His name is associated with titles and scandals. Christoph Daum was one of the great coaches of German football.
In Cologne, people have positive memories of Christoph Daum.
What will be remembered about Christoph Daum? The titles, the scandals, the expertise that made him an outstanding coach? Over the weekend, Daum passed away at the age of 70 after a long battle with cancer. Initial reactions in the obituaries suggest that the coach is perceived quite differently.
Of course, no retrospective would be complete without mentioning the scandal from the year 2000. At that time, Daum did not become the German national coach because his old rival, Bayern manager Uli Hoeness, publicly made claims about Daum’s cocaine use. Daum’s self-incrimination through a hair analysis is one of the most remarkable episodes in German football history. However, it is by no means the only one suitable for characterizing coach Christoph Daum.
To call him a successful coach is by no means inappropriate. Although Daum won only a single German championship, he repeatedly managed to challenge the national competition, particularly in the form of FC Bayern, for a decade and a half.
Daum was the hero of a changing media landscape
Daum was one of the most flamboyant figures in German football in recent decades. His eccentric, challenging nature, his rhetorical brilliance, and his unabashed love for provocation gave him a unique status. With these traits, he was the ideal protagonist at the beginning of his career in a rapidly changing media landscape. Football shows on private television in the 1980s seemed far more flamboyant than the slightly uncle-like ARD Sportschau or the respectable Sports Studio on ZDF.
Daum recording a talk show in Cologne in February 2023.
Daum was fully aware of the circumstances; he masterfully knew how to play this game. He was a trickster; and he also understood the risks associated with his play. For the press, he was a grateful interviewee even in failures, as he understood the value of a good headline. He rarely complained about journalists, which sets him apart from many colleagues: Daum knew what responsibility came with his role, and he was certainly willing to face the consequences for crossing boundaries.
The showdown at the Sports Studio
When he wanted to challenge Bayern for the title with 1. FC Köln in 1989, he provoked a feud with Munich coach Jupp Heynckes. The showdown occurred in the ZDF Sports Studio. The gruff Heynckes had Bayern manager Uli Hoeness as his second, while Daum had his old companion Udo Lattek in his corner.
A legendary TV moment: Christoph Daum meets Ulrich Hoeness.
Hoeness was well-prepared; he confronted Daum with compromising remarks about Heynckes. The decision match against Bayern was lost by Köln 1:3. A year later, Daum was dismissed — just last year, he stated that he had never learned the real reasons for it.
The beneficiary of this dismissal was VfB Stuttgart: Under the leadership of Matthias Sammer, Daum won the championship with the Swabians — in a dramatic finish, following a crazy tactical intervention by Daum. Sammer, now one of the most respected German football experts, candidly refers to Daum as a “genius” in retrospect.
In fact, Daum is an underappreciated figure. He has often been referred to as a motivational guru, but he learned early in Köln from the mastermind of the Dutch football school, Rinus Michels. The meticulous exploitation of space on the football field was more familiar to him than to many Dutch colleagues. That he failed with Leverkusen in 2000, relinquishing the title in the final moments, may seem like a flaw of his long career. However, for those who know how Daum operated, it is not surprising that he considered the club’s first title this year as a family affair: His son Marcel is part of the analysis team of Bayer 04 as a C-coach.
Turkey was his refuge
Daum’s refuge was Turkey, Istanbul. He became champion with both Fenerbahce and Besiktas; the temperament of the metropolis suited him perfectly, and he seemed too eccentric to many contemporaries in Germany. Therefore, it is understandable that Istanbul always remained a place of longing for him, which is also evident in an ARD documentary that paints a fine picture of coach Daum. Much revolves around his conflict with Uli Hoeness, and at the end of the film, there is a meeting with the Bayern giant. In hindsight, it seems that Daum wanted to clear the air, knowing what lay ahead. He will be missed in German football.