Hamburger SV and 1. FC Koln were not potential candidates either: the Hamburgers were getting out of their late 60s crisis, but great they were not yet. It was good that they were recovering and may be after a few years of development they could challenge Bayern and Borussia M. Not now. 
Much more promising than Hertha – but still in need of work. Some were getting recognition – the coach Klotzer, Kaltz, Kargus, Nogly, Volkert – but were not ripe so far. Others were nearing retirement – like the legendary Turk Ozcan. It was still a team in between.
1. FC Koln was slightly different: unlike HSV, they were stable performers, without really able to compete for the title.
Solid team, coached by a legend – the maker of Bayern, Zlatko Cajkovski. Overath, Weber, Cullmann, Flohe, Lohr provided class – three fresh World Champions were no joke. There was some additional promise too, but the problem was that the key players – Overath and Weber were nearing retirement and Flohe and Cullmann were not at the same class. The team was entering the critical moment of changing generations and the future was looking rather grim, if goalkeeping was a sign enough. The club was unable to find reliable goalie… the most suspect and shaky candidate was one Tony Schumacher. That’s right: arguably the best keeper of the 1980s was… a flake.
Much more promising than Hertha – but still in need of work. Some were getting recognition – the coach Klotzer, Kaltz, Kargus, Nogly, Volkert – but were not ripe so far. Others were nearing retirement – like the legendary Turk Ozcan. It was still a team in between.
1. FC Koln was slightly different: unlike HSV, they were stable performers, without really able to compete for the title.
Solid team, coached by a legend – the maker of Bayern, Zlatko Cajkovski. Overath, Weber, Cullmann, Flohe, Lohr provided class – three fresh World Champions were no joke. There was some additional promise too, but the problem was that the key players – Overath and Weber were nearing retirement and Flohe and Cullmann were not at the same class. The team was entering the critical moment of changing generations and the future was looking rather grim, if goalkeeping was a sign enough. The club was unable to find reliable goalie… the most suspect and shaky candidate was one Tony Schumacher. That’s right: arguably the best keeper of the 1980s was… a flake.
