COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) – Sepp Piontek, the German coach who led an exciting Danish team in the 1980s, has died, the Danish Football Federation announced Thursday. He was 85 years old.
Piontek led the team widely known as “Danish Dynamite”, featuring star players Michael Laudrup, Preven Elkjar and Jesper Olsen, to their first World Cup in 1986, two years after reaching the European Championship semi-finals.
“He will never be forgotten by Danish football,” Laudrup told broadcaster TV2. “Nowadays it’s normal to qualify for the finals (tournament), but back then it was never the case.”
At the World Cup in Mexico, an impressive 6-1 victory over Uruguay saw Denmark win their group ahead of eventual loser finalist West Germany.
Piontek’s team took a lead in the first half against Spain, but were eliminated in the round of 16.
His 11-year spell ended with them missing out on the 1990 World Cup, but the foundation he left behind helped Denmark win a surprise title at Euro 1992.
Piontek was born in 1940 in Wrocław, Poland, and played six games for the West Germany national team. He won the German league and cup titles as a Werder Bremen player.
His coaching career began with a two-year stint with the Haitian national team before arriving in Denmark, and he also coached in Turkey. His coaching career ended with the Greenland team.
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