HASAN CÜCÜK | TR724
Christoph Daum, the German coach who managed Beşiktaş, Fenerbahçe, and Bursaspor, succumbed to cancer at the age of 70. Daum, who made a significant impact in the 1990s, was known for his colorful personality. His dream of becoming the coach of the German national team was blocked by ‘The Emperor’ Franz Beckenbauer. After leading Stuttgart to a championship, Daum became recorded in history as the last German to contribute to Turkish football.
German coaches played a crucial role in the development of Turkish football. Jupp Derwall, who led Germany to the European Championship in 1980, opened a new chapter in Turkish football history when he joined Galatasaray after a disappointing EURO 84 campaign. Derwall not only ended Galatasaray’s 13-year championship drought but also paved the way for the club to become a European powerhouse. He introduced Mustafa Denizli to Turkish football as his assistant, and after fulfilling his duties, he bid farewell to Turkey in 1987.
In 1990, Sepp Piontek took center stage. Piontek, who transformed Denmark into one of Europe’s top footballing nations over 11 years, took charge of the Turkish national team. Although the team’s performance on the field was poor, he laid the groundwork for the future. When he left the role in 1993, he handed the reins to his protégé, Fatih Terim. The national team, which Piontek had built from 1990 to 1993, bore its first fruit by qualifying for EURO 96. The third-place finish at the 2002 World Cup was the pinnacle of the team that Piontek had established.
While not as influential as Derwall and Piontek, Christoph Daum was the last of the Germans to leave a mark on Turkish football. Before diving into Daum’s journey, it’s worth noting that Holger Osieck and Joachim Löw were undervalued German coaches. Of course, there were also German coaches like Saftig, Skibbe, Lorant, Hollmann, Schuster, and Sundermann, who were considered failures.
Now, let’s delve into Christoph Daum’s life story…
Christoph Paul Daum was born on October 24, 1953, in Cologne. He had an ordinary playing career. After retiring from football, he continued as a coach. His coaching journey, which began as an assistant coach, took a new turn in 1986 when he became the head coach of FC Köln, the club where he had once played. Daum spent four years at Köln before his path crossed with Stuttgart in November 1990, where he would make his first major impact as a coach. In the 1991-92 season, he led Stuttgart to the Bundesliga title and won the German Super Cup the following season.
In January 1994, Daum set his sights on Turkey. Beşiktaş, seeking to fill the void left by English coach Gordon Milne, chose Daum. He won the Turkish Cup in half a season. The 1994-95 season began with the President’s Cup, and by the end of the season, Daum had led Beşiktaş to the championship. After bidding farewell to Beşiktaş in 1996, Daum returned to his homeland, where his next destination was Bayer Leverkusen.
Daum transformed Leverkusen into a team competing at the top. In four years, the team finished as runners-up three times and third once. He made Bayer Leverkusen the primary rival of Bayern Munich, the dominant force in German football. In the 1999-2000 season, Daum experienced the heartbreak of losing the championship to Bayern Munich on goal difference, despite having the same number of points. In October 2000, after being implicated in a cocaine scandal, Daum resigned from his position.
In March 2001, Daum began his second stint with Beşiktaş. However, due to ongoing legal proceedings, he shuttled between Germany and Turkey. His second tenure was less successful, and in June 2002, he ended his time with Beşiktaş. In 2002, Daum joined Austria Wien, where he won the Austrian League and Austrian Cup in a double triumph at the end of the season.
In July 2003, Daum returned to Turkey, this time to Fenerbahçe. He led Fenerbahçe to the top for two consecutive seasons. However, in the final week of the 2005-06 season, Fenerbahçe lost the championship to Galatasaray after drawing with Denizlispor in an away match. Daum, who was blamed for the shocking outcome, left Turkey and joined Köln.
In 2009, Daum returned to Fenerbahçe. The season began with a Super Cup victory. However, the 2009-10 season ended in yet another dramatic fashion. Like in the 2005-06 season, Fenerbahçe entered the final week as the league leader, but after drawing with Trabzonspor at home, they lost the championship to Bursaspor. Having experienced a second final-week trauma, Daum parted ways with Fenerbahçe.
After returning to Germany, Daum had a brief stint with Eintracht Frankfurt and, in 2011, joined Belgian club Club Brugge. In 2013, Daum returned to Turkey as the head coach of Bursaspor. His final coaching role was with the Romanian national team from July 2016 to September 2017 before he retired.
Daum won championships with both Beşiktaş and Fenerbahçe, endearing himself to Turkish football fans with his friendly demeanor. He would sing the Turkish national anthem alongside his team. In Germany, Daum became a voluntary ambassador for Turkey, making positive remarks about the country at every opportunity.
Of course, his biggest dream was to coach the German national team. After proving himself by leading Stuttgart to a championship, Daum continued his success at Beşiktaş. However, Daum’s defiance of the established order in German football during his time at Leverkusen put him on ‘The Emperor’ Beckenbauer’s radar. The revelation that Daum used cocaine gave Beckenbauer a powerful weapon. In 2004, the Bayern Munich lobby appointed Jürgen Klinsmann, who had no coaching experience, as the national team coach. This decision effectively ended Daum’s chances of ever leading the German national team.
Diagnosed with cancer in 2022, Daum fought his battle with lung cancer with “optimism, self-confidence, and humor.” He stated that one shouldn’t expect significant progress in his treatment quickly and emphasized the importance of being very cautious in the fight against such an illness. Declaring that “the disease chose the wrong body,” Daum demonstrated his determination to fight the illness. However, the journey that began on October 24, 1953, came to an end on August 24, 2024.
