The German Football Museum has partnered up with Kicker sports magazine to identify the “Biggest Stars of the Bundesliga”. Headed by manager Jupp Heynckes, Ottmar Hitzfeld and Otto Rehhagel, an expert panel have put together five “Teams of the Decade”. From this have emerged the best Bundesliga players from 1963 to 2013. These five teams, which were presented at a press conference in Dortmund on the 4th May, will be presented in a permanent exhibition in the German Football Museum, as well as in a special Kicker edition.
In September 2013 the three football masters, who together won five European cups, 13 German championships and seven DFB Cups, met with Manuel Neukirchner (museum director), Rainer Holzschuh and Jörg Jakob (publisher and chief editor of Kicker) in a Düsseldorf hotel. They spent a day considering different players based on their inclusion in Kicker’s “Player of the Week” and the Kicker rankings. By the end of February, the panel were able to settle on eleven players who have most characterised the Bundesliga over the five decades between 1963 and 2013. In total, 53 Bundesliga legends were chosen, with Franz Beckenbauer and Gerd Müller being included in two decade’s teams.
“These players have not only stood out in German football, but internationally too. And it’s great that these legends will all be honours in the German Football Museum. For me the museum is a place where you can reflect on both the past and the present. You can relive games, as well as heroes from your own childhood or youth”, explained Otto Rehhagel, who himself is particularly excited that former players of his such as Rudi Völler, Andreas Brehme and Michael Ballack have all been selected.
“There’s no better way to sum up 50 years of the Bundesliga”
Museum director Manuel Neukirchner was very satisfied with the meetings. “The three managers were very well prepared. They discussed the compilation of the different teams extensively. Understandably there were a few anecdotes told but everything was run in a professional manner. It makes us proud to be able to present the results of the process at the German football museum. 53 Bundesliga stars, chosen by these three managerial legends: there’s no better way to sum up 50 years of the Bundesliga.”
Rainer Bonhof, who was included in the 1973-83 team of the decade, praised the decisions made by the managers. “It’s nice to see for example Hacki Wimmer in the first team of the decade alongside stars Netzer and Overath as he was a player who was never in the limelight but was unbelievably important for his team due to his fitness, his tackling ability and his attitude. Hacki is a great person and he has fully deserved his inclusion.”
“When Manuel Neukirchner came to us with the idea to decide on the best Bundesliga players from the last five decades then we were immediately interested,” remembers kicker publisher Rainer Holzschuh. “There were long and refreshing discussions. Obviously there were one or two surprises. Uli Hoeneß, Stan Libuda, Willi Schulz and Mehmet Scholl were all not included. But when three big managers in Hitzfeld, Heynckes and Rehhagel are behind the decisions then you have to accept the vote.”
Museum offers diverse look at the respective decades
The German Football Museum has partnered up with Kicker sports magazine to identify the “Biggest Stars of the Bundesliga”. Headed by manager Jupp Heynckes, Ottmar Hitzfeld and Otto Rehhagel, an expert panel have put together five “Teams of the Decade”. From this have emerged the best Bundesliga players from 1963 to 2013. These five teams, which were presented at a press conference in Dortmund on the 4th May, will be presented in a permanent exhibition in the German Football Museum, as well as in a special Kicker edition.
In September 2013 the three football masters, who together won five European cups, 13 German championships and seven DFB Cups, met with Manuel Neukirchner (museum director), Rainer Holzschuh and Jörg Jakob (publisher and chief editor of Kicker) in a Düsseldorf hotel. They spent a day considering different players based on their inclusion in Kicker’s “Player of the Week” and the Kicker rankings. By the end of February, the panel were able to settle on eleven players who have most characterised the Bundesliga over the five decades between 1963 and 2013. In total, 53 Bundesliga legends were chosen, with Franz Beckenbauer and Gerd Müller being included in two decade’s teams.
“These players have not only stood out in German football, but internationally too. And it’s great that these legends will all be honours in the German Football Museum. For me the museum is a place where you can reflect on both the past and the present. You can relive games, as well as heroes from your own childhood or youth”, explained Otto Rehhagel, who himself is particularly excited that former players of his such as Rudi Völler, Andreas Brehme and Michael Ballack have all been selected.
“There’s no better way to sum up 50 years of the Bundesliga”
Museum director Manuel Neukirchner was very satisfied with the meetings. “The three managers were very well prepared. They discussed the compilation of the different teams extensively. Understandably there were a few anecdotes told but everything was run in a professional manner. It makes us proud to be able to present the results of the process at the German football museum. 53 Bundesliga stars, chosen by these three managerial legends: there’s no better way to sum up 50 years of the Bundesliga.”
Rainer Bonhof, who was included in the 1973-83 team of the decade, praised the decisions made by the managers. “It’s nice to see for example Hacki Wimmer in the first team of the decade alongside stars Netzer and Overath as he was a player who was never in the limelight but was unbelievably important for his team due to his fitness, his tackling ability and his attitude. Hacki is a great person and he has fully deserved his inclusion.”
“When Manuel Neukirchner came to us with the idea to decide on the best Bundesliga players from the last five decades then we were immediately interested,” remembers kicker publisher Rainer Holzschuh. “There were long and refreshing discussions. Obviously there were one or two surprises. Uli Hoeneß, Stan Libuda, Willi Schulz and Mehmet Scholl were all not included. But when three big managers in Hitzfeld, Heynckes and Rehhagel are behind the decisions then you have to accept the vote.”
Museum offers diverse look at the respective decades
Chief Editor of kicker magazine Jörg Jakob believes that this project, which provides the foundation for "The biggest stars of the Bundesliga" edition, had to be completed. "During the course of our research for the special publication, we realised once again just how many stories and anecdotes there are from the past 50 years in the Bundesliga. At this point we have to thank numerous players, who willingly spoke to us and answered our questions. Many stories are best told only when the player’s career is over."
The five decades of teams form the heart of the Bundesliga exhibition area in the German Football Museum. Alongside the eleven Bundesliga heroes, different exhibits from the respective decade are on display. Interesting, sometimes surprising stories and statistics as well as films are included in the collections. Visitors to the museum have the opportunity to be immersed in the 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s or 00s.
