him one of the greatest football managers ever.

Playing Career Highlights

Club Successes

Jupp Heynckes played 369 matches in Germany's top league, the Bundesliga, scoring an amazing 220 goals. This makes him the fourth-highest goalscorer in the league's history. Only Gerd Müller, Robert Lewandowski, and Klaus Fischer have scored more.

Heynckes in 1974

Heynckes started his professional career in 1964 with his hometown club, Borussia Mönchengladbach. They were in the second division back then. In 1965, his team was promoted to the Bundesliga. As a teenager, he scored 23 goals in 25 matches in his first season.

In 1965, he scored his first two Bundesliga goals. After two seasons with Borussia, he joined Hannover 96 for three years, scoring 25 goals in 86 league matches.

He returned to Mönchengladbach in 1970. The club had just won its first league title. With Heynckes, who scored 19 goals, Gladbach became the first club to win the Bundesliga title two years in a row in 1970–71.

In 1973, Borussia Mönchengladbach reached the final of the UEFA Cup. They lost to Liverpool 3–2 on total goals. Heynckes scored both goals in the second match, but it wasn't enough. He was also the top scorer in that competition with 12 goals. Despite the European loss, Gladbach won the German Cup that season.

In the 1973–74 season, Heynckes was the top goalscorer in the Bundesliga with 30 goals. His team finished second. He was also the top scorer in the 1973–74 European Cup Winners' Cup with eight goals.

Heynckes playing for Mönchengladbach in 1975

In 1974–75, Mönchengladbach won their third Bundesliga title. Heynckes was again the top scorer with 27 goals. The club also won its first European trophy, the UEFA Cup. Heynckes scored a hat-trick in the final's second match, helping his team win 5–1 away from home. This made Gladbach the first German team to win the UEFA Cup. He was also the top scorer in this tournament with ten goals.

Mönchengladbach continued their success, winning the Bundesliga titles in 1975–76 and 1976–77. In 1977, they reached their first European Cup final. However, they lost to Liverpool again, 3–1.

Heynckes ended his playing career in 1978. During his time as a player, he won four Bundesliga titles, one German Cup, and one UEFA Cup. He is Borussia Mönchengladbach's top goalscorer in the Bundesliga with 195 goals.

International Appearances

Jupp Heynckes played 39 times for the West Germany national team and scored 14 goals. He made his international debut in February 1967, scoring in a 5–1 win against Morocco.

Heynckes (bottom, second left) with his teammates after winning the 1974 FIFA World Cup on 7 July

Heynckes was part of the West Germany team that won the 1972 UEFA European Championship. He played the full 90 minutes in the 3–0 final win against the Soviet Union. He was even named one of the best players in the tournament.

He was also in West Germany's team for the 1974 FIFA World Cup, which they hosted. Even though he was playing very well for his club, he spent most of the tournament on the bench. This was because Gerd Müller, the national team's all-time top scorer, was the main striker. Heynckes started the first two matches but then got injured. West Germany went on to win their second World Cup, beating the Netherlands 2–1 in the final. Heynckes later said that missing the final due to injury was "the greatest disappointment of my life," but it also motivated him a lot.

Managerial Career

Early Years (1979–1991)

Borussia Mönchengladbach

After retiring as a player, Heynckes became a manager. He started at Borussia Mönchengladbach in 1979, taking over from his former coach, Udo Lattek. In his first season, he led Mönchengladbach to the 1980 UEFA Cup final, where they lost to Eintracht Frankfurt.

During his time there, Mönchengladbach often finished in the top half of the league. In the 1983–84 season, they finished third in the Bundesliga, missing out on the title by a small margin. They also reached the German Cup final but lost to Bayern Munich on penalties.

In the 1985–86 UEFA Cup, Gladbach famously beat Real Madrid 5–1 at home. However, they lost 4–0 in the return match and were knocked out because of the away goals rule. Heynckes called this "the worst night of my career." Even though he didn't win a trophy with his hometown club as a manager, he was known as "the champion without a title" for his strong performances.

First Stint at Bayern Munich

In 1987, Heynckes became the manager of Bayern Munich. In his first season, Bayern won the DFB-Supercup. Bayern then won back-to-back Bundesliga titles in 1988–89 and 1989–90.

Bayern also reached the semi-finals of European competitions three times in a row under Heynckes. They were knocked out of the 1988–89 UEFA Cup, the 1989–90 European Cup, and the 1990–91 European Cup by the teams that eventually won those tournaments.

Heynckes was fired by Bayern in October 1991 after a difficult start to the season. Later, Bayern's general manager Uli Hoeneß said that sacking Heynckes was "the biggest mistake of my career."

Coaching in Spain (1992–1998)

Athletic Bilbao and Tenerife

In 1992, Heynckes moved to Spain to manage Athletic Bilbao. He led them to a fifth-place finish in 1993–94, which meant they qualified for the UEFA Cup.

After a brief return to Germany with Eintracht Frankfurt, Heynckes went back to Spain in 1995 to manage Tenerife. In his first season, he guided them to fifth place in La Liga, also qualifying for the UEFA Cup. The next season, Tenerife reached the semi-finals of the UEFA Cup.

Real Madrid Success

In June 1997, Heynckes was hired by Real Madrid. His first trophy with them was the Spanish Super Cup. The biggest moment came when Madrid beat Juventus 1–0 in the 1998 UEFA Champions League Final. This was Real Madrid's first European Cup victory since 1966!

However, despite this huge European success, Real Madrid finished fourth in the league, far behind the champions. Because of this, Heynckes' time as manager ended after just one season.

Return to Germany (2003–2007)

Schalke 04 and Borussia Mönchengladbach

In 2003, Heynckes returned to Germany to manage Schalke 04. He said Schalke was "something special" for him. However, his time there was short. He was fired in September 2004 after a poor start to the league season.

In May 2006, Heynckes returned to manage Borussia Mönchengladbach for a second time. His comeback started well, but the team then went 14 league matches without a win. He resigned in January 2007, with the club near the bottom of the table. He showed his loyalty by refusing a pay-off and even cleaning his company car before returning it! Mönchengladbach was later relegated that season.

Final Years of Management (2009–2018)

Caretaker Role at Bayern Munich

After a break, Heynckes came out of retirement in April 2009 to become a temporary manager for Bayern Munich. Bayern was struggling and in danger of missing out on the UEFA Champions League. Heynckes helped them win four of their last five matches, securing second place in the league and a spot in the Champions League.

Bayer Leverkusen

Heynckes with Bayer Leverkusen in 2011

In June 2009, Heynckes signed a two-year contract to manage Bayer Leverkusen. His team started the season with a record 24 Bundesliga matches without a loss! They challenged Bayern for the league title. Leverkusen finished fourth that season.

In the 2010–11 season, Leverkusen finished second in the Bundesliga, behind Borussia Dortmund. This meant they qualified for the Champions League for the first time in years. Despite this success, Heynckes decided to leave Leverkusen to manage Bayern Munich for a third time.

Third Stint at Bayern Munich (2011–2013)

2011–12 Season

Heynckes after the 2012 UEFA Champions League Final loss to Chelsea

Heynckes' third period at Bayern began in the 2011–12 season. Bayern started strong, with six straight Bundesliga wins without letting in a single goal. They also kept 12 clean sheets (no goals conceded) in a row across all competitions. However, they later lost some key matches and finished second in the Bundesliga to Borussia Dortmund.

Bayern also reached the German Cup final but lost 5–2 to Dortmund. The biggest disappointment was the 2012 Champions League Final, which was played at Bayern's home stadium, the Allianz Arena. Bayern lost to Chelsea on penalties. This meant Bayern finished second in all three major competitions that season.

2012–13 Season: The Treble

The 2012–13 season was incredibly successful for Heynckes and Bayern. They started by beating Borussia Dortmund 2–1 in the German Super Cup. Bayern then had a record-breaking start to the Bundesliga season, winning eight matches in a row. They only lost one league game all season!

On 16 January 2013, Bayern announced that Pep Guardiola would replace Heynckes in July. Bayern's general manager later said that Heynckes was forced to leave, even though the club said he was retiring.

Bayern won the Bundesliga title on 6 April 2013, the earliest any team had ever won it. They broke many records that season, including most points (91), most wins (29), and fewest goals conceded (18).

In the Champions League, Bayern faced Barcelona in the semi-finals. They completely dominated, winning 7–0 over two matches. In the 2013 Champions League final at Wembley, Heynckes' Bayern defeated their German rivals Borussia Dortmund 2–1. This made Heynckes one of only a few managers to win the Champions League with two different clubs.

On 1 June 2013, Heynckes led Bayern for the last time in the German Cup final against VfB Stuttgart. Bayern won 3–2, becoming the first German club to win the "treble" – the domestic league, the domestic cup, and the European Cup – all in one season! Former Bayern captain Franz Beckenbauer called Heynckes' 2012–13 team "the best Bayern team ever."

Because of this amazing season, Heynckes won the FIFA World Coach of the Year 2013 award. He announced he would not coach a team in the next season, saying he was "ready for some peace and quiet."

Fourth Stint at Bayern (2017–2018)

Heynckes coaching Bayern Munich in 2018

On 6 October 2017, Heynckes returned to manage Bayern Munich for a fourth time, until the end of the 2017–18 season. His first match back was a 5–0 win.

On 4 April 2018, Heynckes set a new Champions League record for most consecutive wins as a manager with twelve victories. He led Bayern to another Bundesliga title that season. Bayern's president, Uli Hoeneß, wanted Heynckes to stay longer, but Heynckes decided to retire at the end of the season.

Retirement

Jupp Heynckes officially retired at the end of the 2017–18 season. Throughout his long career, he managed 1,265 matches across different competitions and leagues. He is remembered as one of football's most successful and respected figures, both as a player and a manager.

Honours

Club

Borussia Mönchengladbach

Bundesliga: 1970–71, 1974–75, 1975–76, 1976–77
DFB-Pokal: 1972–73
UEFA Cup: 1974–75; runner-up: 1972-73
European Cup runner-up: 1976-77

International

West Germany

Manager

Borussia Mönchengladbach (as an assistant coach)

UEFA Cup: 1978–79

Bayern Munich

Bundesliga: 1988–89, 1989–90, 2012–13, 2017–18
DFB-Pokal: 2012–13
DFL-Supercup: 1987, 1990, 2012
UEFA Champions League: 2012–13; runner-up: 2011–12

Real Madrid

UEFA Champions League: 1997–98
Supercopa de España: 1997

Schalke 04

UEFA Intertoto Cup: 2003, 2004

Individual Awards

Player

kicker Bundesliga Team of the Season: 1971–72, 1973–74, 1974–75
Bundesliga top scorer: 1973–74, 1974–75
European Cup top scorer: 1975–76
UEFA Cup Winners' Cup top scorer: 1973–74
UEFA Cup top scorer: 1972–73, 1974–75
UEFA European Championship Team of the Tournament: 1972

Manager

FIFA World Coach of the Year: 2013
IFFHS World's Best Club Coach: 2013; runner-up: 1998
VDV Bundesliga Coach of the Season: 2012–13, 2017-18
German Football Manager of the Year: 2013, 2018
World Soccer Awards Manager of the Year: 2013
France Football Magazine 25th Greatest Manager of All time: 2019

Jupp Heynckes facts for kids

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