Football | Can Jupp Heynckes sign off with another treble?

📢 Jupp, Jupp, Jupp, Jupp, Jupp, Jupp, Jupp, Jupp, Jupp, Jupp, Jupp, Jupp, Jupp, Jupp, Jupp, Jupp, Jupp, Jupp, Jupp, Jupp, Jupp, Jupp, Jupp, Jupp, Jupp, Jupp, Jupp, Jupp, Jupp, Jupp, Jupp, Jupp, Jupp, Jupp, Jupp, Jupp, Jupp, Jupp, Jupp, Jupp, Jupp, Jupp, #JUPP! 👏 #MiaSanMeister pic.twitter.com/3dethV8DZ5 — FC Bayern English (@FCBayernEN) April 10, 2018

Jupp, Jupp, and Away

It has been confirmed today that Eintracht Frankfurt manager Niko Kovac will take over next season, with Bayern reportedly failed to convince Heynckes to stay on beyond the end of the current campaign. Bayern have wrapped up the league at a canter, but their season is far from over. They still have a Champions League semi-final against European champions Real Madrid to look forward to, as well as a DFB-Pokal semi-final against Bayer Leverkusen. It will be a difficult task to complete the treble, but Heynckes has done it before. In 2013, the former World Cup winner guided Bayern to a stunning treble, before being replaced by Pep Guardiola shortly afterwards. While Guardiola failed to navigate his way past the semi-final stages of the Champions League in three successive seasons, Heynckes has reached the final every time he has coached a team in Europe's elite competition.

Heynckes' History Before he was a world class manager, Heynckes was a world class player. The Mönchengladbach native is the third highest top scorer in Bundesliga history, with an impressive 220 goals in just 369 league appearances. Heynckes scored 23 goals in 25 matches in his debut season with Borussia Mönchengladbach, helping the team to win promotion to the German top flight. The German striker scored 27 goals over the next two seasons for the Foals, before spending three seasons at Hannover. He returned to Mönchengladbach in 1970, netting 19 times as the club became the first Bundesliga club to win back-to-back titles in the 1970/71 season. Heynckes was then joint top scorer in the '72/73 UEFA Cup, where Borussia lost 3-2 on aggregate to Liverpool in the final. Heynckes missed a penalty in England as Gladbach lost 3-0, but scored both goals in Germany in the return leg. However, the German outfit won the DFB-Pokal that season, and Heynckes went on to win three more Bundesliga titles with the club. He also won 39 caps for West Germany, winning the 1972 European Championships and the 1974 World Cup with his country. Heynckes started on the right of a front three in the final of the Euros as Germany beat the Soviet Union 3-0 at Heysel Stadium. Gerd Müller - one of only two players to outscore Heynckes in the Bundesliga - scored a brace, with Herbert Wimmer scoring the other goal. He was on the bench for the World Cup final as a result of an injury, however, as West Germany beat the Netherlands 2-1 in Munich, with Paul Breitner and Müller grabbing the goals on the day. Heynckes moved into management after his playing todays, and became Gladbach's first team manager in 1979. He did not win any silverware with his beloved club, but did lose out on a league title on goal difference (1983/84) and lost several finals, including the 1980 UEFA Cup final.

Onwards and Juppwards His first stint at Bayern Munich began in 1987. Bayern won the DFL-Supercup in Heynckes' first season in charge, but finished four points behind champions Werder Bremen in the Bundesliga. However, he then guided Der FCB to back-to-back league titles, before finishing second in his fourth season. Interestingly, Bayern were knocked out by the team which went on to win the European Cup in three consecutive seasons under Heynckes. The former German international was sacked in October 1991 after Bayern started sluggishly during his fifth season at the Allianz Arena, and his first spell at the club came to an end after 113 wins, 46 draws and 39 losses. After stints at Athletic Bilbao, Eintracht Frankfurt, and Tenerife, Real Madrid made Heynckes their manager in 1997. Los Blancos beat fierce rivals Barcelona 5-3 on aggregate to win the Super Cup shortly after his appointment as manager, and the La Liga giants went on to win the Champions League that season. Predrag Mijatović scored the only goal of the game as Madrid overcame Juventus in Amsterdam to claim their first European title in 32 years. Madrid were less successful domestically, finishing fourth in the Spanish league, and Heynckes was relieved of his duties as a result. After relatively unsuccessful spells at Benfica and Athletic Bilbao (for the second time), Heynckes returned to Germany as Schalke boss in 2003. The Bundesliga side finished seventh in Heynckes' first season, but the German was dismissed after a worrying start to the following season. He then returned to manage Borussia Mönchengladbach in 2006, but found no home comforts at the club where he started his managerial career. He resigned after 14 league games without a win, and Die Borussen went on to be relegated that season. In 2009, Bayern beckoned for the second time. The club were in danger of missing out on Champions League qualification, and brought in Heynckes as caretaker manager following the sacking of Jurgen Klinnsman. Bayern won four of their remaining five matches after Heynckes' appointment, securing Champions League football, and finishing second behind Wolfsburg. His next destination was Bayer Leverkusen, which saw him competing against Bayern for the title. Leverkusen finished fourth in his first season, and finished second behind Borussia Dortmund in the 2010-11 season. Despite his success, and securing Champions League qualification, Heynckes decided to return to Munich for a third time.

The Treble The first season of Heynckes' third spell at Munich was a difficult one. Bayern finished second behind Dortmund, who also beat Heynckes's side 5-2 in the cup final. Heynckes guided Die Roten to the Champions League final, where they were stunned by huge underdogs Chelsea, who beat the Germans on penalties after a 1-1 at the Allianz Arena. The 2012/13 season proved far more successful. It began with a 2-1 victory over Dortmund in the DFL-Supercup, and won eight of their first nine league games of the season. Bayern were nine points clear at the summit of the Bundesliga after the winter break, but it was revealed in January 2013 that Pep Guardiola would be replacing Heynckes as manager following the season's conclusion. The Bavarian club won 14 consecutive games from January onwards, and had sealed the league title (Heynckes' third) by early April. They lost just once in the league, scored in every match, and won the title faster than any other team since the league's inception. Bayern drew Barcelona in the semi-finals of the Champions League, and demolished the Catalan club 7-0 over two legs to reach their second consecutive European final. Munich then faced Jurgen Klopp's Borussia Dortmund in the final at Wembley, and prevailed 2-1 thanks to goals from Mario Mandzukicc and Arjen Robben (who scored the winner in the 89th minute). The 2-1 win made Jupp one of only four managers to win the competition with two different clubs, after his success with Real Madrid years earlier. Der FCB then capped off a sublime season with a 3-2 victory over VfB Stuttgart in the 2013 DFB-Pokal final in Heynckes' last game in charge. Bayern became the first German side to complete such a treble in history, and club legend Franz Beckenbauer has labeled Heynckes' team as "the best Bayern team ever". Nevertheless, Heynckes retired (reportedly reluctantly) and Pep took the reins at the Allianz Arena.

4️⃣ titles playing for Gladbach.4️⃣ titles managing Bayern. 1️⃣ Bundesliga legend. pic.twitter.com/DJ0Ks4926P — Bundesliga English (@Bundesliga_EN) April 7, 2018

The final chapter Fast forward to 2018, and Heynckes is working his magic at Bayern once again. He has been branded Vater des Erfolgs (the father of success) by Bild, and has his eyes on another mouth-watering treble. The January signing of Sandro Wagner proved to be a shrewd one, and Javi Martinez has excelled since being pushed back into midfield under Heynckes. Bayern have reverted to a more direct style, and would fancy their chances in the Champions League final if they can overcome Real Madrid over two legs. They will play Leverkusen next Tuesday in the DFB-Pokal, and the winners will face either Schalke or Eintracht Frankfurt (managed by Kovac) in the final. Regardless of how the rest of the season pans out, Jupp has further cemented his legacy as one of Germany's great managers (and players). Jupp will retire with two Champions League titles on his managerial resume, as well as four Bundesliga titles, three DFL-Supercup successes, one DFB-Pokal triumph, a Supercopa de España, and two UEFA Intertoto Cup triumphs with Schalke. He also has a UEFA Cup, four Bundesliga titles, a DFB-Pokal, a World Cup, and a European Championship to show for his playing days in Germany. Heynckes has given his Croatian successor his blessing, but Niko Kovac has big boots to fill.

💬 #Heynckes on Kovač: "I've read his biography and it's very positive. He is working with many different types of player with varying nationalities in Frankfurt, and he's doing a wonderful job. He is no doubt predestined to coach #FCBayern." pic.twitter.com/rV7rJ94tDf — FC Bayern English (@FCBayernEN) April 13, 2018