Heinz Krügel

Football player infobox
playername = Heinz Krügel


fullname =
height =
nickname =
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1921|4|24
cityofbirth = Ober-Planitz
countryofbirth = Germany
currentclub =
clubnumber =
position =
youthyears = 1927-1939
youthclubs = SC Planitz
years = 1946-1948 1948-1950
clubs = SG Planitz BSG Fortschritt Pleißengrund Crimmitschau
caps(goals) =
nationalyears =
nationalteam =
nationalcaps(goals) =
pcupdate =
ntupdate =
manageryears = 1951-1953 1953-1956 1956-1959 1959-1961 1961-1966 1966-1976
managerclubs = KVP Vorwärts Leipzig Einheit Ost/SC Rotation Leipzig SC Empor Rostock East Germany Hallescher FC Chemie 1. FC Magdeburg

Heinz Krügel (* April 24, 1921 in Ober-Planitz, Germany) is a former football player and manager.

At age 6, Krügel began his playing career in the youth teams of then SC Planitz. He remained there until 1948 and had his biggest success as a player there, when he won the Championship of the Eastern Zone in the same year. In 1950 he suffered a knee injury and his playing career was over, even though he was only 29 years old.

Soon after this setback, Krügel began his managing career as the youngest Oberliga manager at the army sports club KVP Vorwärts Leipzig. Lateron he managed Einheit Ost/SC Rotation Leipzig and SC Empor Rostock. In 1959, he was made national manager of East Germany and remained in this position until 1961, coaching the team in 8 matches. From 1961 to 1966, he managed Hallescher FC Chemie, winning the 1962 FDGB Pokal.

His biggest success awaited Krügel at 1. FC Magdeburg. When he arrived, the club had just been relegated to the second-tier DDR-Liga, but Krügel rebuilt the squad, winning re-promotion immediately. In the following 8 years, Krügel's 1. FC Magdeburg team captured three East German Championships (1971/72, 1973/74, 1974/75), came in third four times (1967/68, 1968/69, 1972/73, 1975/76) and won the FDGB-Cup twice (1969, 1973). On top of all that, Magdeburg won the 1974 edition of the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, beating favorites and holders A.C. Milan 2-0 in Rotterdam. Because of his successes, Krügel had offers from many European clubs, including the likes of Juventus Turin who offered four million Marks for Heinz Krügel's services, if he also brought young forward Martin Hoffmann. However, Krügel declined these offers.

He also would not let his work be influenced by the Magdeburg branch of the SED. When Magdeburg played FC Bayern Munich in the European Champions' Cup in 1974, the Stasi had bugged the West Germans' dressing room, but Krügel declined to make use of these devices.

In 1976, the East German FA banned Krügel from his managerial duties, citing "insufficient development of the Olympic athletes at 1. FC Magdeburg".Fact|date=February 2008 After the German reunification Krügel was rehabilitated and was given an award by the German Football Association. For one year, he was Executive Director (Football) at 1. FC Magdeburg. He now is an honorary member of the club and often watches their matches.

References

* Volkmar Laube, Roland Uhl: „Heinz Krügel - Der Meistermacher“, MDPrint Mediencenter Magd 2003, ISBN 3-9808508-1-1
* Volkmar Laube, Roland Uhl, Andreas Prill : „Magdeburger Triumph im "Kuip"“, MDPrint Mediencenter Magd 2004, ISBN 3-9808508-2-X