Branko Zebec, one of the best European coaches who was invited to coach the great German Bayern after "Dinamo", remained loyal to the club from his hometown until the end of his career.

He started his football career in Dinamo, where he was a football player, but also one of the most remembered coaches who led the club to victory at the Fair Cities Cup in 1967.

When he was in the final of the Champions League as the coach of Hamburger, German journalists asked Zebec what was the best team he had ever coached.

Zebec laughed at that. Journalists were surprised by such behavior and asked him why he was laughing. Zebec replied that he was laughing because they thought he was going to say Bayern.

He said decisively: - No, the best team I coached in my career was Dinamo Zagreb. –

Dynamo forever

Branko

Dino

How did coach Zebec welcome Beckenbauer from the party?

One of the greatest Yugoslav coaches and players of all time, Branko Bebec, started coaching German Bayern in 1968 after leaving Dinamo. Some of the best European players - Muller, Maier and Beckenbauer - play in this club. With the latter, he had to go through a period of adjustment. Sharp and unyielding Zebec wanted to have authority over his players.

But it was not easy with Beckenbauer, one of the best German players of all time. During the preparations for the upcoming championship, Franz, nicknamed "Der Keiser" ("The Emperor") because of his elegant way of playing, decided to sneak out of his room at the camp. That night, Zebec decided to make an unannounced inspection. At eleven o'clock in the evening he knocked on the door of Franz's room. No one opened the door for him. Zebec opened the door, entered the player's room and, seeing that there was no one there, turned off the light and decided to wait for the German star.

Beckenbauer returned from partying late in the evening. Entering the room, he was shocked when he saw a completely awake coach patiently waiting for him in an armchair. Zebec was extremely angry with his player. It is not known what punishment befell him, but Beckenbauer never repeated his midnight trip again...

Beckenbauer problems

Why did Keegan, the best German soccer player, come to Zebec's training in a military helicopter?

Branko Zebec was known as an unyielding, harsh and authoritarian coach who wanted to make stars out of his players and who got the most out of them. That's why there was no room for excuses, idleness and arguments with him.

One of the players he worked hard to discipline was Kevin Keegan, whom he coached in Hamburg. He was known as an irresponsible, but also a talented player. Kevin was fifteen minutes late for Zebec's first training session. When he entered the football field, he started apologizing: - Hi, sorry... - Zebec interrupted him in his apologies and immediately expressed his authority by saying: - We don't live from your "sorry", but from your football - and punished him with with a fine of five thousand marks. This motivated Kevin to start coming to Zebec's training sessions on time.

One day, after heavy snow fell in Hamburg, traffic was in chaos. The plows did not clear large amounts of snow in time, so the streets were completely jammed with cars. Most of the players then went to training on foot. Kevin was very afraid that he would be late. He didn't want to be "on top" of Zebec, and he didn't want to pay high fines again. He hired the military police and hired a helicopter from them. He flew to the stadium by helicopter. He arrived just a few minutes before the start of training, but on time. Zebec was dying of laughter because of such engagements of his defiant player.

During his farewell with the club, Keegan was presented with a model of a sailboat. He thanked for the gift and jokingly said: - I bought that sailboat myself by paying fines at Zebec. - Nevertheless, after his exceptional career, he often thanked Zebec, saying that he was his most favorite and best coach, the coach who made a player out of him.

Keegan and the military helicopter

In which team would Zebec most like to see himself as a player?

Vlatko Đoković once asked Zebec in which "ideal" team he would most like to see himself as a player. And he answered:

– In a long-forgotten one, which does not say much to the young generation. This is the famous lineup of Zagreb Civil before the war itself. As a boy then, I watched with admiration: Glazer, Brozović, Dupac, Lehner, Jazibinšek, Kokotović, Cimermančić, Antolković, Velfl, Lešnik and Pleše or Matekal.

Everyone knew everything, or so it seemed to me, maybe as a junior. And from mature years it is known - Partizan. –

Dynamo forever

What is the best team Zebec has coached?

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