Germany

Kaiserslautern


The team of Otto Rehhagel accomplished a great exploit

 

What a win! A predicted triumph since Otto Rehhagelís team (just promoted from the Zweite Bundesliga) humiliated Trapattoniís Bayern at the Olympiastadion of Munich, during the first match of the season.
Many considered such a result to be just a flash in the pan, but shortafter a true storm burst against Trapattoni (who couldnít hide behind the problems of Bayernís Management, the controversies with his players and some entertaining press conference).
Last season Bayern lacked results, leaders and goals.
A few players (like the goalkeeper Oliver Kahn and ìKaiserî Helmer) saved themselves from the failure.
Lothar Matthaus had to face a long injury but once again he proved not to be ready yet to quit football and eventually he was even called with the national team to play the World Cup in France (the 5th World Cup for him).
Trapattoni then launched a new talent (Dietmar Hamann) who suddenly went from the Bayernís bench to a starting role with the national team.
The French Bixente Lizarazu failed, enabling the left-handed Micheal Tarnat to emerge.
Mehmet Scholl never found the right pace while Mario Basler became, week by week, the main enemy of Trapattoni.
Also Ruggiero Rizzitelli was a disappointment. Even before learning that Trapattoni would leave Bayern at the end of the season, he asked for being traded and finally signed with Piacenza.
The Brazilian striker Elber got injured and missed several games during the last crucial weeks of the season.
Carsten Jancker did his best, but still it wasnít enough to win the Title for the second year in a row.
Kaiserslautern won this time, led by the great Otto Rehhagel (named also coach of the year).
The best way for him to re-emerge after the disappointing experience as a coach of Bayern, where he was even mocked by the press and forced to quit by his players.
Rehhagel was replaced by Beckenbauer and later by Trapattoni. Now we know who was right.
Many claim that Rehhagel doesnít know how to deal with the greatest talents.
During his 14 seasons as a coach of Werder Brema he worked with good players but when he went to Bayern he suddenly found a totally different story.
Bayern is always supposed to be from another level.
Also last season, when Kaiserslautern (just arrived from the 2nd Division) seemed to be, at most, ready to compete to qualify for the UEFA Cup.
However Kaiserslautern promptly took the lead of the Bundesliga and Rehhagel firmly overcame some problem emerged during the season.
He hadnít to deal with strong personalities like Beckenbauer and quickly repelled the attacks of those who wanted to reappraise his role inside the Club.
Rehhagelís first opponent was Hans Peter Briegel (former Kaiserslauternís star and Italian Champion with Verona in the 80s).
Briegel is now a wanna-be coach, manager and agent of the German football.
He tried to interfere with Rehhagelís choices but eventually he was pushed to give up.
Kaiserslauternís performances slowed down during the last part of the season but, by then, Bayern was to involved in its own polemics to attempt a final recovery.
Rehhagelís team was built around 4 pillars: the Czech Miroslav Kadlec and the Danish Michael Schjonberg on defense. Ciriaco Sforza as a playmaker and Olaf Marschall as a forward.
Kaiserslautern could never rely on a starting, undiscussed goalkeeper and after a very good first half of the season the Brazilian Ratinho got injured.
Martin Wagner and the Czech striker Pavel Kuka werenít impressive while the Bulgarian Marian Hristov and the young Marco Reich emerged among the best surprises of the year.

 

Top 11 of Kaiserslautern champion

 

Player role nationality

data
di nascita
Andreas Reinke portiere tedesco 10-1
1969
Harry Koch difensore tedesco 15-11
1969
Miroslav Kadlec difensore ceco 22-6
1964
Michael Schjonberg difensore danese 19-1
1967
Rodrigues Ratinho centrocampista brasiliano 8-6-1971
Axel Roos centrocampista tedesco 19-8
1964
Ciriaco Sforza centrocampista svizzero 2-3-1970
Marian Hristov centrocampista bulgaro 29-7
1973
Martin Wagner centrocampista tedesco 24-2
1966
Olaf Marschall attaccante tedesco 19-3
1966
Marco Reich attaccante tedesco 30-12
1977
Otto Rehhagel allenatore tedesco 9-8-1938
 

Top 11 of season 1997-98

 

Player role nationality date of birth team
Oliver Kahn portiere tedesco 15-6
1969		 Bayern Monaco
Thomas Linke difensore tedesco 26-12
1969 		Schalke 04
Olaf Thon difensore tedesco 1-5
1966 		Schalke 04
Michael
Schjonberg 		difensore danese 19-1
1967 		Kaiserslautern
Dietmar
Hamann 		centrocampista tedesco 27-8
1973 		Bayern Monaco
Ciriaco Sforza centrocampista svizzero 2-3
1970		 Kaiserslautern
Marc Wilmots centrocampista belga 22-2
1969 		Schalke 04
Sergej Barbarez centrocampista bosniaco 17-8
1971 		Hansa Rostock
Michael Tarnat centrocampista tedesco 27-10
1969 		Bayern Monaco
Ulf Kirsten attaccante tedesco 4-12
1965 		Bayer Leverkusen
Olaf Marschall attaccante tedesco 19-3
1966 		Kaiserslautern
Orro Rehhagel allenatore tedesco 9-8
1938		 Kaiserslautern
 

Final leaderboard della Bundesliga

 

leaderboard points g v n p gf gs
KAISERSLAUTERN (champion) 68 34 19 11 4 63 39
Bayern Monaco 66 34 19 9 6 69 33
Bayer Leverkusen 55 34 14 13 7 66 39
Schalke 04 52 34 13 13 8 38 32
Stoccarda 52 34 14 10 10 55 49
Hansa Rostock 51 34 14 9 11 54 46
Werder Brema 50 34 14 8 12 43 47
MSV Duisburg 44 34 11 11 12 43 44
Amburgo 44 34 11 11 12 38 46
Borussia Dortmund 43 34 11 10 13 57 55
Herta Berlino 43 34 12 7 15 41 53
Bochum 41 34 11 8 15 41 49
Monaco 1860 41 34 11 8 15 43 54
Wolfsburg 39 34 11 6 17 38 54
Borussia M’Gladbach 38 34 9 11 14 54 59
Karlsruhe 38 34 9 11 14 48 60
Colonia 36 34 10 6 18 49 64
Arminia Bielefeld 32 34 8 8 18 43 56

 


torna indietro