.jpg) Schuster as coach ofMálaga in 2013 | |||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Bernd Schuster[1] | ||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | (1959-12-22)22 December 1959 (age 65) | ||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Augsburg, West Germany | ||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.81 m (5 ft 11 in) | ||||||||||||||||
| Position | Midfielder | ||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||
| 1971–1976 | SV Hammerschmiede Augsburg | ||||||||||||||||
| 1976–1978 | FC Augsburg | ||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||
| 1978–1980 | 1. FC Köln | 61 | (10) | ||||||||||||||
| 1980–1988 | Barcelona | 170 | (63) | ||||||||||||||
| 1988–1990 | Real Madrid | 61 | (13) | ||||||||||||||
| 1990–1993 | Atlético Madrid | 85 | (11) | ||||||||||||||
| 1993–1996 | Bayer Leverkusen | 59 | (8) | ||||||||||||||
| 1996–1997 | Pumas UNAM | 9 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
| Total | 445 | (105) | |||||||||||||||
| International career | |||||||||||||||||
| 1977–1979 | West Germany U18 | 10 | (2) | ||||||||||||||
| 1980 | West Germany U21 | 1 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
| 1979[2]–1984 | West Germany | 21 | (4) | ||||||||||||||
| Managerial career | |||||||||||||||||
| 1997–1998 | Fortuna Köln | ||||||||||||||||
| 1998–1999 | 1. FC Köln | ||||||||||||||||
| 2001–2003 | Xerez | ||||||||||||||||
| 2003–2004 | Shakhtar Donetsk | ||||||||||||||||
| 2004–2005 | Levante | ||||||||||||||||
| 2005–2007 | Getafe | ||||||||||||||||
| 2007–2008 | Real Madrid | ||||||||||||||||
| 2010–2011 | Beşiktaş | ||||||||||||||||
| 2013–2014 | Málaga | ||||||||||||||||
| 2018–2019 | Dalian Yifang | ||||||||||||||||
Medal record
| |||||||||||||||||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||||||||||||||||
Bernd Schuster (born 22 December 1959) is a German former professionalfootballer of the late 1970s through early 1990s, who won club titles playing for the Spanish sidesBarcelona (1980–1988) andReal Madrid (1988–1990). He played as amidfielder and was nicknamed "der Blonde Engel" (the Blond Angel). After retiring as a player, he managed a number of European clubs, includingReal Madrid, taking them to the league title in the 2007–08 season.
Schuster started his professional career with1. FC Köln at age 18 in 1978 after a number of promising performances with the West German Under-18 National team. Schuster left Köln after the 1980 European campaign to sign with Spain'sFC Barcelona, where he flourished. During his career, he played for clubsReal Madrid,Atlético Madrid andBayer Leverkusen.[3] At his final team, the Mexican sidePumas de la UNAM he appeared in ten matches in spring 1997.
Schuster contributed significantly to FC Barcelona during the 1980s, playing as a midfielder and regularly scoring goals, as evidenced by his goal tally during this period. His club presidentJosep Lluís Núñez and some trainers likeHelenio Herrera,Udo Lattek,Terry Venables andLuis Aragonés had difficult relations with him.[4] While in Barcelona, though, he won the European Silver Ball in 1980 and the Bronze Ball in 1981 and 1985.
At age 21, in 1981, he was badly injured on hisright knee[5] byAthletic Bilbao defenderAndoni Goikoetxea, who had a reputation for aggressive tackling, as noted in contemporaneous accounts.[6][7]
In 2024,Pep Guardiola, was asked in an interview to name the five players he'd pick from football history to play in afive-a-side and, among them, picked Schuster, whom, he said, he used to watch as aball boy at the stadium and "was completely in love" with his playing.[8]
Schuster's move toReal Madrid was controversial due to the strong rivalry between Barcelona and Madrid. His style complemented the group of home-grown Madrid players known as laQuinta del Buitre, who were instrumental in the team's success in the Spanish Championship during the 1980s.
Schuster signed withAtlético Madrid in autumn 1990 and helped improve the performance of Atlético. His long precise passes helped restore Atlético Madrid as a prominent club.
In 1993, Schuster returned home to Germany to play for three seasons withBayer Leverkusen. Despite his contributions, the club was unable to captureBundesliga and German Cup titles but his performances led to discussions among fans and pundits about his potential inclusion in the 1994 World Cup squad. In the national TV-Station ARD "Goal of the year" election Schuster won the first three places in 1994.[4] In theUEFA Golden Jubilee Poll to name the finest European players of the last five decades, Schuster finished 40th.
Schuster was part of theWest Germany national team that won the1980 UEFA European Football Championship in Italy, appearing in two of West Germany's four matches. His performances there helped him earn the Silver Ball Trophy honour as the Europe's second best player in 1980 behindGolden Ball winner, and West Germany team-mateKarl-Heinz Rummenigge. His refusal to take part in a match againstAlbania to be home for the birth of his second son David caused a sporting scandal at the time.[4] Schuster retired from the West Germany national team at the age of 24, due to his repeated disagreements with theGerman Football Association, then national team managerJupp Derwall, and teammates includingPaul Breitner.[4] According to Schuster, it was due to a major disagreement with the managements of both Barcelona and the West Germany national team on either side of a friendly match against Brazil.[9] Overall Schuster won 21 caps for the then West Germany national team[10]
An intelligent and skillful player, Schuster is considered one of the best midfielders of his generation. Earlier in his career, Schuster operated as a box-to-box attacking midfielder with good creative abilities, good dribbling and good pace. Injuries at Barcelona would cause him to lose his pace, which led his coaches to move him to a deep-lying playmaking role, where his technique, vision and excellent passing abilities allowed him to excel at dictating the tempo of the game and provide chances for his teammates through short and long passes. He was also an expert free-kick taker and possessed a powerful shot that allowed him to score goals from a distance. Primarily a midfielder, Schuster was also capable of playing as a sweeper, a position that he played in his years as a youngster at Köln and at Real Madrid, where his creativity and technique allowed him to start attacks from the back.
Schuster was also praised for his leadership skills and commanding presence on the pitch. Despite his talent as a player, Schuster struggled with injuries throughout his career and was known for his outspoken nature, which sometimes led to disagreements with coaches, players, and journalists. He was nicknamed "The Blonde Angel" because of his long blonde hair.
Many coaches and players have praised Schuster's talent as a footballer. Schuster's first coach at KölnHennes Weisweiler described him as the best player he ever coached, and believed he could have beenFranz Beckenbauer's successor. An admirer of Schuster, Köln coachRinus Michels lamented his departure to Barcelona, believing that it was impossible to find a perfect replacement for him. Atlético Madrid coachLuis Aragonés praised his reading of the game and ability to play the right pass at the right time.
Marcel Desailly andXavi have cited Schuster as an idol.[11][12]
Schuster was the coach ofFortuna Köln between 1 July 1997 and 30 June 1998.[13]
Schuster was coach of1. FC Köln from 1 July 1998 to 30 June 1999.[14] Schuster was unable to get the club promoted. In 2000, he applied for the manager job at Scottish clubDundee FC, but the Dundee chairman rejected his application.
Schuster became coach ofXerez on 26 June 2001.[15] Schuster coached the team successfully for two seasons. The second and third best seasons in the history of the club. However, he could not get the club promoted toLa Liga.
In June 2003, he accepted a deal to coachShakhtar Donetsk starting on 1 July 2003.[16] Schuster 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 againstLokomotiv Moscow. Schuster was sacked on 5 May 2004,[17] one week before his team played and won the Ukrainian Cup final in 2004.
Schuster returned to Spain in summer 2004 to coachLevante.[18] Schuster was sacked on 1 May 2005.[19] The sacking came with a 5-point advantage over the relegation zone with five matches remaining. However, Levante could not win a game and fell to theSegunda División again.
Schuster moved toGetafe in the summer of 2005.[20] Schuster led them to their best season in team history under his guidance. Schuster coached Getafe in their second successful season and the team did even better, seventh inLa Liga. Getafe also secured entry to the2007–08 UEFA Cup as a result of reaching thefinal of theCopa del Rey after overcoming a 5–2 first leg semi-final defeat againstBarcelona, beating them 4–0 in the second leg.[21]
Schuster was appointed coach ofReal Madrid on 9 July 2007.[22] As manager, he made a successful start with Real Madrid, taking them to the top of the La Liga standings. Attacking football returned again to theSantiago Bernabéu stadium with Madrid having the strongest offence, not beaten at home from the start of the league and defeating their arch rivalBarcelona at their home groundCamp Nou, increasing their lead to seven points between them and second place (Barcelona).
The team qualified for the second round of theUEFA Champions League, leading their group, which containedOlympiacos,Werder Bremen andLazio. He changed Real Madrid's style of play, switching from the defensive football during the reign ofFabio Capello to fast-paced, attacking football. After losing 2–1 toRoma 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 the allegations. On 4 May 2008, Schuster guided Real Madrid to their 31st title with three games to spare.[23]
On 18 May 2008, Schuster'sReal Madrid achieved the highest point total (85 points), a record that was set by rivals Barcelona. He went on to win theSupercopa de España.[24] Although enjoying a successful season with Madrid, Schuster had frequent confrontations with the media. Sometimes refusing to answer questions, making controversial or sarcastic statements and walking out of press conferences.[25][26] On 9 December 2008, Schuster stepped down[27] as coach after a 4–3 defeat toSevilla FC, and speaking out publicly about his team standing no chance of beating Barcelona (Coached by Pep Guardiola at the time) in theEl Clásico derby match.[28] He was replaced byJuande Ramos.
On 10 June 2010, Turkish clubBeşiktaş announced that Schuster had agreed to become the club's new coach on a two-year contract.[29] Among his first signings for the club were Portuguese wingerRicardo Quaresma,Roberto Hilbert and former Real midfielderGuti, who was coached by Schuster at Madrid. Later, he bolstered the squad with three additional Portuguese starsSimão Sabrosa,Hugo Almeida andManuel Fernandes. Schuster resigned on 15 March 2011 from Beşiktaş following a series of poor results. His tenure was marked by notable media interactions, including walking out of press conferences.[30] He was criticised by the Turkish media for trying to implement a reckless attacking style of play.[citation needed]
Schuster became head coach atMálaga on 12 June 2013.[31] In May 2014, his contract was terminated after he failed to achieve a top-half position in the league.[32]
On 19 March 2018, theChinese Super League teamDalian Yifang officially appointed Schuster as the coach.[33] He was replaced byChoi Kang-hee in 2019.[34]
During his time as a player, Schuster and his wife, Gaby, were celebrities in Germany.[citation needed] Gaby was publicly known for her outspoken nature, especially during her time managing Schuster's career. During the Schusters' stay in Spain, she was also notorious for her often public comments directed towards FC Barcelona coachUdo Lattek and national coachJupp Derwall when her husband played for them.[citation needed] The couple have four children.[citation needed] In 2008, Schuster separated from Gaby Schuster. In 2012, after his divorce, he married Elena Blasco, a Spanish lawyer.[35]
| Club | Season | League | National cup[a] | League cup[b] | Continental | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| 1. FC Köln | 1978–79[37] | Bundesliga | 24 | 1 | 2 | 0 | – | 5 | 0 | – | 31 | 1 | ||
| 1979–80[37] | 32 | 9 | 8 | 4 | – | 0 | 0 | – | 40 | 13 | ||||
| 1980–81[37] | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 5 | 0 | ||||||
| Total | 61 | 10 | 10 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 76 | 14 | ||
| Barcelona | 1980–81[38] | La Liga | 23 | 11 | 5 | 0 | – | 0 | 0 | – | 28 | 11 | ||
| 1981–82[38] | 13 | 8 | 0 | 0 | – | 4[c] | 2 | – | 17 | 10 | ||||
| 1982–83[38] | 28 | 7 | 6 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 5[d] | 5 | 2[e] | 0 | 47 | 14 | ||
| 1983–84[38] | 22 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4[d] | 1 | – | 29 | 10 | |||
| 1984–85[38] | 32 | 11 | 7 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 2[d] | 1 | – | 42 | 19 | |||
| 1985–86[38] | 22 | 10 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6[f] | 1 | 1[g] | 0 | 32 | 12 | ||
| 1986–87[38] | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 0 | 0 | – | 0 | 0 | ||||
| 1987–88[38] | 30 | 9 | 8 | 3 | – | 8[c] | 1 | – | 46 | 13 | ||||
| Total | 170 | 63 | 31 | 13 | 8 | 2 | 29 | 11 | 3 | 0 | 241 | 89 | ||
| Real Madrid | 1988–89[38] | La Liga | 33 | 7 | 9 | 3 | – | 8[f] | 0 | 2[g] | 0 | 52 | 10 | |
| 1989–90[38] | 28 | 6 | 6 | 0 | – | 2[f] | 0 | – | 36 | 6 | ||||
| Total | 61 | 13 | 15 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 88 | 16 | ||
| Atlético Madrid | 1990–91[38] | La Liga | 29 | 4 | 7 | 1 | – | 0 | 0 | – | 36 | 5 | ||
| 1991–92[38] | 34 | 6 | 6 | 2 | – | 6[d] | 4 | – | 46 | 12 | ||||
| 1992–93[38] | 22 | 1 | 2 | 0 | – | 6[d] | 0 | – | 30 | 1 | ||||
| Total | 85 | 11 | 15 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 112 | 18 | ||
| Bayer Leverkusen | 1993–94[37] | Bundesliga | 28 | 5 | 4 | 0 | – | 1[d] | 1 | 1[h] | 0 | 34 | 6 | |
| 1994–95[37] | 23 | 2 | 2 | 1 | – | 9[c] | 2 | – | 34 | 5 | ||||
| 1995–96[37] | 8 | 1 | 3 | 0 | – | 4 | 0 | – | 15 | 1 | ||||
| Total | 59 | 8 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 83 | 12 | ||
| Universidad Nacional | 1996–97 | Primera División | 9 | 0 | 9 | 0 | ||||||||
| Career total | 445 | 105 | 80 | 24 | 8 | 2 | 70 | 18 | 6 | 0 | 609 | 149 | ||
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Germany | 1979 | 5 | 0 |
| 1980 | 6 | 1 | |
| 1981 | 3 | 2 | |
| 1982 | 1 | 0 | |
| 1983 | 4 | 1 | |
| 1984 | 2 | 0 | |
| Total | 21 | 4 | |
| Team | From | To | Record | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Win % | Ref. | |||
| Fortuna Köln | 1 July 1997[13] | 30 June 1998[13] | 35 | 11 | 13 | 11 | 55 | 59 | −4 | 031.43 | |
| 1. FC Köln | 1 July 1998[14] | 30 June 1999[14] | 35 | 12 | 9 | 14 | 46 | 54 | −8 | 034.29 | [39] |
| Xerez | 26 June 2001[15] | 30 June 2003[16] | 89 | 38 | 22 | 29 | 102 | 101 | +1 | 042.70 | |
| Shakhtar Donetsk | 1 July 2003[16] | 5 May 2004[17] | 43 | 30 | 6 | 7 | 82 | 28 | +54 | 069.77 | |
| Levante | 1 July 2004[18] | 1 May 2005[19] | 36 | 9 | 9 | 18 | 37 | 52 | −15 | 025.00 | |
| Getafe | 20 June 2005[20] | 9 July 2007[22] | 89 | 35 | 21 | 33 | 119 | 101 | +18 | 039.33 | |
| Real Madrid | 9 July 2007[22] | 9 December 2008[27] | 75 | 44 | 9 | 22 | 157 | 100 | +57 | 058.67 | |
| Beşiktaş | 10 June 2010[29] | 15 March 2011[30] | 45 | 24 | 8 | 13 | 80 | 50 | +30 | 053.33 | |
| Málaga | 12 June 2013[31] | 16 May 2014 | 40 | 12 | 11 | 17 | 43 | 50 | −7 | 030.00 | |
| Dalian Yifang | 19 March 2018 | 10 February 2019[40] | 29 | 13 | 5 | 11 | 41 | 40 | +1 | 044.83 | |
| Total | 516 | 228 | 113 | 175 | 762 | 636 | +126 | 044.19 | — | ||
Barcelona
Real Madrid
Atlético Madrid
West Germany
Individual
Getafe
Real Madrid
Individual
|  | |
Awards | |
|---|---|
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
