Former Bayern, Barcelona coach Udo Lattek dies at 80
FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) - Udo Lattek, one of Germany's top coaches who guided Bayern Munich to its first European Cup triumph in 1974, has died at age 80, the club said.
Bayern did not give a cause of death in its statement, but Lattek had been in poor health in recent years, suffering from Parkinson's and dementia. He died on Sunday. The German Football Federation said he died in a Cologne nursing home.
Lattek was considered the most successful coach in German football, with eight Bundesliga championships, three German Cup titles, the European Cup and the UEFA Cup.
A student of Hennes Weisweiler, Lattek began his career as assistant to Germany coach Helmut Schoen, before getting his first Bundesliga job at Bayern in 1970.
In five years, he won three Bundesliga championships and one German Cup title, as well as the European Cup.
"The death of Udo Lattek has moved us deeply. His name is closely linked to Bayern's rise in the 1970s," said Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, the chairman of Bayern who was signed by Lattek as an 18-year-old along with future stars Paul Breitner and Uli Hoeness.
Lattek won the UEFA Cup with Borussia Moenchengladbach in 1979 and two more Bundesliga titles before a move to Barcelona, where he won the Spanish Cup and the Cup Winners' Cup in 1982.
"Udo Lattek was an outstanding coach and a great personality," said Pep Guardiola, Bayern's coach and former Barcelona star and coach. "He left a big trace at Barcelona."
Lattek returned to Bayern in 1983 and won three more Bundesliga championships and two German Cup titles.
He also worked at Cologne and coached Schalke, before a brief stint as co-coach at Borussia Dortmund in 2000 where he helped the club escape relegation.
Lattek later worked as a popular television analyst, becoming known for a quick wit and down-to-earth approach.
"Udo Lattek was not only the most successful coach in Bundesliga history, he was also an exceptional personality in German football," German federation president Wolfgang Niersbach said. "We awarded him the life achievement prize in 2012 because of his decisive influence on football over decades ... he was a living legend and we'll miss him."