Jörg Berger
Encyclopedia
Jörg Berger was a German
football
manager and player, who last managed Arminia Bielefeld
.
who was planned to manage the East Germany national football team
as successor of long time manager Georg Buschner
some day.
Berger managed the youth team of the GDR. In 1979, he used a match in Yugoslavia
to flee to West Germany. He signed with Second Bundesliga
side SV Darmstadt 98
. As a GDR refugee he suffered many threats by the East German secret police Stasi
. He survived being poisoned whilst managing KSV Hessen Kassel
in the mid-1980s. Evidence of the threats to his life were not available until 1990 when Germany was reunified
, after which he was able to search his Stasi files.
He was renowned as a great motivator, helping clubs threatened with relegation, but with little chance to build up teams over a longer period. Berger became the ’’fireman’’ of the Bundesliga after he twice failed to gain promotion to the Bundesliga with KSV Hessen Kassel
, ending up in fourth position in the Second division of the Bundesliga (1984 and 1985). His greatest achievements were two third positions with Eintracht Frankfurt
in 1990 and with FC Schalke 04
in 1996. He was replaced as manager of Schalke by Huub Stevens
in October 1996 shortly before they won the UEFA Cup
in 1997.
Berger’s last big success was reaching the DFB-Pokal
final with Alemannia Aachen
, a side from the Second division of the Bundesliga. However his contract was cancelled, by mutual agreement, after they lost to the then current champions (SV Werder Bremen
) and failed to gain promotion to the Bundesliga.
From November 17, 2004 until August 14, 2005 he was the manager of FC Hansa Rostock
. He was fired after a 1-4 defeat by TSV 1860 München
. On 18 May 2009 was named as the new Head Coach from DSC Arminia Bielefeld. His contract ran until 30 June 2009. He left the club on this date.
metastasis
. He released his biography "Meine zwei Halbzeiten: Ein Leben in Ost und West" (English: My Two Halves: A Life in the East and in the West) over the Leipzig
based Rowohlt-Verlag
in March 2009. Berger died on 23 June 2010 of an enteric
tumor
.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
manager and player, who last managed Arminia Bielefeld
Arminia Bielefeld
DSC Arminia Bielefeld is a German sports club from Bielefeld, North Rhine-Westphalia. Arminia offers the sports of football, field hockey, figure skating and cue sports. The club has 11,394 members and the club colours are black, white and blue...
.
Coaching career
In 1970 Berger was forced to retire due to a muscle injury and started his managing career after the studying at the DHfK Leipzig. Berger was a reputable manager in East GermanyGerman Democratic Republic
The German Democratic Republic , informally called East Germany by West Germany and other countries, was a socialist state established in 1949 in the Soviet zone of occupied Germany, including East Berlin of the Allied-occupied capital city...
who was planned to manage the East Germany national football team
East Germany national football team
The East Germany national football team was from 1952 to 1990 the football team of East Germany, playing as one of three post-war German teams, along with Saarland and West Germany....
as successor of long time manager Georg Buschner
Georg Buschner
Georg Buschner was an East German football player and manager.He earned 6 caps for the East Germany national football team between 1954 and 1957, and later coached the team from 1970 to 1981...
some day.
Berger managed the youth team of the GDR. In 1979, he used a match in Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
to flee to West Germany. He signed with Second Bundesliga
2. Fußball-Bundesliga
- Changes in division set-up :* Number of clubs: currently 18. From 1974 to 1981 there were two conferences, each of 20 teams. In 1981–91 it had 20...
side SV Darmstadt 98
SV Darmstadt 98
SV Darmstadt 98 is a German association football club based in Darmstadt, Hesse. The club was founded on 22 May 1898 as FC Olympia Darmstadt. Early in 1919 the association was briefly known as Rasen-Sportverein Olympia before merging with Darmstädter Sport Club 1905 on 11 November that year to...
. As a GDR refugee he suffered many threats by the East German secret police Stasi
Stasi
The Ministry for State Security The Ministry for State Security The Ministry for State Security (German: Ministerium für Staatssicherheit (MfS), commonly known as the Stasi (abbreviation , literally State Security), was the official state security service of East Germany. The MfS was headquartered...
. He survived being poisoned whilst managing KSV Hessen Kassel
KSV Hessen Kassel
KSV Hessen Kassel is a German association football club based in Kassel, Hesse. The club was founded as FC Union 93 Kassel in 1893 and just two years later joined FC Hassia 93 Cassel to form Casseler FV 95...
in the mid-1980s. Evidence of the threats to his life were not available until 1990 when Germany was reunified
German reunification
German reunification was the process in 1990 in which the German Democratic Republic joined the Federal Republic of Germany , and when Berlin reunited into a single city, as provided by its then Grundgesetz constitution Article 23. The start of this process is commonly referred by Germans as die...
, after which he was able to search his Stasi files.
He was renowned as a great motivator, helping clubs threatened with relegation, but with little chance to build up teams over a longer period. Berger became the ’’fireman’’ of the Bundesliga after he twice failed to gain promotion to the Bundesliga with KSV Hessen Kassel
KSV Hessen Kassel
KSV Hessen Kassel is a German association football club based in Kassel, Hesse. The club was founded as FC Union 93 Kassel in 1893 and just two years later joined FC Hassia 93 Cassel to form Casseler FV 95...
, ending up in fourth position in the Second division of the Bundesliga (1984 and 1985). His greatest achievements were two third positions with Eintracht Frankfurt
Eintracht Frankfurt
Eintracht Frankfurt is a German sports club, based in Frankfurt, Hesse that is best known for its association football club.- Club origins :...
in 1990 and with FC Schalke 04
FC Schalke 04
Fußball-Club Gelsenkirchen-Schalke 04, commonly known as simply FC Schalke 04 or Schalke , is a German, association-football club originally from the Schalke district of Gelsenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia. Schalke has long been one of the most popular football teams in Germany, even though major...
in 1996. He was replaced as manager of Schalke by Huub Stevens
Huub Stevens
Hubertus "Huub" Jozef Margaretha Stevens is a Dutch football manager and former defender.- Playing career :...
in October 1996 shortly before they won the UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
in 1997.
Berger’s last big success was reaching the DFB-Pokal
DFB-Pokal
The DFB-Pokal or DFB Cup is a German knockout football cup competition held annually. 64 teams participate in the competition, including all clubs from the Bundesliga and the 2nd Bundesliga. It is considered the second most important national title in German football after the Bundesliga...
final with Alemannia Aachen
Alemannia Aachen
Alemannia Aachen is a German football club from the western city of Aachen, North Rhine-Westphalia. A long term fixture of the country's second division, Alemannia enjoyed a three-year turn in the top flight in the late 1960s and, after a successful 2005–06 campaign, returned to first division play...
, a side from the Second division of the Bundesliga. However his contract was cancelled, by mutual agreement, after they lost to the then current champions (SV Werder Bremen
SV Werder Bremen
SV Werder Bremen is a German sports club best known for its association football team playing in Bremen, in the northwest German federal state of the same name. The club was founded on 4 February 1899 as Fußballverein Werder by a group of sixteen vocational high school students who had won a prize...
) and failed to gain promotion to the Bundesliga.
From November 17, 2004 until August 14, 2005 he was the manager of FC Hansa Rostock
FC Hansa Rostock
F.C. Hansa Rostock is a German association football club based in the city of Rostock, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. They have emerged as one of the most successful clubs from the former East Germany and have made several appearances in the 1. Bundesliga. Rostock currently compete in the 2. Bundesliga...
. He was fired after a 1-4 defeat by TSV 1860 München
TSV 1860 München
Turn- und Sportverein München von 1860, commonly known as TSV 1860 München or 1860 Munich, is a German sports club based in Munich, Bavaria. The club's football team plays in the Second Bundesliga, after relegation from the Bundesliga following the 2003–04 season...
. On 18 May 2009 was named as the new Head Coach from DSC Arminia Bielefeld. His contract ran until 30 June 2009. He left the club on this date.
Personal life
Berger was the father of three children. In 2002 he had to interrupt his time as Alemannia Aachen manager due to an operation on an intestinal tumour. In 2005 he was operated on again, this time on liverLiver
The liver is a vital organ present in vertebrates and some other animals. It has a wide range of functions, including detoxification, protein synthesis, and production of biochemicals necessary for digestion...
metastasis
Metastasis
Metastasis, or metastatic disease , is the spread of a disease from one organ or part to another non-adjacent organ or part. It was previously thought that only malignant tumor cells and infections have the capacity to metastasize; however, this is being reconsidered due to new research...
. He released his biography "Meine zwei Halbzeiten: Ein Leben in Ost und West" (English: My Two Halves: A Life in the East and in the West) over the Leipzig
Leipzig
Leipzig Leipzig has always been a trade city, situated during the time of the Holy Roman Empire at the intersection of the Via Regia and Via Imperii, two important trade routes. At one time, Leipzig was one of the major European centres of learning and culture in fields such as music and publishing...
based Rowohlt-Verlag
Rowohlt
Rowohlt Verlag is a publishing house based in Reinbek and also Hamburg and Berlin, part of the Georg von Holtzbrinck Group . The company was created in 1908 in Leipzig by Ernst Rowohlt.- Parts of the company :* Kindler Verlag...
in March 2009. Berger died on 23 June 2010 of an enteric
Intestine
In human anatomy, the intestine is the segment of the alimentary canal extending from the pyloric sphincter of the stomach to the anus and, in humans and other mammals, consists of two segments, the small intestine and the large intestine...
tumor
Tumor
A tumor or tumour is commonly used as a synonym for a neoplasm that appears enlarged in size. Tumor is not synonymous with cancer...
.