Bernd Schuster

Infobox Football biography
playername = Bernd Schuster


fullname = Bernhard Schuster
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1959|12|22
cityofbirth = Augsburg
countryofbirth = West Germany
dateofdeath =
cityofdeath =
countryofdeath =
height =
nickname = "Der blonde Engel" (The Blond Angel)
position = Midfielder
currentclub = Real Madrid (Manager)
youthyears = 1971–1976
1976–1978
youthclubs = FC Hammerschmiede Augsburg
FC Augsburg
years = 1978–1980
1980–1988
1988–1990
1990–1993
1993–1996
1996–1997
1978–1997
clubs = 1. FC Köln
FC Barcelona
Real Madrid
Atlético Madrid
Bayer Leverkusen
UNAM Pumas
Total
caps(goals) = 061 0(10)
170 0(63)
062 0(13)
085 0(11)
059 00(8)
009 00(0)
446 (105)
nationalyears = 1977–1979
1980
1980–1984
nationalteam = West Germany U-18
West Germany U-21
West Germany
nationalcaps(goals) = 010 00(2)
001 00(0)
022 00(4)
manageryears = 1997–1998
1998–1999
2001–2003
2003–2004
2004–2005
2005–2007
2007–
managerclubs = Fortuna Köln
1. FC Köln
Xerez CD
Shakhtar Donetsk
Levante UD
Getafe CF
Real Madrid

Bernd Schuster (born December 22, 1959 in Augsburg) is a German football coach and former player. He is the manager at Spanish club Real Madrid.

Schuster was an important part of the FC Barcelona team during the 1980s, leading the game from midfield and scoring many goals. His club president Josep Lluís Núñez and some trainers like Helenio Herrera, Udo Lattek, Terry Venables and Luis Aragones had difficult relations with himcite news | title = Don Bernardo, Vom Leben und Wirken des großen Exzentrikers Bernd Schuster | url = http://www.a-guide.de/redaktion/sport/schuster.htm | work = [http://a-guide.de a-guide] | publisher = postart werbemedien | date = 2004-??-??| accessdate = 2007-05-11] . At age 21, in 1981, he received a bad injury on his right knee by Athletic Bilbao defender Andoni Goikoetxea and never reached the level of the early seasons. He won, however, the European Bronze Ball in 1981 and 1985.

His move to Real Madrid was controversial due to the strong rivalry between Barcelona and Madrid. His style complemented the group of home-grown Madrid players known as la Quinta del Buitre who led the team to a dominance of the Spanish Championship through the 1980s.

Professional career

Schuster started his professional career with 1. FC Köln at age 18 in 1978 after a number of promising performances with the West German Under-18 National team. He was part of the West German side that won the 1980 UEFA European Football Championship in Italy, appearing in two of Germany's four matches. His performances there helped him earn the Silver Ball Trophy honour as the Europe's second best player in 1980 behind Golden Ball winner, and Germany team-mate Karl-Heinz Rummenigge.

Schuster left Köln after the 1980 European campaign to sign with Spain's FC Barcelona, where he flourished. During his career, he played for clubs such as Real Madrid, Atlético Madrid and Bayer Leverkusen. Inting in the UEFA Golden Jubilee Poll to name the finest European players of the last five decades, he finished 40th.

International retirement

Schuster won twenty-two caps for the West German national team and retired from international football at the age of 24, due to his repeated disagreements with the German Football Association, then national team manager Jupp Derwall, and teammates including Paul Breitnercite news | title = Don Bernardo, Vom Leben und Wirken des großen Exzentrikers Bernd Schuster | url = http://www.a-guide.de/redaktion/sport/schuster.htm | work = [http://a-guide.de a-guide] | publisher = postart werbemedien | date = 2004-??-??| accessdate = 2007-05-11] . His refusal to take part in a match against Albania in order to be home for the birth of his second son David caused a sporting scandal at the time cite news | title = Don Bernardo, Vom Leben und Wirken des großen Exzentrikers Bernd Schuster | url = http://www.a-guide.de/redaktion/sport/schuster.htm | work = [http://a-guide.de a-guide] | publisher = postart werbemedien | date = 2004-??-??| accessdate = 2007-05-11] .

Comeback

His final cap came against France in early 1984.

Bernd Schuster signed with Atlético Madrid in the fall of 1990 and helped improve the performance of Atletico's traditional games based on backpasses. His long precise passes helped restore Atlético Madrid as a prominent club.

After three seasons, Bernd returned home to Germany to play for three seasons with Bayer Leverkusen. Despite his contributions, the club was unable to capture Bundesliga and German Cup titles. His performances inspired much of the country to push for a place for him in the 1994 World Cup squad. In the national TV-Station ARD "Goal of the year" election Schuster won the first 3 places in 1994 cite news | title = Don Bernardo, Vom Leben und Wirken des großen Exzentrikers Bernd Schuster | url = http://www.a-guide.de/redaktion/sport/schuster.htm | work = [http://a-guide.de a-guide] | publisher = postart werbemedien | date = 2004-??-??| accessdate = 2007-05-11] . At his final team, the Mexican side Pumas de la UNAM he appeared in ten matches in spring 1997.

Management

Fortuna Koln

After his retirement as a player in 1997, Schuster successfully managed a small club in Cologne, SC Fortuna Köln in 2. Fußball-Bundesliga (Germany's second league division).

FC Koln

Following this, he managed his former club 1. FC Köln, also in the 2. Fußball-Bundesliga, but was unable to get the club promoted and so left. In 2000, he applied for the manager job at Scottish club Dundee FC but the Dundee chairman rejected his application.

Xerex CD

In 2001 he received an offer from the small club Xerez CD in Southern Spain and he managed the team, very successfully, for two seasons; the best two seasons in the history of the club. However, he could not promote the team to Primera Division.

hakhtar Donetsk

Upon receiving no good offers from Spain, he accepted a deal to coach the Ukrainian side Shakhtar Donetsk where he established a club record number of consecutive victories. However, the team did not win the championship and did not reach the final round of the Champions League with a match against Lokomotiv Moscow. Schuster was fired one week before his team played and won the Ukrainian Cup in 2004.

Levante

He went back to Spain in summer 2004 to coach Levante UD and made a good start with the small club from Valencia. The president fired him with a 5-point advantage over the relegation places just five games from the end of the season. Levante could not win a game and fell to Segunda División (Spanish second division) again.

Getafe

In summer 2005, Getafe CF, a small side from Madrid, had their best season in team history. Schuster coached Getafe in their second successful season under his guidance and the team did even better, 7th in La Liga. Getafe have also secured entry to the 2007-08 UEFA Cup as a result of reaching the final of the Copa del Rey after overcoming a 5-2 first leg defeat against Barcelona, beating them 4-0 in the second leg.

Real Madrid

Schuster was then appointed manager of Real Madrid on 9th July 2007. He was required to buy-out his existing contract with Getafe for €480'000, which he paid for out of his own pocket. He has since made a successful start with Real taking them to top of the La Liga standings. As manager beautiful football returned again to the Santiago Bernabeu stadium with Real Madrid having the strongest offense , not beaten at home from the start of the league and defeating their arch rival Barcelona at their home ground Camp Nou with a goal scored by Julio Baptista thus increasing their lead to seven points between them and the second place (Barcelona). The team also qualified to the second round of the Uefa Champions League leading their group which also contained Olympiakos , Werder Bremen and SS Lazio. He has improved Real Madrid's style of play significantly. He managed to switch from the unattractive defensive football during the reign of Capello to fast paced, attacking football. After losing 2-1 to AS Roma in the second leg of the Uefa Champions League which meant the elimination of Real Madrid, many doubted that Schuster would continue to be Madrid's coach, but the club denied such allegations. Schuster continues to have the full confidence of President Ramon Calderon and the Board of Directors. On 4th May 2008, Schuster guided Real Madrid to their 31st title with 3 games to spare. On 18th May 2008, Schuster's Real Madrid achieved the highest point total (85 Points) a record that was set by rivals Barcelona.

Managerial stats

"Last updated September 24 2008"

Personal life

During his heyday as a player Schuster and his wife, Gaby, were celebrities in Germany. Gaby had a controversial reputation, worsened when she took over the job as her husband's manager. She was soon labelled by the press as being "Bernd's dragon-like boss" without whom he would never even sign a bill in a restaurant.Fact|date=April 2007 During the Schusters' residence in Spain, Gaby was also notorious for her often public comments directed towards FC Barcelona coach Udo Lattek and national coach Jupp Derwall when her husband played for them. Gaby and Bernd Schuster are still married and have four children. Gaby is a sports manager but she has not been Bernd Schuster's manager for some years. Nevertheless, Bernd Schuster has a new girlfriend and lives separated from his wife. [ [http://www.bild.de/BILD/sport/fussball/international/2008/05/20/bernd-schuster-trennung/gaby-freundin-schwanger-baby,geo=4589430.html Bernd Schuster: Trennung von Frau Gaby, seine Neue (30) ist schwanger - Bild.de ] ]

Honours

*As a Player:
* EURO European Championship: 1980 with Germany
* Cup Winners' Cup: 1982
* Copa del Rey: 1981, 1983, 1988, 1989, 1991, 1992
* Spanish Championship: 1985, 1989, 1990
* European Golden Ball: Silver Ball 1980, Bronze Ball 1981 and 1985,

*As Coach:
* Spanish Championship: 2008
* Spanish Super Cup: [2008]

References

External links

* [http://www.berndschuster.com/ Official web page] - includes personal, weekly interviews with Bernd Schuster.
* [http://www.angelfire.com/or/berndschuster/ Blond Angel total page] - Career info, video clips and a huge photo gallery of Bernd Schuster.
* [http://playeronplayer.ning.com/profile?Bernd%20Schuster Bernd Schuster at Player on Player] .
* [http://community.webshots.com/user/bernd8schuster big photo Gallery in Webshots] .