The genius behind Bayern's treble says goodbye to life: Peter Hermann
Peter Hermann, 74, died on Saturday 19 September 2026 after a long battle with ALS, leaving German football without one of its sharpest tactical minds, the architect behind Bayern Munich's treble, a professional who amassed more than 1,000 appearances as a vice‑coach in the Bundesliga, from Bayer Leverkusen to Bayern.
There are men born to stand at the centre of the stage and others who prefer to govern it from the wings, drawing the trajectories of success away from the spotlight.
Man of the stage and of direction
Peter Hermann began his football adventure as a versatile midfielder at Bayer Leverkusen, where he played from 1976 to 1984, contributing both to the midfield and, occasionally, to the attack.
After retiring, the club became his true seat of authority: for almost thirty years he coached the youth teams, served as a scout, sat on the bench as a vice‑coach and, on five occasions, took on the interim charge during stormy periods, safeguarding the secrets of the BayArena for entire generations.
The alliance with Jupp Heynckes
Hermann's path crossed that of Jupp Heynckes in January 2012, during Bayern Munich's winter training camp in Qatar; the loss of Hermann's mother prompted Heynckes to fly immediately to Germany, traversing the country by taxi to attend the funeral and shake hands with his deputy.
From that day their careers became inseparable: wherever Jupp went, Peter was there, and the synergy fueled the club's subsequent golden era.
The pinnacle came in the 2012/2013 season, when Bayern Munich achieved the first historic treble in German football: Bundesliga at record, DFB‑Pokal in the Berlin sky and Champions League on the magical night at Wembley against Borussia Dortmund, with Hermann studying opponent videos, synchronising the movements of Franck Ribéry and Arjen Robben and orchestrating defensive transitions.
The return in 2017 and the final triumph
In 2017, when Bayern went through a crisis after Carlo Ancelotti's dismissal, Heynckes set a condition: “I’ll only return if Peter is there”; Hermann terminated his contract with Fortuna Düsseldorf and rushed to Bavaria, helping to straighten out the season and win another Meisterschale.
In recent years he continued to pass on his wisdom to young coaches, including Edin Terzic at Borussia Dortmund in 2022, while the news of his passing shocked Niko Kovac, who learned it on live television during a post‑match interview, remaining visibly speechless.
Jupp Heynckes received the news with immense sorrow, saying: “Gott sei seiner Seele gnädig” (“May God have mercy on his soul”).