Uli Stielike

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Ulrich Stielike
Personal information
Full name Ulrich Stielike
Date of birth November 15, 1954 (1954-11-15) (age 53)
Place of birth    Ketsch, West Germany
Playing position Midfielder, sweeper
Club information
Current club Retired
Youth clubs
1962-1973 SpVgg Ketsch
Senior clubs1
Years Club App (Gls)*
1973-1977
1977-1985
1985-1988
Borussia Mönchengladbach
Real Madrid
Neuchatel Xamax
109 (12)
215 (41)
66 (0)   
National team2
1975-1984 West Germany 42 (3)

1 Senior club appearances and goals
counted for the domestic league only and
correct as of June 30, 1988.
2 National team caps and goals correct
as of June 30, 1988.
* Appearances (Goals)

Ulrich "Uli" Stielike (born November 15, 1954 in Ketsch, West Germany) is a former German football player and manager.

Contents

[edit] Player bio

Stielike was a West Germany youth international for hometown club SpVgg Ketsch when he got signed by UEFA Cup runner-up Borussia Mönchengladbach in 1973, first coming to action as a full back for the then two times German Bundesliga champion. Playing in defending midfield for his club, afterwards, he was part of the Mönchengladbach team that won the Bundesliga titles in 1975, 1976 and 1977, the UEFA Cup in 1975 and gained a runner-up medal in the European Cup in 1977 following a 1-3 against Liverpool F.C. in Rome. Ahead of the 1977-1978 season the then 22-year-old sweeper moved on to join Real Madrid to become a reliable fan-favourite in his eight years with Los merengues. His first three seasons at Santiago Bernabeu all ended in Real winning La Liga. In 1980 and 1982, he was part of the side winning Copa del Rey, in 1985 he added the Copa de la Liga, and finished off his Madrid years with the UEFA Cup triumph of the same summer. With a reputation as one of the best sweepers in the game, Stielike joined Neuchatel Xamax of Switzerland to bring his career to a close after two Swiss Super League trophies (in 1987 and 1988).

[edit] Career with West Germany

Uli Stielike showed up in 42 internationals with West Germany from 1975 to 1984 with whom he won 1980 UEFA European Football Championship and the runner-up medal at the 1982 FIFA World Cup. Stielike did not feature for his country in the 1978 FIFA World Cup after the German Football Association under Hermann Neuberger had temporarily decided to force their coaches not to select players playing their club football outside the Bundesliga. A decision that was undone soon after results did not go the West Germans' way. A central figure for the defence of Real Madrid in the late 1970s and the early 1980s, Stielike could just partially live up to those expectations in his duties for West Germany. Early hopes had been that he could be the ideal successor of legendary sweeper Franz Beckenbauer, with whom he played in a few internationals in the 1970s. His final appearance for his country took place against Argentina (1-2) in September 1984 in Beckenbauer's first match in charge of West Germany. Over those years Stielike scored three, the latest in a 3-2 win over Bulgaria in Varna in February 1984. Shortly after that, he was part of Jupp Derwall's squad for the 1984 UEFA European Football Championship.

[edit] Manager bio

On September 14, 2006, Stielike penned a contract with to take over the Ivory Coast national football team in succession of Frenchman Henri Michel, subsequent to the elimination of the team at the 2006 FIFA World Cup and, also, subsequent to Stielike ending his ties with the German Football Association after six years working with different youth teams (i.e. the U21 side until 2004) of Germany. This was Stielike's second spell at the helm of a country, having lead Switzerland from 1989 to 1991 as successor of Paul Wolfisberg and predecessor of Roy Hodgson. From September 9, 1998 to May 7, 2000, Stielike had been the assistant to then Germany coach Erich Ribbeck. Shortly before 2000 UEFA European Football Championship, which ended in a disaster for the Germans, Stielike stepped down from his role as assistant due to differences in some respects with Ribbeck. Horst Hrubesch was Stielike's replacement for the tournament then.

On club level Stielike had spells with UD Almería in Spain and SV Waldhof Mannheim (1994-1996) in the 2nd Bundesliga in native Germany.

Stielike stepped down as Les Éléphants' coach in January 7, 2008, due to his son's alarming ill health. On February 1, Michael Stielike, 23, died after failing to receive a lung transplant, with his health gradually deteriorating until he was eventually put in life support.

On 31st May 2008 he agreed to Coach Swiss side FC Sion.

[edit] Trivia