The only man to coach both FC Bayern Munich and the United States national team turned 85 on Sunday. Dettmar Cramer’s short reign (2 matches) as US coach may not have produced a victory, but it was his impact on future coaches that made him an important figure in the history of American soccer. It was Cramer who established the first coaching education program in the U.S. in 1974, an important step on the long climb to legitimacy. Just two years later, he would be at the pinnacle of on-field success, taking his place as the only coach to lead FC Bayern to consecutive European Championships.
Reflections on Cramer abound in the German media today, but I’ve cherry picked a couple that come through the translator a bit better than some others, here and here.
And to relive Bayern’s 2nd straight European title under Cramer (and 3rd in a row for the club), all you need to do is press play below…