Rainer Bonhof facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Rainer Bonhof

Bonhof with Germany in 1975
Personal information
Date of birth	(1952-03-29) 29 March 1952 (age 73)
Place of birth	Emmerich am Rhein, West Germany
Height	1.80 m
Playing position	Midfielder
Club information
Current club	Borussia Mönchengladbach (Vice president)
Youth career
1963–1970	SuS Emmerich
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1970–1978	Borussia Mönchengladbach	231	(42)
1978–1980	Valencia	61	(10)
1980–1983	1. FC Köln	74	(14)
1983	Hertha BSC	6	(1)
Total		371	(67)
National team
1971–1973	West Germany U23	5	(0)
1972–1981	West Germany	53	(9)
Teams managed
1990–1998	Germany (assistant coach)
1998	Germany U21
1998–1999	Borussia Mönchengladbach
2000–2001	Al-Kuwait
2002–2005	Scotland U21
Honours Men's football Representing  West Germany FIFA World Cup Winner 1974 West Germany UEFA European Championship Winner 1972 Belgium Runner-up 1976 Yugoslavia Winner 1980 Italy
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Rainer Bonhof, born on March 29, 1952, is a famous German former football player. He played as a midfielder, often helping both defense and attack. He was known for his powerful shots and quick runs up the field. Bonhof was a key player for West Germany when they won the 1974 FIFA World Cup. He also achieved many wins with his club team, Borussia Mönchengladbach.

Playing Career

Rainer Bonhof had an amazing career as a football player. He was known for his very hard free-kicks and his long, accurate throw-ins. He scored many goals during his time playing for different clubs.

Club Success

Bonhof was a big part of the successful Borussia Mönchengladbach team in the 1970s. With them, he won many important titles. These included the Bundesliga (Germany's top league), the DFB-Pokal (German Cup), and the UEFA Cup. He scored 14 goals in European club competitions. He also scored 57 goals in the German top league. His powerful shots were so famous that he won the "ARD Goal of the Month" award three times.

International Matches

Rainer Bonhof played his first international junior match for West Germany in 1969. He later became a German citizen. He earned his first of 53 senior caps (appearances) for the national team in 1972.

Bonhof was the youngest player on the West Germany team that won the 1974 FIFA World Cup. They beat the Netherlands 2-1 in the final. Bonhof made a great run and passed the ball to Gerd Muller, who scored the winning goal. Earlier in that tournament, Bonhof also scored a key goal against Sweden.

He continued to be a regular player for West Germany. In the 1976 European Championship, he was considered one of the best players. He helped set up four of West Germany's six goals in the semi-final and final. However, they lost to Czechoslovakia in the final on penalties.

Bonhof played in every game of the 1978 FIFA World Cup. West Germany was knocked out in the second round after losing to Austria. He kept playing an important role for the national team even after moving to Valencia in Spain. His move helped change rules, allowing players based outside Germany to play for the national team.

He helped West Germany qualify for the 1980 European Championships. Even though he was part of the squad that won, injuries stopped him from playing in any games. His last game for the national team was a 4-1 loss to Brazil.

For a long time, Bonhof was the only player to have won the European Championships twice. This was true even though he didn't play in the 1972 or 1980 tournaments. Now, 13 players from the Spanish national team share this record with him. Bonhof still holds the record for being the most decorated player in the history of the European Championships, with two gold medals and one silver.

Former Liverpool goalkeeper, Ray Clemence, once said he was scared of Bonhof's shots. This fear was well-founded, as Bonhof scored against him twice in 1978.

Life After Playing

Rainer Bonhof's playing career ended suddenly in 1983 because of an ankle injury. After getting his coaching license in 1988, he started coaching different teams.

Coaching and Management

Bonhof coached Borussia Mönchengladbach in the late 1990s. Later, he became the manager of the Scotland under-21 team in 2002. He was the first full-time manager for this team.

Under Bonhof, the Scotland under-21 team had some early success. They won an away game against Germany and reached the playoffs for the 2004 European Championship. They lost in the playoffs to Croatia. Bonhof stayed as manager until November 2005. During his time, he helped players like Darren Fletcher and James McFadden move up to the main national team.

In 2006, Bonhof joined Chelsea, a big English club, as a scout for Germany and Austria. He left Chelsea in 2008.

On February 11, 2009, he was named the new vice president of Borussia Mönchengladbach, the club where he had so much success as a player.

Achievements and Awards

Borussia Mönchengladbach

• Bundesliga: 1970–71, 1974–75, 1975–76, 1976–77
• DFB-Pokal: 1972–73
• UEFA Cup: 1974–75

Valencia

• Copa del Rey: 1978–79
• UEFA Cup Winners Cup: 1979–80

1. FC Köln

• DFB-Pokal: 1982–83

Germany

• FIFA World Cup: 1974
• UEFA European Championship: 1972, 1980
• UEFA European Championship: Runner-up: 1976

Individual

• kicker Bundesliga Team of the Season: 1973–74, 1976–77, 1977–78
• UEFA European Championship Team of the Tournament: 1976
• UEFA European Championship top assist provider: 1976
• World XI: 1975, 1977
• Sport Ideal European XI: 1976, 1977
• Onze Mondial: 1977
• Goal of the Year (Germany): 1978

See also

In Spanish: Rainer Bonhof para niños