Christian Schäfer - Der Professor

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Christian Schäfer, 'Der Professor', has recently resigned from his role as Real Madrid manager. The German-born manager has had an illustrious career to date, signing off from his roles at Dynamo Dresden, Brazil and Real Madrid with major trophy victories, and we now take a look back at five of Schäfer's most memorable games.

In Dynamo Dresden's third season in the Bundesliga under Christian Schäfer, they had mounted a serious title challenge. With a small number of games remaining, Schäfer's team was locked in battle with Bayer Leverkusen for the top spot, and the two sides faced each other in mid-April. A victory would put the winning side firmly in the driving seat in the Bundesliga, and neither side could afford to lose.

While Bayer Leverkusen dominated possession, it was Schäfer's Dynamo Dresden side who ruled the game. Boasting 19 shots to Leverkusen's 2, Dynamo's high-pressing counter attack system cut the visitors apart, and an early Bernardo Silva goal set the tone. The Portuguese attacking midfielder cut in from the right before curling a low effort beyond the goalkeeper, Bernd Leno.

Nigerian striker Odion Ighalo added Dynamo Dresden's second goal of the game in the first half with a thunderous effort from just inside the box. The chance came from an intricate pass by playmaker Aias Aosman, which bamboozled the Leverkusen defence, and left Dynamo's star striker with just the goalkeeper to beat, and he did so with aplomb.

Leverkusen were beat, and they were unable to post a single shot on target in the full ninety minutes. But, Dynamo were not done yet. Veteran midfielder Eugen Polanski scored a cracking volley from the edge of the area to add to Leverkusen's woes, and his goal certainly put Dynamo in the ascendance in the title race, which they ultimately claimed victory in. This game was certainly a major turning point, and Schäfer's team made a real statement to those involved in German football.

In what proved to be Christian Schäfer's final game as Real Madrid manager, his Los Blancos side faced Manchester City in the UEFA Champions League final at Wembley. Schäfer faced a major selection dilemma with captain Cristiano Ronaldo, vice-captain James Rodríguez, third-captain Raphaël Varane and star striker Anthony Martial all sitting out due to injury. This prompted Schäfer to set up a 4-6-0 formation, with an attacking midfield of Isco, Alessandro Florenzi and Mateo Kovacic looking to produce the goods in front of goal.

Stand-in captain Isco certainly proved his worth, scoring the game's opening goal within the first two minutes. The Spaniard latched on to Toni Kroos' long ball before leaving City defender Chidiebere Nwakali in a heap and picking out the top corner of the goal with a fantastic effort. His goal sent the Real Madrid fans in to high-heaven, and put his side in the ascendancy.

The Spaniard's night was far from over, and he was called in to penalty-taking action in the second half. Spanish full-back Alberto Moreno made a surging run in to the box but was brought down by Nwakali, who was having an abysmal game in truth, and a penalty was awarded to Los Blancos. Isco stepped up, and sent the goalkeeper the wrong way to double his side's lead.

Manchester City pulled one back through José Ramón García, but it was too little too late as Christian Schäfer's side deservedly laid their hands on the UEFA Champions League trophy, for the thirteenth time in the club's history, and for the second time in Schäfer's.


Christian Schäfer's home debut as Real Madrid manager proved to be more than memorable, as his side lined up against arch rivals FC Barcelona in the Supercopa de España. Schäfer was looking to add a second trophy to the season following victory in the UEFA Super Cup over Leicester City, and there was no better opponent to defeat in the process than the Catalan giants.

To say the game was one-sided would be an unbearable under-statement, as Real Madrid completely blew the visitors away. Mateo Kovacic got on the end of a quick, counter-attacking move to sweep the ball in to the back of the net with less than four minutes on the clock. Anthony Martial doubled the lead with a bullet of a strike, and a Cristiano Ronaldo penalty gave Real Madrid their third before fifteen minutes had been played.

Anthony Martial proved to be the hero of the day, and he scored his second of the game before the half-hour mark. The Frenchman claimed his hat-trick early in the second half, and he added a fourth with twelve minutes remaining. James Rodríguez rounded off proceedings with a superb free-kick in stoppage time, and Real Madrid had made a true statement as they defeated their closest rivals by a demolishing score line.

Without a trophy in sixteen years, since 2007, Brazil were looking to reassert themselves on the international stage when they entered the 2023 Copa América in Ecuador. Schäfer's side battled their way to the final where a familiar opponent in Argentina stood in their path. Sporting an unorthodox 3-4-2-1 formation, Schäfer's men looked to dismantle his side's greatest opposition.

The game was filled to the brim with goalmouth action, with the two sides registering 44 shots between them. Both goalkeepers were called upon several times throughout the tie, but it was Brazil who got the breakthrough in the first half. Intricate football ended with midfielder Mosca free with the ball in the box, and he scored with a low effort to give his side the lead in the final.

Argentina refused to stand down, however, and they looked to force an equaliser throughout the entire second half. Striker Christian Pavón eventually produced the goods, initially scuffing his shot off the crossbar, but the ball fell kindly for him to slot home a goal which took the game to extra time.

Both teams gave it their all throughout the extra thirty minutes, but it was Schäfer's men who would come out victorious. Some skillful football from Coutinho and Neymar saw the latter squeeze through the defence, but his rasping effort was palmed away by the goalkeeper. However, the ball fell to substitute Cebolinha, who prodded his shot in to the back of the empty net to claim victory in the Copa América for Brazil. Schäfer had done it again!

It was Christian Schäfer's first taste of a UEFA Champions League final, and it came against domestic rivals FC Schalke 04. The game was contested at the Amsterdam ArenA, and a feisty affair was expected. Both clubs had battled it out for the league title that season, with Dynamo coming out on top, and Rangnick's Schalke side were looking to take revenge on the European stage.

Dynamo had the first real opportunity of the game as Leon Goretzka picked out striker Kenedy in the box and the Brazilian seemed to have just the goalkeeper to beat as he settled to shoot, but his resulting effort was blocked by the outstretched leg of Victor Lindelöf. Kenedy was not done there, as he nearly made amends with minutes remaining in the first half. Geoffrey Kondogbia charged forward in to the final third and slid in the Brazilian, but his shot was saved by the onrushing Loris Karius, who produced a wonderful performance in the Schalke goal.

The second half turned in to an aggressive game, as both sides became frustrated with the scoreline. Dynamo's Geoffrey Kondogbia received a second yellow after 62 minutes, leaving his side with ten men. Balance was restored fifteen minutes later as Schalke midfielder Renato Sanches also received his marching orders for a slide tackle from behind on Kenedy.

With just twenty men on the pitch, the game was poised to head in to extra time. That was, of course, until Kenedy left his mark on the game. A rare foray forward for Dynamo's Serbian full-back Aleksander Pantic gifted them with a priceless opportunity to score. Leon Goretzka picked out the defender with a tremendous pass, and Pantic deliver a low cross from the right wing which was turned past Karius by Kenedy. With 89 minutes on the clock, Dynamo Dresden had taken the lead.

Schalke threw the kitchen sink at Dynamo, but Schäfer's men would not crack. Their defensive ability shone as they continued to recover the ball and use Kenedy as an outlet to run down the clock. Schalke's frustrations grew, and striker Maximiliano Romero was given his marching orders in stoppage time for a second booking. The clock was run down, and Christian Schäfer's Dynamo Dresden were eventually named as champions of Europe. This was the first time for both club and manager to lift the trophy, and it gave Schäfer continental recognition for the very first time.

Christian Schäfer, born in a small town outside Dresden, has seen his stature in football management grow at an extremely rapid rate since his career started nine years ago. Known as 'Der Professor' for his vast range of tactical expression, Schäfer is known for his marvelous ability to set his team up in a manner which defeats his opponent. Victories in two Champions League finals and a Copa América final, using varied tactical approaches, brought many plaudits to the German, and we take a look at his tactical approaches in each of these major finals.

During his time as Dynamo Dresden manager, Christian Schäfer's team was renowned for their excellent defensive record, and their ability to quell opposition attacking threats proved invaluable in their UEFA Champions League final performance against FC Schalke 04 in 2022. This was the club's, and manager's, first taste of a major continental final and despite their lack of experience in this regard, a composed and mature performance was on display.

Schäfer's side produced an astute and composed defensive performance, restricting Schalke to vague chances from distance. A characteristic of Dresden under Schäfer was their deep defensive line with a high-pressure midfield triangle. This restricted space behind AND in front of the back four, minimising the opposition's time on the ball in the final third. Dynamo's front three also worked hard to press the opposition back towards their own goal, in order to keep the ball away from goal.

In attack, Dresden were capable of counter attacking at high speed, using available space and electric pace to put together a chance-creating move. However, Schäfer's side were also well capable of holding on to the ball and moving it around in a swift manor, looking to open up the opposition with a tidy through ball or a cross from the wide areas. Dresden's versatility in attack made them a formidable threat, and not many teams proved capable of keeping them at bay for a full ninety minutes.

All-in-all, it was Dresden's impressive work-ethic and composure which saw them utilise their tactical approach so well. Against Schalke, they denied them a clear scoring opportunity for the entire game, and scored a goal from a quick counter attack with just minutes remaining to claim the prestigious trophy. It was a moment to remember for Dynamo Dresden, and a prime example of Schäfer's excellent tactical approach.

A change in scenery for Christian Schäfer, as he resigned from his role as Dynamo Dresden manager to take the role as Brazil gaffer, did not slow down his rise to stardom. One year on from his first Champions League success, Schäfer's Brazil side were competing in the final of the Copa América against Argentina. Schäfer's side displayed a completely different tactical show compared to that of his Dresden side, with their 3-4-2-1 system providing a much more technical display.

Defensively, Schäfer's Brazil back row of three pushed high up the pitch, in order to press the game in the other team's half. Two wing backs made the leg work in both defence and attack, using their physical abilities to nullify opposition wide-players, and to put opposition full-backs under pressure. A holding midfielder protected the space in front of Brazil's back three, while a box-to-box midfielder kept up the fight from back to front.

Brazil's attacking play was their main strength under Christian Schäfer, and a narrow front three provided the main reason for opposition defences to worry. The striker looked to break the opposition line with quick runs in the channels, while the two behind him moved in spaces in front of, and around, the defenders, looking to pick up the ball and cause havoc. The wing backs offered support out wide, and they provided plenty of low cross for the front three to get on the end of.

Schäfer's Brazil side played quick-moving attacking football, and looked to move as many players forward as possible. Throughout their Copa América tournament, they scored a high number of goals, and they posted 26 shots in the final against Argentina as they claimed an extra time victory. The change in style of football under Schäfer from Dresden to Brazil showed great tactical flexibility on his part, and was certainly a key reason for Schäfer's, and Brazil's, success in the Copa América.

Another year later, and Christian Schäfer was in charge of a different side and in yet another major final. Real Madrid were certainly the powerhouse club of the world, but they had it all against them against Manchester City in the UEFA Champions League final, without a number of key players. Cristiano Ronaldo, James Rodríguez, Anthony Martial and Raphaël Varane were all unavailable for the final, prompting manager Christian Schäfer to utilise an unorthodox 4-6-0 formation. As it turned out, this tactical approach broke Manchester City's game plan and took advantage of the English team's weaknesses, as Los Blancos claimed their thirteenth Champions League title in history.

Defensively, Real Madrid pushed very high up the pitch. They looked to contain the opposition on the other half. The two central defenders, combining with a half back, formed a defensive trio in the central areas of the back line, while two wing backs looked to win the ball back as high up in the wide areas as possible. The midfield worked hard to put the opposition under pressure and to force a mistake in midfield, while the front-most three hustled and harried opposition defenders.

In attack, Real Madrid moved the ball around quickly and precisely. While their main objective was to move the ball, they looked to use spaces between the lines of the Manchester City defence and midfield in order to extort areas where no City player occupied. The front-most three played between the lines of Manchester City, dragging defenders out of position and looking to move in to channels of space whenever possible. City struggled to cope with the high amount of movement, and Los Blancos' stand-in skipper, and shadow striker, Isco scored two goals to secure the title for the Spanish giants.

This tactical system completely outwitted Diego Simeone's approach, and despite Real Madrid missing their four best players, they were able to take advantage of flaws in their opposition's approach. Aside from their tactical approach, Real Madrid played some wonderfully attractive football, and the crowd showed their appreciation on many occasions, offering applause and cheers of support throughout. In the third of Schäfer's three major finals as manager, he displayed a third different tactical performance, and yet another victory. He truly is a tactical genius.

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Christian Schäfer rejected a contract offer from Manchester United last week, according to agent Roberto Wagner. The Old Trafford-based club had reportedly placed Schäfer on top of their managerial shortlist, following the dismissal of Laurent Blanc, but hired fellow German Thomas Tuchel in his place when it was discovered that Schäfer had no interest in the role.

Roberto Wagner revealed that his client was offered a six-figure wage in a four year deal, but that Christian Schäfer chose to turn down the offer in favour in enjoying some time out from football management. Schäfer's agent revealed that there had been plenty of offers on the table for the former Real Madrid boss, but his client had put potential job leads on hold until he was ready to return to action.

Having lost out on his chief target, Manchester United's Danish chairman Gottfried Wimmer opted to employ Thomas Tuchel instead. Tuchel was relieved from his role as Dynamo Dresden manager this summer following an eighth place finish in the Bundesliga, having succeeded Christian Schäfer at the club. The former Dortmund and Germany manager signed a three year deal with the Old Trafford club, and will look to challenge José Mourinho's Chelsea and Diego Simeone's Manchester City side for the top spots in England.

Following his decision to turn down Manchester United's very lucrative offer, many clubs have backed off the potential idea of targeting Christian Schäfer, but his future still remains a hot topic of discussion, with a host of Europe's top clubs, and plenty of Brazil's and the US', looking to acquire his services. According to Roberto Wagner, however, no team could draw Schäfer's interest for the time being, but the Brazilian agent believes that Schäfer will return to football with a new-found conviction and desire.

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