Falko Götz


Falko Götz is a retired German football player.

Career

A midfielder, Götz began his career in East Germany with FC Vorwärts Berlin and later BFC Dynamo. In 1983, before a European Cup match against Partizan Belgrade, he escaped and fled to West Germany along with teammate Dirk Schegel. Dynamo refused to allow him to cancel his contract, and on this technicality he was banned by FIFA for one year but was able to stay in the west, joining Bayer Leverkusen, where he stayed for five years and won the UEFA Cup in 1988. He scored in the second leg of the final against Espanyol, one of three goals needed to equal a 3–0 deficit. Leverkusen eventually went on to win the game on penalties. He soon moved on to 1. FC Köln and had spells with Galatasaray, Saarbrücken and Hertha BSC before retiring, to take up the role of Hertha's reserve team manager.

Coaching career

Götz started his coaching career at Hertha BSC II. He was briefly Hertha's caretaker manager during 2002, and was re-appointed as full-time manager in 2004, having managed 1860 München the previous season. Götz was sacked by Hertha on 10 April 2007. On 15 December 2008, Holstein Kiel announced Götz as head coach of the club and would take over during the winter break. Götz was dismissed on 17 September 2009.
In 2011 Götz was appointed as head coach of Vietnam. After some positive games in national-level team, however their under-23 team disappointed, and he was fired on 23 December 2011, just six months after taking charge.
On 29 April 2013, he was appointed as coach of Erzgebirge Aue. He was sacked on 2 September 2014.
He was hired by FSV Frankfurt on 11 April 2016.

Career statistics

Honours

BFC Dynamo

BFC Dynamo also won the DDR-Oberliga title in 1984, but Götz had defected half-way through the season.

Bayer Leverkusen