Dieter Hecking

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Dieter Hecking
Personal information
Date of birth	September 12, 1964 (age 42)
Place of birth	Castrop-Rauxel, Germany
Height	5' 10" (177cm)
Playing position	Manager
Club information
Current club	Hannover 96
Senior clubs1
Years	Club	App (Gls)*
1983-1985 1985-1990 1990-1992 1992-1994 1994-1997 1996-1999 1999-2000	Borussia Mönchengladbach KSV Hessen Kassel SV Waldhof Mannheim VfB Leipzig TuS Paderborn-Neuhaus Hannover 96 Eintracht Braunschweig	6 (0) 168 (63) 54 (14) 61 (1) - (-) 74 (22) - (-)
Teams managed
2002-2004 2004-2006 2006-present	VfB Lübeck Alemannia Aachen Hannover 96
1 Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. * Appearances (Goals)

Dieter Hecking (born September 12, 1964) is a former professional footballer in the midfield position, who is currently manager of Bundesliga side Hannover 96.

[edit] Playing career

His football career began as a youth player at Westfalia Soest, then serving time at Soester SV, Borussia Lippstadt and 1. FC Paderborn, respectively, before joining Borussia Mönchengladbach in 1983. His opportunities there were limited though and he managed only 6 games in 2 years for the top flight club before leaving for 2. Bundesliga outfit KSV Hessen Kassel in 1985. Here, Hecking, became an integral part of Jörg Berger's side, as they claimed a string of top 5 finishes and came within a final day defeat of promotion to the Bundesliga in 1985.

Although the club was relegated to the Oberliga Hessen in 1987, Hecking's contributions didn't wane as he contributed a highly impressive 45 goals from midfield during two successful seasons, finishing 2nd then 1st, earning them a return to 2. Bundesliga through the promotion playoffs and Hecking the award for top goalscorer (with 29 goals) in 1989.

Despite KSV Hessen Kassel failing to survive at this level for more than a single season, Hecking personally would as he remained in the 2. Bundesliga by signing for SV Waldhof Mannheim in July 1990. This led to him spending two seasons here - missing out on promotion by just one place in his second - before moving on to VfB Leipzig. His first season at Leipzig in 1992/93 produced only one goal in 30 games yet, crucially, saw the team gain promotion to the Bundesliga. However, their stay was brief as he couldn't prevent them from being immediately relegated after a solitary season.

After relegation, Hecking dropped down to the third tier with Regionalliga South-West club TuS Paderborn-Neuhaus, spending two full seasons there before he moved to Hannover 96, newly relegated to the Regionalliga North, on October 16, 1996. Hecking's arrival saw a resurgence by the club as they dominated the league for two successive seasons, scoring 100 goals in both campaigns and taking top spot. Although they initially lost the promotion playoff, the following year they were victorious and thus promoted into 2. Bundesliga, where their progress continued with a solid 4th place finish.

With Hannover 96 returned to the second flight, Hecking moved on for one final season at Eintracht Braunschweig in 1999/2000 where, in one last hurrah, he played a part in ensuring the club qualified to compete in the newly-revamped Regionalliga the following year. Hecking, however, wouldn't play in this new format as he retired from playing professional football after this season, aged 35.

[edit] Managerial career

On July 1, 2000, Hecking moved into management as he took over as manager at Regionalliga North outfit SC Verl. His debut season started competently enough, with SC Verl sat 7th at the time of the winter break, however, Hecking's proclaimations that he was seeking a new position irked the club to such an extent they fired him on January 29, 2001, after just 20 games in charge.

Hecking wasn't free for long as another Regionalliga side, VfB Lübeck, came calling on March 27, 2001. Again, Hecking achieved a solid job in the remaining games, leaving the club in 3rd place, just one short of promotion. This set the basis for the following season as the team claimed the title and moved up into the 2. Bundesliga. Hecking then managed to secure VfB Lübeck a mid-table position in the 2002/03 season. The following season was not to prove so successful though, as the team slipped back down to the Regionalliga North, occupying the final relegation position. This proved the catalyst for VfB Lübeck to announce that they would not be extending his contract further and he left the club on May 25, 2004.

Once again, Hecking was not short of work as just a week later 2. Bundesliga side Alemannia Aachen announced that he would be taking the managerial reins at their club from July 2004, after the departure of Jörg Berger, a former manager of his from his playing days. The previous season Aachen had sensationally made the final of the German Cup and despite losing the game, qualified for the UEFA Cup, giving Hecking the opportunity to now taste European action. Here, he led the club through to the group phase, where they narrowly avoided progress to the knockout stage by virtue of a single goal's inferiority in goal difference. The heavy fixture load caused by their European games perhaps overburdened the club, though they still achieved a decent 6th place domestic finish that year. The following year they had no such distractions and they won promotion to the Bundesliga, marking their first return to the top level in 36 years.

Hecking's time guiding Alemannia Aachen in the top flight was to be short though, just three games in, he requested to be able to leave the club for his former club and fellow Bundesliga side Hannover 96 on September 7, 2006, to fill the vacancy left by their sacking of Peter Neururer. Ironically, the final straw for Neururer was a 0-3 home defeat to Hecking's Alemannia Aachen.

Hecking has recovered Hannover 96 from a dismal start that left them bottom at the time of his arrival. The team has also achieved a good run through to the quarter finals of the German Cup, and could potentially record one of their best ever league finishes.

[edit] Trivia

• Hecking made 12 appearances for the German Under 21 side, scoring 8 goals.
• He has completed a training course for the police force.
• He lives with his family in Bad Nenndorf, near Hannover.
• He has five children