Biography
Who is Holger Osieck?
Playing Career
Holger Osieck played professional football in his native country of Germany. During his playing career, he represented clubs including FC Schalke 04, Eintracht Gelsenkirchen, SSV Hagen, 1. FC Mülheim, 1. FC Bocholt, and Rot-Weiß Oberhausen. However, he never made an appearance in a top-flight Bundesliga match during his time playing in Germany.
Toward the end of his active playing days, he moved to North America. He joined the Vancouver Whitecaps to conclude his career on the field before transitioning into coaching and management roles within the sport.
Coaching and Assistant Roles
Holger Osieck served as an assistant coach to Franz Beckenbauer for the West Germany national team. In this role, he helped the squad secure victory at the 1990 FIFA World Cup. He later worked for FIFA between 2004 and 2006 as the chief of their technical department.
He also managed several club sides throughout his career. His club management positions included VfL Bochum, Fenerbahçe, Kocaelispor, and the Urawa Red Diamonds in Japan. With Fenerbahçe, he finished second in the league during the 1993-94 season and reached the Turkish Cup quarter-finals. He later won the Turkish Cup with Kocaelispor during the 1996-97 season.
International Management
Holger Osieck took charge of the Canadian men's national soccer team in September 1998. Under his guidance, Canada achieved success by winning the 2000 CONCACAF Gold Cup, defeating Colombia in the final match. Media and fans nicknamed the squad Holger's Heroes during this successful tournament run. He resigned from his position with the Canadian team in September 2003.
He later became the head coach of the Australia national team in August 2010, succeeding Pim Verbeek. He led Australia to the final of the 2007 AFC Champions League while managing Urawa Red Diamonds, and later led the Australian national team to the final of the 2011 AFC Asian Cup. His contract with Australia was terminated by the FFA in October 2013 following friendly matches against Brazil and France.
Birthday and age
Holger Osieck was born on August 31, 1948, which makes Holger 78 years old today. That birthday falls under the Virgo sign. Holger shares the date with 45 other famous people.
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