Klaus Toppmöller

Klaus Topp Möller ( born August 12, 1951 in Rivenich ) is a former German football player and current coach.

Career as a player

Toppmöller is the son of an innkeeper couple and a trained engineer for utility. He started his footballing career at SV Rivenich and then went to the then third division Eintracht Trier, for whom he scored 33 goals in two years. He then played in the Bundesliga 1972-1980 204 times for 1.FC Kaiserslautern, scoring 108 goals. The striker is now up today scorer of FCK.

1976 ( against Spain ) and 1979 ( against Malta and Turkey) played Toppmöller three times in the German national football team. In his international debut on 22 May 1976 in Munich in the European Championship qualifier against Spain, he scored in the 2-0 victory equal to his first and only international goal.

In 1980 Toppmöller to Dallas Tornado in the U.S. professional league and after a season ( 31 league bets and seven goals) to the Calgary Boomers, before he finished his playing career at FSV Salmrohr in the Second Bundesliga. Previously, he had marked in the former Amateur Oberliga West for Salmtaler for the seasons 1981/82 to 1985/ 86 114 hits.

Career as a coach and manager

Even during his playing days Toppmöller was manager of FSV Salmrohr. In March 1987 he took over as coach of the second division of Robert Young and served as player-coach. He could not prevent the descent of the association, however. Up to April 18, 1988, he was the coach in Salmrohr. There were other engagements with the SSV Ulm 1846 ( 19. April 1988 to February 1989 ) and bismuth Aue (28 November 1990 to 30 June 1991).

His first stop in the 2nd Bundesliga was the SV Waldhof Mannheim (19 September 1991 to 30 June 1993). On 1 July 1993 took Toppmöller Eintracht Frankfurt, with the he had a sensationally successful start of the season and winning the Autumn Cup. Moreover, in his first Bundesliga use under Toppmöller scored Jay- Jay Okocha, the goal of the year 1993. According subsequent failures of the team and thus missed championship, he was released at Frankfurt on 10 April 1994. From 9 November 1994 to 30 June 1999, he coached the VfL ​​Bochum with which he penetrated into the 1997/98 season to the last sixteen of the UEFA Cup, where you at Ajax Amsterdam even already led 2-0 in the first leg, but lost at the end still 2:4 and not it past your home to a 2-2.

The next coach station was 1 FC Saarbrücken, with whom he reached the 2000 promotion to the 2nd Bundesliga. On 29 November 2000, after a 2:8 defeat, Toppmöller was dismissed. Previously blurted it goes to the first FC Kaiserslautern who was looking for a successor to the dismissed Otto Rehhagel. Toppmöller was disappointed because the FCS was contrary to previous agreements leave it, just go for a high fee. Then he accused critics not to work with full dedication for the FCS. Shortly before his release, he was also in contact with Bayer 04 Leverkusen. However, this change also failed to release modalities.

On 1 July 2001, he was finally still head coach at Bayer 04 Leverkusen, which he led in 2002 to the final of the Champions League and second place in the Bundesliga and the German Cup final. Toppmöller was then ever elected in 2002 as the first coach of the German sports journalists coach of the year. As Leverkusen, fell into the following season, in the wake of the sale of Michael Ballack and Zé Roberto, and a fatal injury crisis, partly caused by the loss of seven players in the defensive area in acute danger of relegation, Toppmöller was released on 16 February 2003. From 23 October 2003 to 17 October 2004, he served as the successor to Kurt Jara's coach of Hamburger SV and assisted the team in 33 Bundesliga games. When HSV Toppmöller was dismissed when the club was on the bottom of the table. Contributory cause was also involved in the elimination cup competition against Paderborn. The game was manipulated by referee Robert Hoyzer.

February 1, 2006 Klaus Topp Moeller held the post of national coach in Georgia. As an assistant coach he committed Ralf Minge. It was Topp Moller's first station abroad, even though he had already been courted after his successes with Leverkusen in the Champions League in 2002 by many European clubs. On 2 April 2008, his contract was canceled by the Georgian Football Federation prematurely. Was justified for the resignation with "extremely mediocre results " as association president Nodar Akhalkatsi was announced. The team had been in the European Championship qualifiers only three wins - and can achieve a draw against eight defeats and remained as a group so that second to last up to expectations - two of them against point-less group last. Immediately before Topp Moller dismissal it had, however, also been disputes regarding his contract. Toppmöller emphasized in this context, however, continue to be motivated and want to lead the team to the 2010 World Cup.

From November 6 to December 20, 2007 Toppmöller was a member of the Supervisory Board of the football second division 1 FC Kaiserslautern. There he was alone, but voluntary, responsible for sports and should help the crisis-ridden and relegation-threatened club tradition to hold the class. After six weeks, but already followed his resignation for personal reasons.

Since then Toppmöller was in no function more active in football. He was with several associations as national coach (Czech Republic, Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon ) as well as a club coach at the 1 FC Cologne and at 1860 Munich in conversation, but it was in no way a commitment.

Klaus Möller Topp was the first coach in the history of the Bundesliga, which managed the feat, to lead a team both internationally and in the national cup and the League to the 2nd rank in a season. This equally remarkable how annoying " Vice - triple" was accomplished only exactly ten years later FC Bayern Munich under Jupp Heynckes again. Bayer Leverkusen is thanks to these results under Toppmöller but to date together with FC Bayern Munich is the only German team, which reached the top two places in one season in all three competitions (international competition, the DFB Cup and Championship).

Family

Klaus Toppmöller is married with Rosi Toppmöller since 1977 and has three children. His daughter Sarah Nina ( born 1979 ) is after high school and bank training now active under the pseudonym ZaraNina as a singer. His two sons Dino (* 1980, named after the Italian goalkeeper Dino Zoff Idol ) and Tommy (* 1988) are, as their father, active in football. Dino, who played 1999/2000 under his father at the 1 FC Saarbrücken and was the only active professional in the family Toppmöller never at the 1 FC Kaiserslautern runs, up to date, as well as Tommy, for the SV Mehring ( 5 league) on.

Klaus Topp Moller's brother Heinz ( born 1950 ) played in the season 1974/75, together with his more famous brother at the 1 FC Kaiserslautern. He moved to Georgia in 2006, where he became coach of the U19 national team.

Also Klaus Topp Moller nephew Marco ( b. 1978 ), son of Heinz Toppmöller, stood in a league season (2000/ 01) for the 1st FC Kaiserslautern on the court. After he followed, among others, as well as Dino Toppmöller in Luxembourg was ( at Victoria Rosport ) under contract, he ended his active, full-time football career in the summer of 2010, but occasionally plays still in the district league at SV Leiwen - Köwerich. For the latter association also Marco Möller's brother Timo Topp plays (* 1981 ), another nephew Klaus Topp Moller.

Achievements

As a player

• DFB Cup finalists: 1976
• Bundesliga Third: 1979, 1980

As a coach

• Champions League finalists: 2002
• Bundesliga runners-up: 2002
• DFB Cup finalists: 2002
• Coach of the Year: 2002