12 December 1949 - A Born Leader

On 12 December 1949, two-time Club Coach of the Year Ottmar Hitzfeld was born in Lörrach, West Germany.

As a striker, he enjoyed a successful playing career, including a spell with Basel (1971-75) in which he won two league titles and was once the league's top scorer. After subsequent stints with Stuttgart (1975-78), Lugano (1978-80), and Luzern (1980-83), he moved into management, starting with SC Zug (1983-84) and Aarau (1984-88).

But he rose to prominence with Grasshopper Zürich, where, between 1988 and 1991, he guided the team to two league titles and two Swiss Cups. That earned him a move to the Bundesliga where he led Borussia Dortmund to the championship in 1995 and 1996, then lifted the Champions League trophy in 1997. The latter performance led the IFFHS to name him their Club Coach of the Year.

He then moved to Bayern Munich, where he won another four Bundesliga titles, including the 2001 title when he also claimed a second Champions League trophy. That year, IFFHS again made him their Club Coach of the Year.

Hitzfeld left Bayern in 2004, but returned for a second spell in 2007 and won yet another league title, then left in 2008 to manage Switzerland, where he stayed until his retirement in 2014.

1 September 1886 - I'm Not Sure How A Grasshopper Celebrates, Exactly

On 1 September 1886, Tom E. Griffith, an English student in Zurich, founded Grasshopper-Club Zürich, which would later become the most successful football club in Switzerland. 

The club had to import their blue-and-white kits and a football from England, which they purchased with a donation of 20 Swiss francs. They played their first match in October 1886, a goalless draw with ETH Zurich.

They won their first league title in 1898 on their way to a record 27 league championships, the last of which came in 2003. They also hold a record 18 Swiss Cups, starting with the first Swiss Cup tournament in 1926.

Grasshopper plays in Switzerland's top tier, the AXPO Super League. They finished in fourth place in the 2008-09 season.

There has been no official explanation for the club's name, though it is rumored that it arose from the players' exuberant postgame celebrations.

12 December 1949 - A Born Leader

On 12 December 1949, two-time Club Coach of the Year Ottmar Hitzfeld was born in Lörrach, West Germany.

As a striker, he enjoyed a successful playing career, including a spell with Basel (1971-75) in which he won two league titles and was once the league's top scorer. After subsequent stints with Stuttgart (1975-78), Lugano (1978-80), and Luzern (1980-83), he moved into management, starting with SC Zug (1983-84) and Aarau (1984-88).

But he rose to prominence with Grasshopper Zürich, where, between 1988 and 1991, he guided the team to two league titles and two Swiss Cups. That earned him a move to the Bundesliga where he led Borussia Dortmund to the championship in 1995 and 1996, then lifted the Champions League trophy in 1997. The latter performance led the IFFHS to name him their Club Coach of the Year.

He then moved to Bayern Munich, where he won another four Bundesliga titles, including the 2001 title when he also claimed a second Champions League trophy. That year, IFFHS again made him their Club Coach of the Year.

Hitzfeld left Bayern in 2004, but returned for a second spell in 2007 and won yet another league title, then left in 2008 to manage Switzerland, his current team.

1 September 1886 - I'm Not Sure How A Grasshopper Celebrates, Exactly

On 1 September 1886, Tom E. Griffith, an English student in Zurich, founded Grasshopper-Club Zürich, which would later become the most successful football club in Switzerland.

The club had to import their blue-and-white kits and a football from England, which they purchased with a donation of 20 Swiss francs. They played their first match in October 1886, a goalless draw with ETH Zurich.

They won their first league title in 1898 on their way to a record 27 league championships, the last of which came in 2003. They also hold a record 18 Swiss Cups, starting with the first Swiss Cup tournament in 1926.

Grasshopper plays in Switzerland's top tier, the AXPO Super League. They finished in fourth place in the 2008-09 season.

There has been no official explanation for the club's name, though it is rumored that it arose from the players' exuberant postgame celebrations.