Schuster in German National

1979: Dressed for success

1980 European Champions

Scored a goal vs. Jugoslavia

A danger everywhere.

Dreaming with success

Control and shoot and goal.

Trainer Derwall: Love and hate story.

For the football experts in Germany, the contribution of Bernd for the german national is nothing comparing the future they imagined. But the problems of Bernd with some mates, trainers and fans make impossible the promised future.

At the beginning it was a fairy tale for Bernd. He was a 17-year-old boy from Augsburg dreaming to become a football star of FC Bayern Muenchen.

He's playing in FC Augsburg and the bundestrainer U18 Dietrich WEISE though he would be a perfect player for the national team U18. Some months later Bernd signed on for FC Koeln. He played 10 matches and scored 2 goals with the U18 national.

So the national team U21 called him for one match. He's playing every match for the FC Koeln in the bundesliga so he's one of the young boys for the future of the country.

In 1979, a year before the next European Cup of Nations. The Absolute national team of Germany is not in his best moment. Actually, the old stars were too old to win the european championship. A new generation of german footballers was ready to relieve the World Champions of 1974. Former star VOGTS, as the talent searcher of Bundestrainer DERWALL, recommends Schuster for the absolute national team.

Bernd was 20 years old and he was "good like Beckenbauer for the Libero position" in the words of his assistant coach LOEHR. So finally Schuster, MATHAEUS, IMMEL and JUNGHANS, were the young players promoted to A team. His first match was on May 1979 in Dublin. He won the Arsenal star Brady in the midfield.

The European Championship in Italy in summer 1980 wa s waiting the new Germany. Bernd was one of the players that trainer Derwall chose after the injury of BONHOF. In the firsts matches Bernd was in the bench but Germany needed something more for the match vs. Holland. CULLMANN was not the best and Derwall decided to beat for Schuster. He was the assistant of the 3 goals. Germany beat Netherlands 3:2. It was only the big start. All Europe discovered Schuster. Next match it was vs. Greece and Bernd was not playing. Germany draws 0:0. In the final match vs. Belgium Bernd returned to the team and Germany won 2:1.

Rummenigge was the big star, Hrubesch was the goalscorer, but Schuster was the new sensation of the European Football. Elegant, powerful, dangerous, intelligent, mature, young, skilful, technical, he got everything to be a Number One in the words of european journalists.

FC Barcelona gets Bernd after paying a record price to FC Koeln. The World Cup 1982 in Spain is waiting. But it began the problems with BREITNER and RUMMENIGGE. Bernd is not agree with their dictatorship and renounced several times to play some matches with the national team.

Bernd is a new FC Barcelona star and DERWALL wanted him for the World Cup but living together was impossible. After a stomach-ache Schuster renounced to go to Germany to play a match and he advised nobody. An angry Derwall thinks he's not sick after all and throw him out the next matches.

Some months later Schuster plays a wonderful Unicef match: He was the star of the FC Barcelona - Humane Stars meeting in Nou Camp of Barcelona. Derwall discovered the best Schuster in the midfield, and he sees who he needs. Bernd returns to the Nationalmanschaft. But the problems are still there. Now STIELIKE and another players are not happy with the behaviour of the trainer and every match means new problems and enmities.

Schuster plays very well, he's a key player in the team and also scores goals, but it never was the problem. Some matches later, Bernd fly to play a friendly match vs. Brazil even FC Barcelona not agree with it. Bernd decided to play just half time, because Barça has the Derby vs. Real Madrid two days later. After the match his pregnant wife and him renounced to a Hansi MUELLER party in the hotel to go to sleep early: Bernd should take a fly early in the morning. Angry Derwall hits Bernd with his hard words on him and his wife influence and the discussion incites the break. Bernd renounces again to play his friend Schumacher tries to keep in touch with him.

On December 1981 Bernd is seriously injured in Bilbao playing with FC Barcelona. Six months before the World Cup his right knee is broken by GOIKOETXEA.

Bernd is operated in Germany for the most famous doctor but every thing was wrong and the journal ists are searching for the guilty. Doctor SCHNEIDER and family Schuster blamed mutually in an international scandal. Bernd flees the hospital and takes refuge in Schumacher's home in Cologne. His knee is again operated in Barcelona under Doctor GONZALEZ ADRIO who tries to recover a sport invalid Bernd for the future of football.

Bernd is training to return to his best in FC Barcelona and forgets definitively the national. Derwall and most of the players say he doesn't need Bernd to win. But Italy won the Wo rld Cup 82. On September 1982, Schumacher in Barcelona try to make peace up between Schuster, Derwall and Breitner but it is not possible. Also DFB-Federation President NEUBERGER gets nothing.

Years passed, the fans asked for the successful Blond Angel of FC Barcelona but only during the hard times. Germany lost European Cup 1984 and the new national trainer BECKENBAUER not agree with Bernd and Gaby the participation of Schuster in World Cup Mexico 1986 even Bernd was European Bronze Balloon 1985. He's the story of an idle talent. For the experts, the best player since Beckenbauer time, a prodigy boy who can be the idol they need. For german trainer Beckenbauer, Bernd's just a capricious child he doesn't like.

Germany lost World Cup 1986 and European Cup 1988. Finally, in a poor World Cup 1990, Trainer Beckenbauer gets the success with Germany, "only" ten years later the last trophy. Germany beat 1:0 Argentina in a penalty. Schuster was not a german player for most of the fans. His successful years with FC Barcelona and Real Madrid are not important for the german fans. Schuster said National team is for him just a finished story and the fans think the same on the Blond Angel.

But 2 years later Germany lost conductor MATTHAEUS for the European Cup 1992 and a successful Schuster is playing for Atletico Madrid. Bernd is 33, just one year older than Mathaeus and whole Germany wonder if his return would be possible, positive and desirable. New trainer VOGTS is between the devil and the deep blue sea, but the polemical question is soon i ntercepted: Bernd must play the Spanish Cup for Atletico Madrid during the same days. Germany lost the European Championship 1992.

A year later Bayer Leverkusen signs on Bernd for the next 2 seasons. Bernd left Spain and began a new time in Germany. Since the firsts matches the fans wonder what the hell they were thinking to forget a player like this.

The fans could see now live Bernd and the pressure for his return to the national team is bigger. Trainer VOGTS and Schuster talked about it. It's not so easy like this, when a player means more than just a player. After the fantastic season he plays for Bayer Leverkusen, german fans discovered again the Blond Angel they forget for years. But finally VOGTS decided he could call back Bernd only if something is really bad in the midfield. World Cup 1994 in USA comes and Germany still talks about it. Bernd goes to the USA as a TV SAT1 commentator... German lost the championship.

The time started as a fairy tale is finished as a lost son story. Not many german players in the past and the future could get the Schuster natural and world-class skill. No country can presume, as Germany do, to forget a star like this.

In the beginning of 1996 Bernd leaves Bayer Leverkusen after a problem with trainer RIBBECK and after some time training with Vitesse Arnheim and San Jose Clash, he plays some matches for UNAM in Mexico after his definitive retirement in 1997.

But this story is not over yet. Since 1997 Bernd's a trainer and he's working to be one of the best coaches and he's dreaming to lead the best teams. Of course his national team is a very interesting goal.