Klaus Toppmöller is a football manager and former professional player.
Playing career
A forward, Toppmöller scored 108 Bundesligagoals for 1. FC Kaiserslautern in 204 matches in the West German top flight. He earned 3 caps and scored 1 goal during his international career for West Germany.
Coaching career
Toppmöller became coach of FSV Salmrohr from summer 1987 to 18 April 1988 when he became coach of SSV Ulm 1846 until February 1989. After his dismissal, Toppmöller coached East German second division side FC Erzgebirge Aue from 28 November 1990 to 30 June 1991. He then transferred back to the Federal league with SV Waldhof Mannheim from 19 September 1991 to 30 June 1993. In light of his success, Toppmöller became coach of Eintracht Frankfurt, with whom he had a very successful start. But after failures with the squad relationship and resultantly missing the championship he was dismissed on 10 April 1994. Toppmöller then joined VfL Bochum on 9 November 1994, with whom in the 1997/98 season reached the last sixteen of the UEFA cup. On 30 June 1999 Toppmöller left his position as coach of VfL Bochum to become coach of 1. FC Saarbrücken, but was eventually dismissed there on 29 November 2000. From 1 July 2001 Toppmöller was coach with Bayer 04 Leverkusen, whom in his first season led to the final of the UEFA Champions League, as well as second place in federal league and the German cup final. Toppmöller was eventually declared by German sports journalists as "football coach of the year" for 2002. However, in the following season Leverkusen performed poorly, and in light of a poor league position which could have led to relegation, Toppmöller was sacked on 16 February 2003. Toppmöller became coach of Hamburger SV on 23 October 2003. However, after the team fell to last place in the league, and Toppmöller used strange tactics, formations and out of position players, he was sacked on 17 October 2004. On 1 February 2006, Toppmöller became national coach of the Georgia national football team, with Ralf Minge as assistant coach. He was dismissed on 1 April 2008.
