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Thread on the career of Franz Roth. Need to educate people about this immense player.
Franz "Bulle" Roth was born in 1946 in the town of Memmingen, Bavaria, West Germany. In 1964 he left the youth academy of TSV Bertoldshofen and joined the youth team SpVgg Kaufbeuren where he did very well.
Roth wasn't a flashy footballer by any means. He played in midfield, mostly as a 6. His job was to win the ball back in the middle of the pitch, stop counter-attacks and provide cover for the backline.
Roth had a very aggressive style of play and never gave up in any situation. His determination and hustle inspired Bayern coach Zlatko Čajkovski to give him the nickname "The Bull".
Apart from his defensive ability and his work ethic, the German midfielder had an eye for goal, especially when his team needed it the most. His 72 Bundesliga goals for the Bavarian outfit put him in the top 15 on the club's scoring charts.
He was a very tough player but also very disciplined. He picked up just 5 yellow cards and 1 red card in the 435 games he played for Bayern (granted players got away with a lot more back then).
He signed for Bayern in 1966. The 1966/67 season was his first year with the team. The midfielder was a key player for the Bavarians scoring 7 goals in 20 Bundesliga games and being the hard working #6 Bayern needed in front of its back 4.
Coach Čajkovski deployed Roth in the middle of the park. Roth would get up to support the attacks but would immediately run back to cover in case the ball was lost.
Roth won the 1967 DFB Pokal and scored the winner against Rangers in the final of the UEFA Cup Winners Cup helping Bayern secure its first ever european trophy.
The 1967/68 season wasn't the greatest for Bayern. The team was knocked out of both the Pokal and the Cup Winners Cup in the semis and finished 5th in the league. Roth started to play a lot more though, getting valuable experience.
The following season, under new coach Branko Zebec, Bayern won a league and Pokal double, the first in the club's history.
Zebec used Roth in many different positions. He played as a #6, an #8, in defense or even on the wing. He started the Pokal final on the right wing and was one of Bayern's best players as the Bavarians beat Schalke 2-1.
The 1969/70 season was one of Roth's best. Under Zebec and later Udo Lattek he scored 10 league goals and registered (although they are not officially counted) 7 assists in 31 games. He also scored his 1st European Cup goal against ASSE.
The season after that, Roth, playing in a 3 man midfield along with Hoeneß and Zobel, scored 17 goals in 44 games in all competitions and won another DFB Pokal.
The 1971/72 season was even better. Bayern with players like Beckenbauer, Müller, Maier, Hoeneß, Roth and Breitner and coached by Udo Lattek won the Bundesliga. Roth helped, scoring 12 goals in 32 Bundesliga games.
Bayern won another Bundesliga title the following season with Roth adding 11 goal contributions in 42 games in all competitions.
During the 1973/74 season, Bayern won the Bundesliga and the European Cup and nearly did the Treble. Roth was a crucial player in the Bavarian team's midfield playing 45 games in all competitions and contributing with 9 goals.
The season after that Bayern's league form dropped. Udo Lattek left in the middle of the season. New coach Dettmar Cramer guided the team to a 10th place finish. They did however reach the European Cup final.
In Paris against Leeds, Roth scored the opening goal in the 71st minute. Müller scored later to make it 2-0 and ice the game. Bayern were European champions once again.
During the 1975/76 season, Bayern reached their 3rd European Cup final in a row. The match was played in Glasgow against ASSE. Roth scored the only goal of the game to win his side their 3rd European crown.
He is to this day the last player to score in back to back European Cup/Champions League finals.
The next season he won his last trophy with Bayern, the Intercontinental Cup against Cruzeiro.
In 1977 he scored his last goal for Bayern in a 4-2 win over Kaiserslautern.
He left the Bavarian capital in 1978. He spent a year in Salzburg and later played for Sandhausen and Mindelheim. He retired in 1985.
Despite being one of Bayern's best and most consistent players he only earned 4 caps for West Germany.
Roth after retiring remained close with Bayern as many of the club's higher ups are friends or former teammates. He was rightfully inducted into the club's Hall of Fame for the 10+ years he spent in red and white.
Nowadays he spends his time playing golf.
He is one of the most decorated players in history having won 4 Bundesliga titles, 3 Pokal trophies, 3 European Cups and the Intercontinental Cup.
Despite having mostly defensive responsibilities he was a man for the big occasion and a threat on both ends of the pitch. His hustle and winning mentality made him the perfect complement for Bayern's star studded lineup.
That is all. Thanks for reading and have a good day/night wherever you are.
