For young fellows, Gernot Rohr is not a known name by any means whatsoever: after all, he was forever shadowed by players like Gerd Muller, Beckenbauer, Hoeness, in hitherto, the likes of one the golden generation of Bayern Munchen, while he served as a high work-rate player. His accolades were mainly in the 70s, as a player, with two German Leagues and one Champions League, and a constant presence in one of the best teams in Europe at the time.
Then, he went on to Bordeaux, where he finished his career, managing to snatch 3 French Leagues in the process, before starting to work the youth department at Girondins. Now, for a coach that never managed a club in UEFA Champions League, Rohr is nevertheless a compelling figure as a coach in the 90’s, and an unforgettable symbol of Girondins Bordeaux’s arguably best team and performances.
The European Phase
Bordeaux was relegated administratively in 1991, and Rohr stepped in. In 1992, he had the 2nd division title in his hand and Bordeaux back on Ligue 1. Faith would have it that he, four years later, would be in a final against his former club, Bayern, leading a trio that is immortal for any fan of the game: Zinedine Zidane, Dugarry and Lizarazu. Unfortunately, the best Bordeaux could do was reaching the final, and the German coach would never reach the heights, trophy-wise, he managed to get as a player. Still, an epic win against Milan in the semi-final is not to be frowned upon, despite not being enough to grace Girondins with silverware. He went to be a sport director at Frankfurt, and having a pitiful stint at FC Nantes shortly afterwards.
The Surprising African Adventure
Now this is where things get interesting. Gernot Rohr surprised a lot of pundits when he decided to manage the Gabon national team, in 2010. His eyes were set on the African Cup, and expectations, although naively high, were met. Rohr managed to not only qualify Gabon to the African Cup, but reach the quarter-finals.
Gernot Rohr showed that he was still relevant in the world of football, and his stint with Gabon showed that: with a mediocre team, he managed to win roughly 4 out of every 10 games, until he eventually decided to manage Niger.
If Gabon was a challenge, Niger was a mountain made of swords. Still, Gernot managed what nobody really expected this time around: qualify the national team to the African Cup. Now, he only won 13% of his games, but the sheer amount of strategical draws was enough to accomplish what no one really expected of him.
The Stakes Have Risen
Gernot got the attention of most African national football federations, and with good reasons. The next step was to not to be made lightly, and it could define the rest of his career. Well, it was a misstep if there was any. Burkina Faso hired Rohr, and he stayed for a little more than 6 months, and no story to tell. Oh well.
This was not enough to tarnish Rohr’s reputation in Africa, however, as Nigeria stepped in and snatch him to be their coach. On 2017, one year after being hired, he put Nigeria in the World Cup. 2 years later, he managed a third-place finish on the African Cup. Things seemed to be going on a sailing-mode for Rohr, but more was expected of him in the next years.
His Gernot’s Adventure Coming to an End?
Expected to win the 2021’s African Cup, which is set to happen in 2022, and to qualify for Qatar’s World Cup, the fact Gernot hasn’t managed a clean, direct qualification is creating some discomfort in the Nigerian Federation leaders, who are unsure whether Gernot is the right man to continue developing what is arguably one of the best African national squads. There’s a time and opportunity for every man and Rohr was surely the right man in the right time for the last 5 years, but all things must come to an end eventually.
The question is: if Rohr is sacked from Nigeria, will he try to make another African miracle elsewhere?