Bernd Stange’s career was not always straightforward, the former GDR selection coach experienced ups and downs. In retrospect, he also acknowledged mistakes. On Tuesday (March 14) the globetrotter, who has traveled through numerous stations abroad, celebrates his 75th birthday.
If anyone has experienced anything in football, it’s Bernd Stange. The former GDR selection coach made a pilgrimage around the world, was hired by a number of national teams, experienced wars during his work and is now enjoying his retirement for the most part in the Algarve. On Tuesday (March 14) the native of Gnaschwitz celebrates his 75th birthday.
Things didn’t always go smoothly in Bernd Stange’s life, and in retrospect he admitted to making mistakes. After his work as an informal employee for the Ministry for State Security of the GDR became known, the doors in Germany remained closed to him.
“I could never do anything else”
Football. That was and is his life. “I could never do anything else,” said Bernd Stange. He didn’t play at the highest level himself. During his playing days he was on the ball in his birthplace of Gnaschwitz for the local chemistry team, then at Forward Bautzen and finally at the HSG DHfK Leipzig.
At the German University for Physical Culture, he also earned his diploma as a physical education teacher (with a grade of one), which paved the way for him in the future.
Meyer on Stange: “He was always excellent at working with young people”
In 1970, he became a member of the FC Carl Zeiss coaching staff in Jena, his adopted home. A year later, Hans Meyer made him his assistant coach. “When he came to Jena, I would have bet a lot that Bernd would never become a responsible coach in professional football. He was shy, actually a bit too sensitive,” Meyer described his first impressions, which he quickly revised.
Bernd Stange and Hans Meyer in 2003.
Because Stange could think conceptually and derive a lot from theory for practice. “And he was always excellent at working with young people, shaping them, developing them,” emphasized Meyer. He went his way with diligence, passion and a lot of initiative.
54 GDR internationals under the direction of Stange
After seven years at the Kernberge, he went to the East German Football Association. He first drew attention to himself as a youth and Olympic selection coach, became Georg Buschner’s assistant coach and officially took over the management of the GDR selection in 1984. 54 international matches took place under his direction.
The GDR coach team Bernd Stange and Harald Irmscher 1985.
In 1984, when he was selected for the Olympics, he qualified for Los Angeles, but the team had to stay at home due to the boycott of the socialist countries. “That was one of the biggest disappointments,” said Stange in retrospect.
“I mourn the 1990 World Cup to this day”
He experienced an even greater one four years later. After the first two games of the World Cup qualifier for Italy 1990 he was sacked. “A win against Malta and a defeat in Turkey, where later all the other group opponents couldn’t win either, were not enough for the sport’s management. My life goal was destroyed by officials. I still mourn the 1990 World Cup to this day,” said Stange.
At VfB Leipzig: “I messed up my career there myself”
With the fall of communism in 1989, the football coach began to collect some bitter experiences. He was with second division team Hertha BSC for one season, then took over VfB Leipzig in their only Bundesliga season, where it was over after six months: “I messed up my career there myself. I didn’t manage to get the team up hold.”
Working as an IM
As a result, the doors in Germany remained closed for Bernd Stange, also because during this time his work as an informal employee for the GDR state security became known. It was only through his friend, Valeri Lobanowski, the longstanding successful coach of the USSR and Ukraine as well as Dynamo Kiev, that he found a new job in Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine.
Problematic situation in Iraq and Syria
Starting in 1995, Stange became a globetrotter: the stops were in Australia, Oman, Iraq, Cyprus, Belarus, Singapore and Syria. Not every engagement of his, especially in war-torn states like Iraq and most recently in Syria, was approved by the public because of the problematic political situation. All in all, Stange had 176 international matches during his coaching career.
Today, the celebrant enjoys most of the year in Lagos, Portugal, in the Algarve.
jmd/dpa