Dettmar Cramer
Encyclopedia
Dettmar Cramer is a German
former football player and coach who led Bayern Munich
to the 1975 and 1976 European Cups
. Cramer is commonly considered to be the father of modern football in Japan
and is a member of the Order of the Sacred Treasure
, 3rd Class. He also briefly coached the United States men's national soccer team
.
. The beginning of his managerial career lead him to clubs such as Teutonia Lippstadt
, VfL Geseke, FC Paderborn
, and TuS Eving-Lindenhorst. At the turn of the year 1948-49, Cramer found himself in the service of the German Football Association
(DFB) for the first time. Until 1963 he served with the designation as Head Coach for Western Germany under the DFB in Duisburg
.
Little known, Cramer attempted to make the jump into a career in journalism
at this point. He became lead editor for sports for German television station ZDF
. Feeling largely isolated from the football world, Cramer decided to call it quits after only six months on the job. Afterward he was sent by the DFB to Japan
to serve as a football instructor.
In order to strengthen its national team ahead of the Tokyo Olympic Games
four years later, the Japan Football Association
had the idea in 1960 of bringing in a foreign professional coach. Cramer was ultimately selected for this role. Through Cramer's coaching and leadership, and the efforts of his players, the Japanese national team achieved a surprise upset of Argentina
at the Tokyo Olympics. The significane of this historic result was not lost on Cramer who saw it as a confirmation that Japanese football was vastly improving. Cramer's efforts were not limited to the national team, as he also formulated and implemented policies for general development. The foundation of a first national league, the training of other coaches, and the strengthening of the national team would all contribute to Japan's success at the Mexico City Olympics
four years later, where Japan would take home the bronze medal.
On January 1, 1964, Cramer returned to Germany to take up a position as an assistant to German national coach Helmut Schön
. In this capacity he was a part of the coaching staff at the World Cup in 1966
, where West Germany
lost in the final on a controversial call by a Russian linesman. His talents were highly regarded by FIFA
(Federation Internationale de Football Association), which contracted him as a coach from 1967 to 1974 and sent him on a tour of the globe, but during this time, Cramer would also run the 1st FIFA Coaching Course in Japan in 1969, and sowed the seeds for a coach training structure in Japan. Additionally, on August 1, 1974, Cramer was selected by the United States Soccer Federation
to become the head coach of the United States men’s national football team
.
During his time in national team service, Cramer received numerous coaching offers from German clubs in the Bundesliga
, although he consistently turned them down. Then, on January 16, 1975, he took over the reins as manager of German giants FC Bayern Munich
. At the beginning, Cramer faced heavy criticism in Munich
, mostly because of his passive management style. With rumors of a sacking swirling around Cramer, he was strongly backed by team captain Franz Beckenbauer
, who felt indebted to him because of his insistence that Beckenbauer be allowed to return to the German national team after initially being banned for impregnating a girl out of wedlock.
Cramer would lead Bayern to victory in the 1975 and 1976 European Champions Cup
in addition to capturing the World Club Cup in ’76. However, the ’76 Bundesliga season saw Bayern unable to recapture their form, and after a season that saw them fail to defend their domestic title, Cramer was forced to resign his position. Cramer was involved in a trade between Bayern and Eintracht Frankfurt
, which saw him take the top spot at Frankfurt, while Frankfurt coach Gyula Lorant
made his way to Bayern. Neither club was happy with the trade, as Bayern finished a club worst 12th in the table, while Frankfurt’s results were mediocre at best. As a result, the club parted ways with him on June 30, 1978.
Not until the 1982-83 season did Cramer find himself employed in the Bundesliga again, this time with club Bayer Leverkusen
. At Leverkusen he managed to lead the club to their first top 9 finish in the league during his second year in charge. Failure to build on that accomplishment lead to his dismissal after his third season in charge.
Never to coach in the Bundesliga again, Cramer instead found coaching positions with various international clubs and associations around the world. In 2002, Cramer officially announced his retirement from football. In 2005, he was inducted into the Japan Football Hall of Fame.
as a Senior Lieutenant
with a German paratrooper
division. He is currently married for the second time and lives with his family in Reit im Winkl
, Bavaria
.
For his international achievements, Cramer was awarded two honorary doctorates in addition to being presented with the Bundesverdienstkreuz (Federal Cross of Merit) in Germany. In 1971, Emperor Hirohito also personally presented him with membership in the Order of the Sacred Treasure
for his service to Japan. Furthermore, Cramer is an honorary chieftain in the Native American
Sioux
and Mohican
tribes.
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...
former football player and coach who led Bayern Munich
FC Bayern Munich
FC Bayern Munich , is a German sports club based in Munich, Bavaria. It is best known for its professional football team, which is the most successful football club in Germany, having won 22 national titles and 15 cups....
to the 1975 and 1976 European Cups
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
. Cramer is commonly considered to be the father of modern football in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
and is a member of the Order of the Sacred Treasure
Order of the Sacred Treasure
The is a Japanese Order, established on January 4, 1888 by Emperor Meiji of Japan as the Order of Meiji. It is awarded in eight classes . It is generally awarded for long and/or meritorious service and considered to be the lowest of the Japanese orders of merit...
, 3rd Class. He also briefly coached the United States men's national soccer team
United States men's national soccer team
The United States men's national soccer team represents the United States in international association football competitions. It is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation and competes in CONCACAF...
.
Career
Known as the “Football Professor” because of his attention to detail and also as “Napoleon” because of his diminutive 1.61 meter stature, Cramer began his career at Viktoria Dortmund and Germania WiesbadenGermania Wiesbaden
SG Germania Wiesbaden is a German association football club from the city of Wiesbaden in Hesse.The clubs two most notable achievement came when it won the tier-one Kreisliga Hessen in 1920 and, almost 50 years later, reached as the Germany's second division for one season in 1966–67.- 1903–1945...
. The beginning of his managerial career lead him to clubs such as Teutonia Lippstadt
SV Lippstadt 08
SV Lippstadt is a German association football club from the city of Lippstadt, North Rhine-Westphalia.-History:The two predecessors of the current-day club were both established in March 1908. Borussia Lippstadt was founded 24 March by students of the Gymnasium Ostendorf, while Lippstädter SV...
, VfL Geseke, FC Paderborn
SC Paderborn 07
SC Paderborn 07 is a German association football club based in Paderborn, North Rhine-Westphalia, currently playing in the 2. Bundesliga.-History:...
, and TuS Eving-Lindenhorst. At the turn of the year 1948-49, Cramer found himself in the service of the German Football Association
German Football Association
The German Football Association is the governing body of football in Germany. A founding member of both FIFA and UEFA, the DFB organises the German football leagues, including the national league, the Bundesliga, and the men's and women's national teams. The DFB is based in Frankfurt and is...
(DFB) for the first time. Until 1963 he served with the designation as Head Coach for Western Germany under the DFB in Duisburg
Duisburg
- History :A legend recorded by Johannes Aventinus holds that Duisburg, was built by the eponymous Tuisto, mythical progenitor of Germans, ca. 2395 BC...
.
Little known, Cramer attempted to make the jump into a career in journalism
Journalism
Journalism is the practice of investigation and reporting of events, issues and trends to a broad audience in a timely fashion. Though there are many variations of journalism, the ideal is to inform the intended audience. Along with covering organizations and institutions such as government and...
at this point. He became lead editor for sports for German television station ZDF
ZDF
Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen , ZDF, is a public-service German television broadcaster based in Mainz . It is run as an independent non-profit institution, which was founded by the German federal states . The ZDF is financed by television licence fees called GEZ and advertising revenues...
. Feeling largely isolated from the football world, Cramer decided to call it quits after only six months on the job. Afterward he was sent by the DFB to Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
to serve as a football instructor.
In order to strengthen its national team ahead of the Tokyo Olympic Games
1964 Summer Olympics
The 1964 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVIII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event held in Tokyo, Japan in 1964. Tokyo had been awarded with the organization of the 1940 Summer Olympics, but this honor was subsequently passed to Helsinki because of Japan's...
four years later, the Japan Football Association
Japan Football Association
The Japan Football Association, sometimes known as the Japan Soccer Association , is the governing body responsible for the administration of association football in Japan. It is responsible for the national team as well as club competitions....
had the idea in 1960 of bringing in a foreign professional coach. Cramer was ultimately selected for this role. Through Cramer's coaching and leadership, and the efforts of his players, the Japanese national team achieved a surprise upset of Argentina
Argentina national football team
The Argentina national football team represents Argentina in association football and is controlled by the Argentine Football Association , the governing body for football in Argentina. Argentina's home stadium is Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti and their head coach is Alejandro...
at the Tokyo Olympics. The significane of this historic result was not lost on Cramer who saw it as a confirmation that Japanese football was vastly improving. Cramer's efforts were not limited to the national team, as he also formulated and implemented policies for general development. The foundation of a first national league, the training of other coaches, and the strengthening of the national team would all contribute to Japan's success at the Mexico City Olympics
1968 Summer Olympics
The 1968 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XIX Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Mexico City, Mexico in October 1968. The 1968 Games were the first Olympic Games hosted by a developing country, and the first Games hosted by a Spanish-speaking country...
four years later, where Japan would take home the bronze medal.
On January 1, 1964, Cramer returned to Germany to take up a position as an assistant to German national coach Helmut Schön
Helmut Schön
Helmut Schön was a German football player and manager. He is best remembered for his exceptional career as manager of West Germany....
. In this capacity he was a part of the coaching staff at the World Cup in 1966
1966 FIFA World Cup
The 1966 FIFA World Cup, the eighth staging of the World Cup, was held in England from 11 July to 30 July. England beat West Germany 4–2 in the final, winning the World Cup for the first time, so becoming the first host to win the tournament since Italy in 1934.-Host selection:England was chosen as...
, where West Germany
West Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
lost in the final on a controversial call by a Russian linesman. His talents were highly regarded by FIFA
FIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
(Federation Internationale de Football Association), which contracted him as a coach from 1967 to 1974 and sent him on a tour of the globe, but during this time, Cramer would also run the 1st FIFA Coaching Course in Japan in 1969, and sowed the seeds for a coach training structure in Japan. Additionally, on August 1, 1974, Cramer was selected by the United States Soccer Federation
United States Soccer Federation
The United States Soccer Federation is the official governing body of the sport of soccer in the United States. Its headquarters are located in Chicago, Illinois. It is a member of FIFA and is responsible for governing amateur and professional soccer, including the men's, women's, youth, futsal...
to become the head coach of the United States men’s national football team
United States men's national soccer team
The United States men's national soccer team represents the United States in international association football competitions. It is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation and competes in CONCACAF...
.
During his time in national team service, Cramer received numerous coaching offers from German clubs in the Bundesliga
Fußball-Bundesliga
The Fußball-Bundesliga is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of Germany's football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. It is contested by 18 teams and operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the 2. Bundesliga...
, although he consistently turned them down. Then, on January 16, 1975, he took over the reins as manager of German giants FC Bayern Munich
FC Bayern Munich
FC Bayern Munich , is a German sports club based in Munich, Bavaria. It is best known for its professional football team, which is the most successful football club in Germany, having won 22 national titles and 15 cups....
. At the beginning, Cramer faced heavy criticism in Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
, mostly because of his passive management style. With rumors of a sacking swirling around Cramer, he was strongly backed by team captain Franz Beckenbauer
Franz Beckenbauer
Franz Anton Beckenbauer is a German football coach, manager, and former player, nicknamed Der Kaiser because of his elegant style, his leadership, his first name "Franz" , and his dominance on the football pitch...
, who felt indebted to him because of his insistence that Beckenbauer be allowed to return to the German national team after initially being banned for impregnating a girl out of wedlock.
Cramer would lead Bayern to victory in the 1975 and 1976 European Champions Cup
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
in addition to capturing the World Club Cup in ’76. However, the ’76 Bundesliga season saw Bayern unable to recapture their form, and after a season that saw them fail to defend their domestic title, Cramer was forced to resign his position. Cramer was involved in a trade between Bayern and 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 :...
, which saw him take the top spot at Frankfurt, while Frankfurt coach Gyula Lorant
Gyula Lóránt
Gyula Lóránt , also referred to as Gyula Lipovics or Lóránt Gyula, was a Hungarian football player and manager...
made his way to Bayern. Neither club was happy with the trade, as Bayern finished a club worst 12th in the table, while Frankfurt’s results were mediocre at best. As a result, the club parted ways with him on June 30, 1978.
Not until the 1982-83 season did Cramer find himself employed in the Bundesliga again, this time with club Bayer Leverkusen
Bayer Leverkusen
Bayer 04 Leverkusen is a German football club based in Leverkusen, North Rhine-Westphalia. It is the most well-known department of TSV Bayer 04 Leverkusen, a sports club whose members also participate in athletics, gymnastics, basketball and other sports.-Origins and early years:On 27 November...
. At Leverkusen he managed to lead the club to their first top 9 finish in the league during his second year in charge. Failure to build on that accomplishment lead to his dismissal after his third season in charge.
Never to coach in the Bundesliga again, Cramer instead found coaching positions with various international clubs and associations around the world. In 2002, Cramer officially announced his retirement from football. In 2005, he was inducted into the Japan Football Hall of Fame.
Personal life
Cramer served in World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
as a Senior Lieutenant
Oberleutnant
Oberleutnant is a junior officer rank in the militaries of Germany, Switzerland and Austria. In the German Army, it dates from the early 19th century. Translated as "Senior Lieutenant", the rank is typically bestowed upon commissioned officers after five to six years of active duty...
with a German paratrooper
Fallschirmjäger
are German paratroopers. Together with the Gebirgsjäger they are perceived as the elite infantry units of the German Army....
division. He is currently married for the second time and lives with his family in Reit im Winkl
Reit im Winkl
Reit im Winkl is a small village in the southeastern part of Bavaria, Germany, in the Traunstein district. It is situated southwest of Ruhpolding in the Alps. The village area has borders with two states of Austria, Tyrol and Salzburg. The small village of Kössen in Tyrol is the next village...
, Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
.
For his international achievements, Cramer was awarded two honorary doctorates in addition to being presented with the Bundesverdienstkreuz (Federal Cross of Merit) in Germany. In 1971, Emperor Hirohito also personally presented him with membership in the Order of the Sacred Treasure
Order of the Sacred Treasure
The is a Japanese Order, established on January 4, 1888 by Emperor Meiji of Japan as the Order of Meiji. It is awarded in eight classes . It is generally awarded for long and/or meritorious service and considered to be the lowest of the Japanese orders of merit...
for his service to Japan. Furthermore, Cramer is an honorary chieftain in the Native American
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
Sioux
Sioux
The Sioux are Native American and First Nations people in North America. The term can refer to any ethnic group within the Great Sioux Nation or any of the nation's many language dialects...
and Mohican
Mohican
-Native Americans:* Mahican , a Native American tribe who lived in and around the Hudson Valley* Mohegan, a functional confederation of several branches of Native Americans during the 16th century and the beginning of the 17th century...
tribes.