Thomas Schaaf Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids
Thomas Schaaf
Personal information
Schaaf with Werder Bremen in 2009
Date of birth	(1961-04-30) 30 April 1961 (age 64)
Place of birth	Mannheim, West Germany
Height	1.79 m (5 ft 10 in)
Position(s)	Right-back
Youth career
	BBV Union Bremen
1972–1978	Werder Bremen
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1978–1980	Werder Bremen II	59	(0)
1978–1995	Werder Bremen	281	(14)
Total		340	(14)
Managerial career
1995–1999	Werder Bremen II
1999–2013	Werder Bremen
2014–2015	Eintracht Frankfurt
2015–2016	Hannover 96
2021	Werder Bremen (caretaker)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Thomas Schaaf (born 30 April 1961) is a German professional football manager and former player. He played as a defender. Thomas Schaaf is known as a "one-club man". This means he spent his entire playing career (from 1978 to 1995) with just one team: Werder Bremen. He also spent most of his time as a manager with this same club.

He started coaching Werder Bremen's main team in 1999 and stayed until 2013. This made him one of the longest-serving coaches in the Bundesliga, Germany's top football league. As a player, he helped Werder Bremen win the Bundesliga twice (in 1988 and 1993). He also won the DFB-Pokal (German Cup) twice (in 1991 and 1994). Plus, he won the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup once in 1992. As a manager, he led Werder Bremen to win the Bundesliga once (in 2004). He also won the DFB-Pokal three times (in 1999, 2004, and 2009).

Playing Career Highlights
Managerial Journey
- Werder Bremen: A Long Coaching Run (1987–2013)
- Life After Werder Bremen (2014–2016)
Honours and Achievements
- As a Player
- As a Manager
See also

Playing Career Highlights

Thomas Schaaf was born in Mannheim, Germany. He joined Werder Bremen's youth academy in 1972 when he was 11 years old. Six years later, he became a professional player for the club. He made his first appearance in the Bundesliga on 18 April 1979.

He played in 260 top-flight games during his career. He retired from playing in 1995 at the age of 34. During his time as a player, he helped Werder Bremen win many important trophies. These included two national championships and two German Cups. In 1992, he was part of the team that won the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup. He came on as a substitute in the final match, helping his team win 2–0.

Managerial Journey

Werder Bremen: A Long Coaching Run (1987–2013)

Starting as a Coach

Thomas Schaaf began coaching even while he was still playing. He first coached Werder Bremen's youth teams. After that, he managed the club's reserve team, called SV Werder Bremen II. This team played in a lower league.

In May 1999, he became the head coach of Werder Bremen's main team. The team was in danger of being moved down to a lower league. Schaaf successfully kept them in the Bundesliga. Right after that, he led them to win the German Cup in 1999. They beat Bayern Munich in a penalty shootout.

Winning the Double (2000–2004)

One of Schaaf's biggest achievements was leading Werder Bremen to win "the double" in the 2003–04 season. This means they won both the Bundesliga (the league championship) and the DFB-Pokal (the German Cup) in the same year. This was a very special moment for the club.

European Adventures (2004–2009)

Schaaf (centre-left, holding trophy) celebrating the win of the 2009 DFB-Pokal

From 2004, Werder Bremen qualified for the UEFA Champions League five times in a row. This is a big European competition. In the 2008–09 season, they won the German Cup again. This was Schaaf's third German Cup win as a manager. That same season, he also guided the team to the final of the UEFA Cup. They lost a close game to Shakhtar Donetsk after extra time.

Final Seasons at Werder (2009–2013)

On 14 December 2009, Schaaf signed a new contract with Werder Bremen. He led the team to finish third in the league. They also reached the playoff stages of the Champions League in the 2010–11 season. They also made it to a second straight German Cup final in 2010, but lost to Bayern Munich.

Thomas Schaaf left Werder Bremen on 15 May 2013. This was after the team finished 14th in the league, which was a bit disappointing. He had been in charge of the club for 14 years as a coach. This ended his amazing 41-year connection with the club, which started when he was a young player. He coached 645 games for Werder Bremen. He helped them win six major trophies and appear in the Champions League six times. He shared his love for the club and the joy he felt at the Weserstadion, their home stadium.

Life After Werder Bremen (2014–2016)

Coaching Eintracht Frankfurt (2014–2015)

After taking a year off from football, Schaaf became the head coach of Eintracht Frankfurt on 21 May 2014. He signed a two-year contract. In his first season, he led his team to finish ninth in the Bundesliga. He also coached his 500th Bundesliga match during this time. Schaaf decided to leave Eintracht Frankfurt on 26 May 2015. His last game was a 2–1 win.

Time at Hannover 96 (2015–2016)

Schaaf was then appointed as the head coach of Hannover 96 on 28 December 2015. He took over a team that was struggling in 17th place in the league. His first match was a 2–1 loss. Hannover 96 had a tough time under his leadership.

Thomas Schaaf was let go on 3 April 2016, after a 3–0 loss. He had only one win and ten losses during his time there. His only win was a 2–1 victory against VfB Stuttgart on 27 February 2016.

Brief Return to Bremen (2021)

In May 2021, Thomas Schaaf made a short return to Werder Bremen. He came back to coach for just one game. This happened after the previous coach was dismissed before the last match of the season. On that final matchday, Bremen lost 4–2 at home. This meant they finished 17th in the league and were moved down to the 2. Bundesliga. This was the first time they had been relegated since the 1979–80 season.

Honours and Achievements

As a Player

Werder Bremen

Bundesliga: 1987–88, 1992–93
DFB-Pokal (German Cup): 1990–91, 1993–94
2. Bundesliga: 1980–81
DFL-Supercup: 1988, 1993, 1994
UEFA Cup Winners' Cup: 1991–92

As a Manager