Uli Hoeneß congratulates Jupp Heynckes on his 80th birthday

Jupp Heynckes coached FC Bayern four times and was always there when he was needed. To mark his 80th birthday on 9 May, four companions recall great games, special moments - and an extraordinary person, who shaped them for life with his heart and attitude. Part 2: Uli Hoeneß.

Dear Jupp,

It's a curious thing: when we were players, there was a great rivalry between FC Bayern and Borussia Mönchengladbach, on the pitch it was all about getting down to business and there was little room for friendships. And yet today, Günter Netzer and Berti Vogts are among our closest friends - and, especially in my case: Jupp Heynckes. When I look back on all the coaches we've had at Bayern, you are the one with whom I have the deepest emotional connection, despite all my appreciation for the other great characters like Ottmar Hitzfeld, Pep Guardiola, Udo Lattek, Carlo Ancelotti and Louis van Gaal. You are a friend I stick by through thick and thin. I wonder why this special relationship between Bayern and Gladbach from the 70s came about. It could be because football underwent a decisive development back then: Everything became more professional, at the same time our generation was aware of where we all came from. We had to work hard, came from humble backgrounds and sport gave us the opportunity to climb the social ladder. And so it was clear to us that football must continue to be characterised by a human component.

 Off the top of my head, I wouldn't even know how often you were our coach. The crucial factor for me - and this is down to your character - is that you were always there when FC Bayern needed you. You put your heart and soul into what you believe in - and that's why you're one of the greatest personalities in German football: you were already extremely successful as a player, but as a coach you went one better. You won everything there was to win and your outstanding quality was the way you always took the players with you. During your unique coaching career, you also reinvented yourself time and again - a skill that is extremely important, especially when dealing with people. As a young coach, you were often a bit of a stickler, but later it wasn't difficult for you to turn a blind eye and let things go. The players thanked you for it on the pitch.

We experienced a prime example for the ages of how a coach and his team can grow together on the way to the first treble in our club's history in the 2012/13 season. It all started when you wouldn't even let me into your home just before Christmas because you suspected I would tell you that we would be signing Pep Guardiola in the summer. You were living in my flat at the time, so I had a key, and we ended up sitting together over a coffee. You were not amused, and as we said goodbye at the front door, I realised: he's now going to show us! To this day, everyone who was there raves about what a close-knit unit emerged in the months that followed. The players worked for you like no other. It was magnificent.

How do friendships develop? We both quickly realised during your first tenure as FC Bayern coach that we were on the same wavelength; beforehand, we didn't know each other very well. For me, friendship is about reaching a profound consensus on how you see things in many areas of life, in our case far beyond football. You are a person who is wonderful to talk to about life, who shares, listens and gives advice.

My dear Jupp, I wish you all the best on your 80th birthday - and above all good health for you and your family. And that you drop by your FC Bayern as often as you can. This club would be so much poorer without you, your achievements and your humanity. And that can't be measured in goals, victories or titles. Personalities like you are role models for generations and beyond football.

Uli Hoeneß

This text appears in the current edition of the FC Bayern club magazine ‘51’: – in part 1 of the series, Klaus Augenthaler congratulated the birthday boy: