Otto Rehhagel: Essen football legend finally in the Hall of Fame!

Otto Rehhagel: Essen football legend finally in the Hall of Fame!

On October 7, 2025, Otto Rehhagel, a native of Essen and former players from Rot-Weiss Essen, was ceremoniously included in the “Hall of Fame” of German football. The honor took place in the German Football Museum in Dortmund, where a journalist jury paid tribute to his outstanding achievements. Rehhagel is one of the most successful coaches in German football and leaves a long list of successes that he can look back on.

His career began in the shoe of Rot-Weiss Essen, where he placed various holes on the net before his big coaching years before he ran for Hertha BSC and 1. FC Kaiserslautern. In 1981 Rehhagel then finally took over the scepter at SV Werder Bremen and not only gave the club with a promotion to the Bundesliga, not only in terms of sport. In the following 14 years, he secured the team the German championship twice and even won the DFB Cup twice. A special highlight in 1992 was the winning of the Cup winner's European Cup when he triumphed with Werder Bremen in the final against AS Monaco.

A master of diversity

Rehhagel is known for its strength of character and its ability to shape a team. Under his aegis, Werder Bremen developed into an absolute Bundesliga powerhouse and numerous talents such as Rudi Völler and Marco Bode were able to develop among him. Werder Bremen set a remarkable record in the 1987-88 season: a few goals than ever before (only 22). These successes enabled him to harvest a number of sympathy in the football group and to enter his name in the history books.

After a short intermezzo near Bayern Munich, where his achievements did not leave the desired impression, Rehhagel took over the 1. FC Kaiserslautern in 1996, who at that time lingered in the second division. But here, too, the coach was able to bring the turn immediately and secure the promotion to the Bundesliga, followed by the championship title in 1997. He became the first coach to implement this performance with a promoted. On the first match day under his direction, Kaiserslautern sensationally won 1-0 against Bayern.

Europe's hero with Greek roots

The highlight of his career came with the winning of the 2004 European Championship when he helped the Greek national team to be a sensational title. In the final, his team defeated Portugal 1-0. This triumph was a historical moment, not only for Greek football, but also for Rehhagel, which was celebrated in Greece as a “rehabilitation” and is considered the strategic genius behind this success.

Top -class guests were also present at the honorary event. Among them were Bastian Schweinsteiger and Philipp Lahm, who dared to look back on Schweinsteiger's World Cup title in 2014. In a humorous speech, Horst Hrubesch said, who was also honored that he feels good and wanted to stay active for a long time. Rehhagel's career makes it clear that he was not just a simple coach - he was a pioneer in German football who popularized the concept of the “controlled offensive” and knew not only to form talents, but also to motivate older players.

Otto Rehhagel, who wrote a whole piece of football history through his success and how he dealt with every club, will remain unforgettable. Whether with a wink or a wide grin, the honor in Dortmund is only a further proof that its name is an integral part of German football culture.

For more information about Otto Rehhagel, you can also read how [t-online.de reports] (https://www.t-online.de/region/essen/id_100944664/essen-Otto-rehhagel-in-hall-of-Fame- recording) or learn more about his success Wikipedia.