Uli Hoeneß: From national hero to football icon – a life full of twists and turns!

Uli Hoeneß: From national hero to football icon – a life full of twists and turns!

Uli Hoeneß, a name that is very popular in the world of football, was born on January 5, 1952 in Ulm. The son of a master butcher, Erwin Hoeneß, and his wife Paula, his path led him to the heights of German football via the youth department of VfB Ulm. At just 15 years old, he was already captain of the DFB school team and celebrated his move to TSG Ulm 1846 in 1967, where he quickly became an integral part of the amateur league team. His impressive performance in the 1969/70 season, in which he was Ulm's top scorer with 22 goals, ultimately made him his Bundesliga debut at FC Bayern Munich in 1970.

His time at Bayern was marked by numerous successes: Hoeneß won the German championship three times, the DFB Cup and was part of the legendary attacking duo with Gerd Müller. Between 1972 and 1976 he was able to celebrate the title of European Champion twice and then World Champion. But tragic moments were also part of his career: Hoeneß missed the decisive penalty in the final of the 1976 European Championship. Interestingly, his playing career ended abruptly in 1979 due to knee problems. But that wasn't the end of his football story.

The rise as manager and president

In 1979, just one year after retiring, Hoeneß became the youngest manager in Bundesliga history at FC Bayern. In this role, he led the club to an impressive list of 16 German championships and 9 DFB Cup victories by 2008. Under his influence, FC Bayern rose to become one of the most successful clubs in Europe, not only sportingly but also economically.

However, his life took a dramatic turn when he filed a self-report for tax evasion in 2013. This led to an investigation and ultimately to a sentence of 3.5 years in prison in 2014. After 2.5 years, he was released in 2016, only to be re-elected president of FC Bayern shortly afterwards. In 2019 he finally resigned from all official positions, but remains honorary president and is still viewed as “Mr. FC Bayern”.

Personal life and health

Hoeneß has lived in Bad Wiessee am Tegernsee since 2006, has been married to Susanne Hoeneß since 1973 and has two children and four grandchildren. His colorful resume also includes some dramatic twists, including surviving a plane crash in 1982, where he was the only crew member to escape unscathed. Despite all the challenges, he never neglected his political point of view and took a public stand against the AfD, which shows that social commitment is important to him.

Recently, on August 2, 2025, Hoeneß was hospitalized due to a medical incident, a ruptured vein. Fortunately, he was already able to leave the hospital. Even in critical times, the former athlete shows himself to be a fighter and is viewed by many as one of the most influential personalities in German football.

In summary, Hoeneß is a person whose life and career includes many ups and downs. Nevertheless, he remains a defining figure whose influence extends far beyond football. [merkur.de]. spiegel.de presents an extensive chronology of the events that significantly shaped Hoeneß' life. Further details about his life can also be found on wikipedia.org.