The story of Jupp Heynckes is quite curious. In 1998, he returned the Champions League to Real Madrid after 32 years, and a few months later he was fired due to the pathological need for results that was instilled in the DNA of the Merengues (they were fourth in the League). Then, in 2013, he won the Orejona and ended Bayern Munich's 12-season European drought, but not even the historic first and only Bavarian treble - they had already won the Bundesliga and the German Cup - made him change his mind because they didn't allow him. He had announced his retirement and immediately opened the doors of Säbener Strasse for Pep Guardiola to replace him, something that the executives rushed even five months before finishing his masterpiece. After the two highlights of his coaching career - dressed in shorts, he won the 1974 Germany World Cup and the 1972 European Championship, and he is the third highest scorer in the German league - he was just another unemployed person, with time to enjoy his family and also the anonymity outside his country.
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As if that sublime déjà vu pursued him once again, the man born in Moenchengladbach could return to his winter quarters as he did the previous two times: with his pockets full of glory. About to turn 73 - on May 9th - Heynckes accepted the assignment from the Munich club last October when the Italian Carlo Ancelotti was fired due to the apathy that threatened Bayern's football. The condition was that his new contract would only last until the end of the season, as if it were a temporary gig to kill time. But now, with his fourth Meisterschale conquered, the 'grandpa' - he is the oldest coach in the main European leagues - is once again traveling the same paths that led him to the success that resulted in the magical treble. He is a couple of steps away from the domestic cup, and in the Champions League today, against Sevilla, he could secure his place among the four semifinalists.
"This team is better than the treble-winning one," warns Jupp with plenty of elements to justify it. His 2013 version was much more direct, with speed to break in the attack, with a solid defense, with the balance that characterizes German teams. Today, he has a more versatile squad, opting for a starting eleven with evident features that denote the influence of Pep Guardiola. They have more possession, circulate the ball more patiently, and have players with different characteristics that provide many options, especially in the attack. It is a more precious eleven, elegant if you will, although it still has that knockout blow of any big, heavy team.
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Despite his ability to lead the players to their maximum potential and his excellent track record, Heynckes remains far from the media spotlight. He is almost an unknown figure outside his borders. Nicknamed Osram because he lights up like a red light under stress, the German coach goes unnoticed, not receiving all the credit he deserves for his accomplishments.
A few days ago, shortly after winning the Bundesliga, he recounted an encounter he had in the Munich hotel where he lives. He ran into a couple in the elevator. The woman, upon seeing him with a Bayern bag, asked him if he was a fan of the Bavarian club. Jupp smiled. He told her that he was a big fan. "That's something that brings you back to earth," commented the veteran coach who often has to put that lesson into practice.
Even if he touches the sky and glory with his hands, eternal recognition seems elusive to Heynckes. His Bayern gallops once again with a defined horizon and without anything stopping them. But in a couple of months he will find himself unemployed again. That's why he only enjoys the present.