- Deceased former football manager Christoph Daum
Christoph Daum has sadly departed from us. After a long fight against cancer, he "peacefully passed away surrounded by his loved ones," according to a statement made to the German Press Agency. Daum passed away on Saturday in Cologne, at the age of 70. For many years, he was one of the most charismatic coaches in professional football.
Since autumn 2022, Daum had been battling the illness. Initially, he chose to stay out of the limelight, but later changed his mind. Daum gave interviews once again, appearing on talk shows. "The cancer picked the wrong person," was his main message. With his determination, he aimed to inspire others.
That was Daum: Standing up to Hoeneß and the Cocaine Affair
His battle against cancer symbolized his entire life. Even as a child, he would challenge older and stronger classmates from Duisburg.
As a young and relatively unknown coach of 1. FC Cologne, he suddenly took on the mighty FC Bayern and its manager Uli Hoeneß - almost knocking the Bundesliga leader off its perch in Munich. Throughout his career, Daum was never afraid of a challenge.
But the higher he aimed, the harder he initially fell. Shortly after claiming his first Bundesliga title with VfB Stuttgart in 1992, he squandered the chance to qualify for the Champions League with a substitution blunder. However, legendary was the Cocaine Affair in 2000, which led to the then coach of Bayer Leverkusen losing out on the opportunity to become the national coach.
But Daum overcame that as well. He went on to win more titles in Austria and Turkey, helped 1. FC Cologne regain their place in the Bundesliga, and kept them there. And throughout his eventful life, he always said these words: "You can stumble. It's not even important how often you stumble. You just have to get back up every time."
After his successful stint with 1. FC Cologne, Daum continued to show resilience and determination, even facing challenges like the infamous Cocaine Affair. The first is FC Köln, a team Daum led with great vigor and spirit. Despite the setback in 2000, he managed to bounce back and achieve success in Austria and Turkey.
