Overview

Heinz Höher (11 August 1938 – 7 November 2019) was a German professional footballer and later a coach and manager. Active during the decades after World War II, he played for several clubs in Germany and had a stint in the Netherlands before moving into management. His career spanned domestic league competition and international appointments, and he is remembered for his long involvement in club football both on and off the pitch. For a concise player profile see Heinz Höher overview.

Playing career

Höher played at senior level for multiple clubs, representing sides across different tiers of German football and gaining experience abroad. His time as a player coincided with a period of increasing professionalism and tactical development in European football. Clubs associated with his playing career include:

  • Bayer 04 Leverkusen — where he was involved in the regional German league structures that fed into the national competitions.
  • Meidericher SV (later MSV Duisburg) — a club that provided him with top‑level domestic experience.
  • FC Twente — a spell in the Netherlands that exposed him to a different footballing culture and styles of play.
  • VfL Bochum — another notable club in his domestic playing résumé.

Managerial career

Following his retirement as a player, Höher moved into coaching and management. He took a series of appointments in Germany and abroad, leading teams at a variety of levels and working in different footballing environments. His managerial posts included early work with smaller clubs and later roles in the Bundesliga and the Greek top flight. Notable managerial appointments were:

  • Schwarz‑Weiß Essen — one of his initial coaching positions where he began to develop his approach to management.
  • VfL Bochum — returned to the club in a coaching role, reflecting a continuing connection with teams he had served as a player.
  • MSV Duisburg — managed the club during competitive domestic campaigns.
  • Fortuna Düsseldorf — a further German assignment in which he applied his tactical ideas.
  • Ethnikos Piraeus and PAOK — Greek clubs that illustrate his international coaching experience and willingness to work outside Germany.
  • Olympiacos — one of Greece's leading clubs, part of his tenure in Greek football.
  • 1. FC Nürnberg — another German club in his managerial résumé.

Style and contributions

Höher was regarded as a pragmatic coach who emphasised organisation, discipline and the development of younger players. Working across club cultures, he adapted methods from German coaching traditions to different contexts, particularly during his time in Greece. While not known primarily for headline trophies, his contribution is visible in the players he coached and in the clubs that engaged him to steady or rebuild squads.

Later life and legacy

After a long involvement in football as both player and manager, Höher retired from frontline coaching. He died on 7 November 2019. His career is illustrative of a generation of football professionals who moved from playing into management and who contributed to cross‑border exchanges of coaching ideas in Europe. For more detailed season records and statistics consult club histories and dedicated profiles such as the overview at Heinz Höher overview or the individual club pages linked above.

Selected club pages and resources: Bayer 04 Leverkusen, FC Twente, VfL Bochum, MSV Duisburg, Fortuna Düsseldorf, Olympiacos.