Wikipedia

Uli Hoeneß

Ulrich "Uli" Hoeneß (German pronunciation: [ˈuːliː ˈhøːnɛs], audioⓘ; born 5 January 1952) is a German football executive and former professional player who played as a forward.[1] He played for West Germany at one World Cup and two European Championships, winning one tournament of each competition. During his playing career, he was mainly associated with Bayern Munich, where he won three Bundesliga titles and three European Cups.

Uli Hoeneß
Hoeneß in 2019
Personal information
Full name Ulrich Hoeneß
Date of birth (1952-01-05) 5 January 1952 (age 72)
Place of birth Ulm, West Germany
Height 1.81 m (5 ft 11 in)
Position(s) Forward
Team information
Current team
 Bayern Munich (board member)
Youth career
1959–1965 VfB Ulm
1965–1970 TSG Ulm 1846
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1970–1979 Bayern Munich 239 (86)
1978–1979 → 1. FC Nürnberg (loan) 11 (0)
Total 250 (86)
International career
1968–1970 West Germany Youth 17 (5)
1969–1972 West Germany Amateur 22 (3)
1971–1973 West Germany U23 2 (1)
1972–1976 West Germany 35 (5)
Medal record
Men's football
Representing  West Germany
FIFA World Cup
Winner 1974 West Germany
UEFA European Championship
Winner 1972 Belgium
Runner-up 1976 Yugoslavia
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Hoeneß later served as Bayern Munich's general manager, and eventually as the club's president from 2009 to 2014 and 2016 to 2019.[2][3] In 2014, he pleaded guilty to tax evasion, ultimately serving 18 months in prison for the offence.

Early life and education

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Hoeneß was born in Ulm, Württemberg-Baden.[4] He grew up in a conservative, Catholic-influenced family as the son of master butcher Erwin Hoeneß and his wife Paula in Ulm. He attended the Hans-Multscher-Grundschule before changing to the Schubarth-Gymnasium, both located in Ulm.[5] Along with his younger brother Dieter, who also later became a professional footballer and manager, he began playing football in the youth department of VfB Ulm. He later transferred to TSG Ulm 1846 (now SSV Ulm 1846). At the age of 15, he became captain of the DFB's school selection team. During training camps of the South German A-Youth team at the Schöneck sports school in Baden, he shared a room with Paul Breitner for the first time. A close friendship developed between the player from the Baden-Württemberg youth selection and the player from the Bavaria selection. Later, they moved into their first shared apartment in the Munich district of Trudering. In 1971, Hoeneß graduated from the Schubart Gymnasium in Ulm. He was exempted from military service because wearing a combat helmet caused him head and knee pain.

Hoeneß graduated with an average grade of 2.4. Initially, he intended to study business administration in the winter semester of 1971–72. At the time, to be admitted to this program at Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, applicants needed an average grade of at least 3.0. However, non-Bavarian applicants were penalized with a one-grade reduction. As a result, Hoeneß was unable to study this subject there (though he could elsewhere). He decided to study English and history for teaching instead but dropped out after two semesters.

Club career

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In 1970, he played as left-sided forward with amateurs TSG Ulm 1846 and was recruited by Udo Lattek, then manager of Bundesliga club Bayern Munich. Hoeneß immediately made an impact, scoring six times in 31 matches as the Bavarians finished in second position, behind Borussia Mönchengladbach, and adding the domestic cup.

During his eight-and-a-half-year stint with Bayern, Hoeneß enjoyed great success, winning a total of eight major titles, including three league titles and as many European Cups. In the 1973–74 edition of the latter competition, the final replay against Atlético Madrid, he produced one of his most outstanding performances, scoring two goals in the 4–0 victory. However, in the final of the following year's European Cup against Leeds United, he was brutally fouled by Frank Gray and suffered an injury on his right knee from which he never fully recovered.

In late 1978, Hoeneß was loaned to Bayern neighbours 1. FC Nürnberg, where it was hoped he could get more match practice. His recovery failed, however, and he was forced to hang up his boots at a mere 27. He had appeared in 250 matches in Germany's top division, netting 86 times.[6]

International career

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Hoeneß with the Germany national team, 1974

Hoeneß played 35 times for West Germany. His debut came on 29 March 1972, he scored the final goal in a 2–0 friendly win in Hungary.[7]

As one of six Bayern players in the German squad, Hoeneß won both UEFA Euro 1972 and the 1974 FIFA World Cup. In the final of the latter, against Holland, he committed a foul on Johan Cruyff in the opening minute that led to a goal from the subsequent penalty, but West Germany came from behind to win 2–1. He also played with the national side in Euro 1976 in Yugoslavia, where he missed the decisive West German shot in the penalty shootout loss against Czechoslovakia, skying it over the crossbar.

Hoeneß had retained his amateur status until 1972, allowing him to take part in that year's Summer Olympic Games.[8] There, he played alongside future Bayern coach Ottmar Hitzfeld as West Germany failed to qualify for the semifinals of the tournament, losing 3–2 to East Germany, a match in which Hoeneß scored his only goal of the tournament. This historic match was also the first between West Germany and East Germany.

Bayern Munich management

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Hoeneß in 2013

Immediately after retiring as a player in May 1979, Hoeneß was appointed commercial/general manager of Bayern Munich. On 27 November 2009, after 30 years as a general manager, Hoeneß was elected president of the club. During his reign, the club experienced strong growth in revenue and stature. Between 2002 and 2005, Bayern also built a state-of-the-art stadium, the Allianz Arena, at a cost of €340 million. Hoeneß was one of the catalyst for the building of the stadium.[citation needed]

In August 2016, Hoeneß announced that he would seek re-election to the post of president of Bayern Munich.[9] He was re-elected in November 2016 with more than 97% of the votes, as there were no other candidates for this position.[10]

On 1 May 2019, Hoeneß celebrated 40 years of working for Bayern's management. When he started on 1 May 1979, Bayern had twelve employees, 12 million Deutschmarks in revenue, and 8 million marks of debt.[11] In November 2018, Bayern had over 1,000 employees[12] and their revenue had risen to €657.4 million.[13]

On 15 November 2019, Hoeneß retired as Bayern's president and was succeeded by Herbert Hainer. Hoeneß spent 49 years at Bayern, both as player and in management of the club.[14]

Personal life

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Hoeneß and his wife Susanne have two children, Sabine and Florian, and have been married for over 40 years. Hoeneß is a son of a master butcher, and now co-owns HoWe Wurstwaren KG, a Nuremberg-based bratwurst factory.[15] Hoeneß's younger brother Dieter also had a very successful career as a player in the Bundesliga and for the West Germany national team.[16]

On 17 February 1982, Hoeneß was the sole survivor of the crash of a light aircraft in which three others died. He was on his way to a West Germany national team friendly. Sleeping in the rear of the plane, he sustained only minor injuries.

Hoeneß has provided financial assistance, either personally or through organizing benefit games, to other German league teams like FC St. Pauli, Hertha BSC, Borussia Dortmund, 1860 München and Hansa Rostock.[17][18][19][20][21]

Hoeneß has helped former Bayern players like Sebastian Deisler (depression), Breno (depression) and Gerd Müller (alcoholism) in times of need.[citation needed]

Tax evasion and imprisonment

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In April 2013, it was reported that Hoeneß was being investigated for tax evasion.[22] He was reported to have held a Swiss bank account for the purpose of evading taxes due on investment income, and to owe between €3.2 million and €7 million in taxes to the German state.[23] The reports came after journalists "gained access to a document meant only for internal use by tax officials."[24] Prosecutors from Munich carried out raids in offices of two Bavarian tax offices after Hoeneß filed a complaint.[24] Despite increasing public criticism, Hoeneß remained in his position as president and chairman of the supervisory board of Bayern Munich.[25]

Hoeneß was accused of tax evasion,[26] and his trial began on 10 March 2014.[26] The Bayern München AG supervisory board had a "unanimous opinion" that Hoeneß should continue in his role despite being sent to trial.[27] During the trial, he admitted evading 28.5 million euros in taxes.[28] He was subsequently found guilty of seven serious counts of tax evasion and sentenced to three and a half years in prison on 13 March 2014.[29] The following day he resigned from his roles as President of Bayern Munich e.V. and chairman of the board of Bayern Munich AG and announced that he would not be appealing against his sentence.[29][30]

Hoeneß was to serve his sentence at Landsberg Prison.[31] Hoeneß submitted a request to be confined to a different prison,[32] however, he reported to Landsberg on 2 June 2014.[33] During the first two weeks of his sentence, Hoeneß was housed in a larger cell with a cellmate "for medical reasons" and to help adjust to life behind bars.[31] After the initial two weeks, he was moved into a single cell.[31] On 2 January 2015, Hoeneß was granted day release.[34] He had to return to prison at 6 p.m. every night.[34]

There was an alleged attempt to extort €200,000 from Hoeneß under the threat of violence to him and his family. A man was arrested in connection with the scheme.[35] His imprisonment ended on 29 February 2016.[36]

Career statistics

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Club Season League Cup Continental Other Total Ref.
League Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Bayern Munich 1969–70 Bundesliga 0 0 1 0 0 0 — 1 0 [37]
1970–71 Bundesliga 31 6 6 0 7 1 44 7 [37][38]
1971–72 Bundesliga 34 13 5 3 8 1 47 17 [39][40]
1972–73 Bundesliga 34 17 6 3 6 2 46 22 [41][42]
1973–74 Bundesliga 34 18 4 2 10 6 48 26 [43][44]
1974–75 Bundesliga 28 8 3 1 7 3 38 12 [45][46]
1975–76 Bundesliga 17 4 5 1 5 1 27 6 [47][48]
1976–77 Bundesliga 27 9 4 4 8 0 2 0 41 13 [49][50][51]
1977–78 Bundesliga 30 11 2 0 6 1 — 38 12 [52][53]
1978–79 Bundesliga 4 0 2 0 — 6 0 [54]
Totals 239 86 38 14 57 15 2 0 336 115 —
1. FC Nürnberg (loan) 1978–79 Bundesliga 11 0 1 0 — 12 0 [54]
Career totals 250 86 39 14 57 15 2 0 348 115 —

Honours

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Bayern Munich

West Germany

Individual

Political positions and activism

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In his country, Hoeneß publicly opposed the right-wing populist and extremist political party AfD in 2024, emphasizing his rejection of political movements that could tend towards National Socialism. In an interview with the 'FAZ,' he expressed concern about the popularity of the AfD and strongly emphasized that a return to such ideological tendencies as during the Nazi era should never be tolerated. Hoeneß underscored the importance of political activism, even in areas like sports, and called for action against extremist tendencies. He mentioned that he regularly watches n-tv and is particularly moved by documentaries about the Nazi era, including the concentration and extermination camps. These experiences evidently shape his political stance and his commitment to democratic values.[57]

Literature

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  • Juan Moreno: Uli Hoeneß: Ein Mann sieht Rot. Piper Verlag, München 2014, ISBN 978-3-492-05660-1.
  • Patrick Strasser: Hier ist Hoeneß! Riva, München 2010, ISBN 978-3-86883-048-4.
  • Peter Bizer: Uli Hoeneß. Nachspiel. Mensch, Macher, Mythos. Ellert & Richter Verlag, Hamburg 2014, ISBN 978-3-8319-0565-2.
  • Christoph Bausenwein: Das Prinzip Uli Hoeneß. Ein Leben in Widersprüchen. Verlag Die Werkstatt, Göttingen 2014, ISBN 978-3-7307-0123-2.
  • Petja Posor: Der Fall Hoeneß als Skandal in den Medien. Anschlusskommunikation, Authentisierung und Systemstabilisierung. Universitätsverlag Konstanz, Konstanz 2015, ISBN 978-3-86764-594-2.

References

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  1. ^ "Hoeneß, Uli" (in German). kicker. Retrieved 9 September 2011.
  2. ^ "Bayern president takes swipe at Klinsmann". Sports Illustrated. 20 October 2011. Archived from the original on 23 October 2011. Retrieved 13 December 2011.
  3. ^ "Bayern Munich president Uli Hoeness rules out January transfers". Goal. 30 November 2011. Retrieved 13 December 2011.
  4. ^ "Uli Hoeneß". worldfootball.net. Retrieved 18 November 2019.
  5. ^ "Hoeneß-Biografie: Uli, der Schulsprecher". Abendzeitung (in German). 12 November 2009. Retrieved 18 November 2019.
  6. ^ Arnhold, Matthias (30 April 2015). "Ulrich 'Uli' Hoeneß – Matches and Goals in Bundesliga". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 12 May 2015.
  7. ^ Arnhold, Matthias (30 April 2015). "Ulrich 'Uli' Hoeneß – International Appearances". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 12 May 2015.
  8. ^ Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Uli Hoeneß". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 3 December 2016. Retrieved 12 May 2015.
  9. ^ "FC Bayern München: Uli Hoeneß wird wieder Präsi... äh stellt sich zur Wahl". Der Spiegel (in German). 8 August 2016. Retrieved 26 November 2016.
  10. ^ "Uli Hoeneß ist wieder Bayern-Präsident". Der Spiegel (in German). 25 November 2016. Retrieved 26 November 2016.
  11. ^ "Uli Hoeneß: Devoted to FC Bayern for 40 years". fcbayern.com. Retrieved 14 June 2019.
  12. ^ "New office building opened at Säbener Straße". fcbayern.com. Retrieved 14 June 2019.
  13. ^ "FC Bayern rests on "very solid foundations"". fcbayern.com. Retrieved 14 June 2019.
  14. ^ "Hoeneß: It was a wonderful time. That's it!". FC Bayern Munich. 15 November 2019. Retrieved 17 November 2019.
  15. ^ "Bayern Munich President Uli Hoeness: Four decades in charge". dw.com. Retrieved 15 June 2019.
  16. ^ "Dieter mit Uli im Steinbruch" [Dieter and Uli in a quarry] (in German). Der Tagesspiegel. 6 April 2009. Archived from the original on 12 September 2012. Retrieved 13 December 2011.
  17. ^ Hesse-Lichtenberger, Ulrich (2003). Tor!: The Story of German Football. WSC Books Limited. ISBN 978-0954013455.
  18. ^ "Uli Hoeneß – der König von St. Pauli" (in German). merkur-online.de. 13 July 2003. Retrieved 29 January 2013.
  19. ^ "Millionen-Leihgabe aus München: Hoeneß als BVB-Retter". Der Spiegel (in German). Spiegel Online. 6 February 2012. Retrieved 29 January 2013.
  20. ^ "Hoeneß: Warum der FC Bayern den Löwen hilft" (in German). tz-online.de. 30 March 2011. Retrieved 29 January 2013.
  21. ^ "Bayern München will Rostock mit Benefiz-Spiel helfen". Financial Times Deutschland (in German). 8 May 2012. Archived from the original on 21 January 2013. Retrieved 29 January 2013.
  22. ^ "Steuerermittlungen gegen Hoeneß nach Selbstanzeige". Die Welt (in German). 20 April 2013. Retrieved 20 April 2013.
  23. ^ "Richter erließ Haftbefehl gegen Hoeneß" (in German). sueddeutsche.de. 23 April 2013. Retrieved 26 May 2013.
  24. ^ a b "Prosecutors raid tax offices in Hoeness affair". Deutsche Welle. 23 January 2014. Retrieved 17 February 2014.
  25. ^ Leischwitz, Christoph (6 May 2013). "Fall Hoeneß: Titeljagd hat Vorrang". Der Spiegel (in German). spiegel.de. Retrieved 26 May 2013.
  26. ^ a b "Im März 2014 wird Uli Hoeneß der Prozess gemacht". Die Welt (in German). 4 November 2013. Retrieved 4 November 2013.
  27. ^ "FC Bayern München AG Supervisory Board statement". Bayern Munich. 4 November 2013. Retrieved 4 November 2013.
  28. ^ "Bayern Munich boss Uli Hoeness quits, faces up to jail term". DW. 14 March 2014. Retrieved 15 March 2014.
  29. ^ a b "Uli Hoeness resigns as Bayern Munich president after court case". BBC Sports. 14 March 2014. Retrieved 14 March 2014.
  30. ^ "Keine Revision: Hoeneß legt alle Ämter nieder". kicker (in German). 14 March 2014. Retrieved 15 March 2014.
  31. ^ a b c Hack, Jens (31 March 2014). "Former Bayern Munich prez sent to 'Mein Kampf' jail for tax evasion crackdown". Toronto Sun. Reuters. Retrieved 31 March 2014.
  32. ^ Ramelsberger, Annette (12 May 2014). "Warum Hoeneß nicht nach Landsberg will". Süddeutsche Zeitung (in German). Retrieved 12 May 2014.
  33. ^ "Hoeneß trat heute Haftstrafe an" (in German). Österreich. 2 June 2014. Retrieved 2 June 2014.
  34. ^ a b "Ex-Bayern Munich chief Uli Hoeness granted day release". BBC News. 2 January 2015. Retrieved 2 January 2015.
  35. ^ "Police arrest man in Hoeneß blackmail sting". The Local. 13 May 2014. Retrieved 13 May 2014.
  36. ^ "Former Bayern Munich president Uli Hoeness released from prison". The Guardian. 29 February 2016. Retrieved 11 June 2016.
  37. ^ a b "Ulrich Hoeneß" (in German). Fussballdaten.de. Retrieved 16 March 2014.
  38. ^ "Hoeneß, Uli" (in German). kicker. Retrieved 16 March 2014.
  39. ^ "Hoeneß, Uli" (in German). kicker. Retrieved 16 March 2014.
  40. ^ "Ulrich Hoeneß" (in German). Fussballdaten.de. Retrieved 16 March 2014.
  41. ^ "Hoeneß, Uli" (in German). kicker. Retrieved 16 March 2014.
  42. ^ "Ulrich Hoeneß" (in German). Fussballdaten.de. Retrieved 16 March 2014.
  43. ^ "Hoeneß, Uli" (in German). kicker. Retrieved 16 March 2014.
  44. ^ "Ulrich Hoeneß" (in German). Fussballdaten/de. Retrieved 16 March 2014.
  45. ^ "Hoeneß, Uli" (in German). kicker. Retrieved 15 March 2014.
  46. ^ "Ulrich Hoeneß" (in German). Fussballdaten.de.
  47. ^ "Hoeneß, Uli" (in German). kicker. Retrieved 16 March 2014.
  48. ^ "Ulrich Hoeneß" (in German). Fussballdaten.de. Retrieved 16 March 2014.
  49. ^ "Hoeneß, Uli" (in German). kicker. Retrieved 16 March 2014.
  50. ^ "Ulrich Hoeneß" (in German). Fussballdaten.de. Retrieved 16 March 2014.
  51. ^ Ross, James M. "European Competitions 1975–76". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 16 March 2014.
  52. ^ "Hoeneß, Uli" (in German). kicker. Retrieved 16 March 2014.
  53. ^ "Ulrich Hoeneß" (in German). Fussballdaten.de. Retrieved 16 March 2014.
  54. ^ a b "Ulrich Hoeneß" (in German). Fussballdaten.de. Retrieved 16 March 2014.
  55. ^ "1972 team of the tournament". Union of European Football Associations. Retrieved 23 January 2015.
  56. ^ "Bundesliga Historie 1973/74" (in German). kicker.
  57. ^ "ntv-Programm wühlt Uli Hoeneß schmerzhaft auf". ntv.de (in German). 9 February 2024. Archived from the original on 9 February 2024. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
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