Dieter Hoeneß is a retired German footballer who played as a striker. In his playing career, he was mainly associated with Bayern Munich. After retiring, he stayed connected with football, working extensively in directorial capacities for several clubs. Hoeneß represented West Germany at the 1986 World Cup.
Club career
Born in Ulm, Baden-Württemberg, Hoeneß played on amateur level for VfB Ulm, TSG Ulm 1846 and VfR Aalen, before he moved to the professionals in 1975 with VfB Stuttgart, with the club then in the second division. After two seasons and 19 league goals, he promoted to the Bundesliga. After the 1978–79 season, where he netted 16 goals to help Stuttgart finish in second place, Hoeneß signed with FC Bayern Munich. There, he was highly successful both individually and collectively, winning five leagues and three cups. A powerful striker whose main strength was his heading ability, he scored five times in double digits during his stint with the Bavarians, for a total of 127 goals in 288 league matches, in the German top division alone; he retired in 1987, at 34. His 58th and last match in the European cup competitions in his final season 1986/87 was the defeat in Champions' Cup Final against FC Porto.
International career
Hoeneß played six times for West Germany, scoring four goals. He scored on his debut with the Republic of Ireland on 22 May 1979, repeating the feat the following month, in Iceland. Hoeneß then spent seven years without a callup. However, after a solid season with Bayern – 15 league goals, winning the double – the veteran was picked for the squad that took part in the 1986 FIFA World Cup in Mexico, where he played twice for the eventual runners-up; one of those appearances came in the final against Argentina, where he replaced Felix Magath at the hour-mark, obtaining the distinction of being the oldest player on the field, at 33 years and 173 days.
Post-retirement
After retiring from active play, Hoeneß first took on a position as PR manager with computer manufacturers Commodore International, which were then a major sponsor of Bayern Munich. Between 1990 and 1995 he worked as commercial/general manager with his first club, Stuttgart. The following year, Hoeneß became vice-president of another Bundesliga outfit, Hertha BSC. Shortly after, he switched to commercial/general manager, and was released on 7 June 2009. On 21 December 2009, Hoeneß was announced as new general manager at VfL Wolfsburg, taking office on 15 January 2010. After Felix Magath's return to the club, his contract was cancelled on 17 March 2011.
Hoeneß's older brother, Uli, was also a successful forward in the Bundesliga, also representing his country internationally. Dieter arrived at Bayern Munich as his brother departed, and Uli went on to also have a lengthy career as a general manager/club president. Both enjoy playing golf in their leisure time. Dieter's son, Sebastian Hoeneß, is a former footballer and current manager.
