It was the “Goal of the Month” in August 1985. Back then, Bayern player Helmut Winklhofer scored a spectacular own goal from 35 meters at the start of the 1985/86 season. Coach Udo Lattek is served, as is Bremen coach Otto Rehhagel.
The 1985/86 season got off to a strangely spectacular start for FC Bayern. In the 34th minute, Helmut Winklhofer overcame his own keeper Jean-Marie Pfaff with a wonderfully curved lob from 35 metres. Only the home club enjoyed the wonderful sunshine that day. Bayer Uerdingen won 1-0 with this “Goal of the Month”. However, the last word should belong to Bayern coach Udo Lattek, who took Winklhofer out of the game at half-time and justified this as follows: “He’s our goalscorer now. I wanted to rest him for the next game!”
Despite this unusual and pointless start, Bayern became champions again in the end. And that was mainly due to the weakness of Bremen, whose nerves simply gave out at the end of the season. It was Michael Kutzop who became the big unlucky raven of the season. Werder Bremen hosted Bayern Munich on Matchday 33. Referee Volker Roth gave a penalty for Werder a minute before the end. Michael Kutzop should compete. And he was a good shot. But right now it just wasn’t meant to be. The game ended 0-0 after Kutzop’s missed shot.
Three games before the end, Otto Rehhagel said: “After this season I’m ready for the Black Forest Clinic!” Now he let himself be instructed. Other Werder officials tried to take the matter with humor: “Now we’re heading for the hat trick. The third runners-up in a row.”
… then Burgsmüller ran away
In the relegation there was a gripping final between Fortuna Cologne and Borussia Dortmund. Fortuna had risen until the stoppage time of the second game. But then the “Cobra” struck at the very last second. Jürgen Wegmann relaxed after the match: “When I play in the center of attack, I always make my cherries. It was always like that and it will always be like that.”
A curious goal that made the Bundesliga laugh was scored by Manni Burgsmüller on matchday 28 in the match between SV Werder Bremen and 1. FC Kaiserslautern (2-0). The Werder striker described the goal in the 55th minute from his point of view: “Ehrmann holds the ball, I’m lying next to the goal, get up and want to go to the middle. I see how Gerry falls asleep. I go over to him and use my hand to shove the pill out of his arm. If the ball hits the ground, I shove it in.” The Lauter goalkeeper was anything but happy and threatened Burgsmüller with his fist. Burgsmüller: “Ehrmann did bodybuilding and could hardly walk because of his strength. If he had slapped me…” It would have been well deserved! Because Burgsmüller whispered in the excited keeper’s ear: “The goal is when the referee blows the whistle.” Then he ran away!
Manni Burgsmüller caused a great surprise for someone else this season. Hans Simon, Schalke’s kit man, rubbed his eyes for a few minutes after meeting the “rascal”. In front of him in the Werder Bremen dressing room, Burgsmüller had been immersed in a very special activity: “I saw how Manni tenderly kneaded and crumpled his shoes with countless patches in the warm water for almost half an hour – until they were in shape again. ” Werder then won 3-1. All three goals for Bremen on this cold December evening, however, were scored by Burgsmüller’s strike partner, Frank Neubarth.
Special Bundesliga record
On February 8, 1986, Michael Nushöhr from Stuttgart set a very special Bundesliga record. In the 7-0 win against Hannover 96, he was the first to convert three penalties in one game. Nushöhr afterwards very upset: “By the third I didn’t know where to shoot!”
The new coach of VfB Stuttgart provided the first laughs of the season even before the first kick-off. Otto Baric came to Germany from Austria and was asked by journalists if he had any idea about the Bundesliga. Baric replied proudly: “I’ve had cable TV in Vienna for three years. So I know German football well!”
Franz Beckenbauer spoke a kind of final word of the season: “What appeals to me about football is the star, the personality. The team has to adapt to him and not the other way around. I hate the socialist idea of leveling things out in team sports. If things continue like this that there is no more room for stars, then I’d rather go to Chinese cotton blowing.” The “Kaiser’s” harsh words had a serious background: On average, only 17,662 spectators wanted to see the games of the 1st Bundesliga in the 1985/86 season.