Jupp Heynckes Retires, For Now

In maybe the most highly anticipated press conference in the 2012-2013 season, Jupp Heynckes, flanked by Uli Hoeneß and Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, announced a break from Football, at least for now.

"The first thing I’m going to do is go on holiday. I won’t be taking up any engagement after 1 July, neither here in Germany nor abroad. I’m going to withdraw, recover, and become a private individual."

"The coaching job at FC Bayern costs a huge amount in terms of resolve, power and energy. Especially over the last few weeks, I’ve sensed that I’ve been at the limit. It was incredibly demanding, incredibly all-encompassing."

-fcbayern.de

The 68-year-old also mentioned that he told his wife last year that he intended to live out his contract with FC Bayern, but not extend it, putting to rest any hearsay that he was forced out of the club after the appointment of Pep Guardiola:

#Heynckes: "Ich habe meiner Frau im letzten Sommer gesagt, dass ich meinen Vertrag beim FC Bayern erfülle, aber danach nicht weitermache."

— FC Bayern München (@FCBayern) June 4, 2013

The newly retired manager also addressed rumors of going to Real Madrid, where he coached for just one season in 1997/98 but was fired after finishing fourth in La Liga. He also made a statement earlier in May that he had "no personal goal of taking over another Bundesliga club in any form."

With the manager turnover, Heynckes is already leaving Pep Guardiola huge lederhosen to fill. After all, the treble has only been done seven times in European football history. Although, winning the treble is something Heynckes and Guardiola have in common, as Guardiola did it with FC Barcelona just four years prior.

Heynckes's long management career saw 13 stops with nine different clubs. He spent the most time with Borussia Monchengladbach, who he managed for the first seven seasons of his managing career, standing on the sidelines for 361 games for die Fohlen. He also won the UEFA Champions league in 1997-98 with Real Madrid, the first time the club had won the competition since 1966.

FC Bayern Munich was the only stop of his that he won the league title, which he won three times. His Bayern teams also had a +409 goal differential in 312 games he managed the club, both as the interim manager (taking over for Jürgen Klinsmann in 2009) and the head honcho.

After years of Heynckes's service, both as a player and a manager, Rummenigge said what we were all already thinking: the entire FC Bayern is very thankful.

Auch Karl-Heinz Rummenigge sitzt auf dem Podium. "Der gesamte #FCBayern ist Jupp unendlich dankbar" #DankeJupp #FCBPK twitter.com/FCBayern/statu…

— FC Bayern München (@FCBayern) June 4, 2013

It may have been short and spaced out, but the Jupp Heynckes experience was a great ride to be on.

Danke, Jupp!