BERLIN (AP) — Christoph Daum, the fearless soccer coach who was denied the German national team job after admitting cocaine use, has died. He was 70 years old.
Daum died Saturday at his home in Cologne after a battle with cancer, family members told news agency dpa on Sunday.
“He was a pioneer of the modern game and was controversial and passionate about football until the end,” German soccer federation president Bernd Neuendorf said. “I was able to experience this first hand in a personal meeting a few weeks before his death. He lived football with every fiber of his being.”
Daum’s struggle with cancer was symbolic of his life – even as a skinny young child growing up in the west German city of Duisburg, he picked fights with boys who were bigger and stronger.
As a passionate and demanding coach, he led Stuttgart to the Bundesliga title in 1992. But Daum never lifted the trophy again. Between 1996 and 2000 his Bayer Leverkusen team finished runner-up three times and third once. In 2000, Leverkusen squandered the chance to win the Bundesliga for the first time by losing 2-0 at promoted Unterhaching. Daum said he cried his eyes out.
Leverkusen would have to wait until this year before finally ending its “Neverkusen” moniker. But Daum’s contribution arguably laid the foundations for success. He was a guest of honor at the celebrations.
“Christoph changed a lot of things here in terms of processes and internal structure. Under him, Bayer 04 became the biggest competitor to Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund,” Leverkusen great Rudi Völler said.
Daum was tipped to take over as Germany coach in 2000 after the national team’s disappointing European Championship, but his personal life came under scrutiny when long-time rival Uli Hoeneß of Bayern Munich suggested in an interview that Daum had a drug problem. Media reported cocaine-fueled parties involving prostitutes.
Daum denied drug use and gave hair samples for analysis. The samples showed traces of cocaine.
He was fired as Leverkusen coach as a result, while the scandal also ended his dream of becoming Germany coach.
“It was a big mistake that I acknowledged and apologized for,” Daum said years later. “Who can say that their life has been completely free of mistakes? I certainly cannot. Ultimately, it’s important to recognize mistakes, correct them, and then do better. That’s what it means to be human.”
Daum enjoyed success as coach away from Germany, winning a league and cup double with Austria Vienna in 2003, and Turkish league titles with Fenerbahce in 2004 and 2005. He previously led city rival Besiktas to Turkish cup (1994) and league (1995) titles.
Daum returned to Germany after Fenerbahce and helped Cologne to Bundesliga promotion in 2008.
He also later returned to Fenerbahce, then coached Eintracht Frankfurt, Club Brugge, Bursaspor and Romania.
“Christoph Daum was a true child of the Bundesliga. As a motivator and communicator without a previous professional career, he helped shape the coaching profession and the Bundesliga at the beginning of the media age,” said Marc Lenz, the managing director of the German soccer league.
Lenz said Daum “remained true to himself throughout his career, both in success and after setbacks and mistakes.”
For his part, Daum remained philosophical about his highs and lows.
”You can fall. It doesn’t matter how many times you fall,” he said. “You just have to keep getting up again.”
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