Having secured two Swiss Super League titles with FC Basel in 1972 and 1973, Ottmar Hitzfeld went on to build a highly decorated managerial career that culminated in 18 major titles. As a player, Hitzfeld also became the Swiss Super League’s top goalscorer in 1973 and won the Swiss Cup with Basel in 1975. While playing for Basel, he earned a degree in mathematics and sports education, maintaining amateur status to represent West Germany in the 1972 Summer Olympics, where he scored five goals. During his time with VfB Stuttgart from 1975, he contributed significantly to their promotion to the Bundesliga in 1977, scoring 33 goals in 55 league matches and setting a 2.
Following his time at Bayern, Hitzfeld managed the Swiss national team from 2008 to 2014, successfully guiding them to the FIFA World Cup finals in both 2010 and 2014. He announced his retirement from coaching after the 2014 World Cup, concluding a prolific career with a legacy of 18 major titles and a reputation as a meticulous and highly successful coach.