Christian Schäfer - Der Professor

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A number of players left the club in yet another massive clear-out. Kevin Trapp, Hakan Calhanoglu and Leon Goretzka were three high-profile players to join in the summer, while Chancel Mbemba joined on loan in January. We had built quite a strong squad and were looking forward to challenging for more trophies.

DFL-Supercup

FSV Mainz had won the cup last season, and they proved to be a tough match in the super cup. It took at a stoppage time winner from Aleksander Pantic to split the two sides, and his twenty yard screamer was worth the trophy it won.

Bundesliga

We started the season in strong suit, going unbeaten up until February. Victories against Bayer Leverkusen and Borussia Dortmund topped off another wonderful season, and we lifted the league title for the second season running.

UEFA Champions League

We stormed through a group which contained Zenit, Celtic and Marseille. Manchester City faced us in the next round, and we came out on top courtesy of a very impressive away victory. Juventus proved to be too strong for us, however, and we were beaten 4-2 on aggregate. It was another impressive European campaign, which saw us miraculously reach the quarter-finals, making us one of the top eight teams in Europe.

DFB-Pokal

We performed well to reach the semi-finals, but Schalke defeated us in a tie which went to extra-time.

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Some big signings were made this season, with the likes of Gokhan Gul and Geoffrey Kondogbia joining. We had built a midfield which would prove to be able to withstand the strains of juggling domestic football and continental football.

DFL-Supercup

A penalty shoot-out gave us yet another super cup victory, this time over Bayern Munich. This was a fantastic way to start the season, giving the new players a boost ahead of what would prove to be our best season yet.

Bundesliga

We produced yet another superb league campaign which really shook German football, as we ended up winning our third Bundesliga title in a row. This certainly set us aside from the rest of the German teams, we had become the superior force in one of the top footballing countries.

UEFA Champions League

PSG, Lazio and Basel were a group which we topped with considerable ease. Atlético Madrid were our opponents in the Last Sixteen, and a goalless draw in Madrid set us up for a superb home victory. Manchester City could not stop us storming through to the semi-finals, where we faced a familiar foe in PSG. We suffered defeat in Paris, giving us a tough task at home in Dresden. Our task was made even more difficult when Chancel Mbemba was sent off just after half-time, with the score still at 0-0 on the day. However, this seemed to invigorate Dynamo as a Kenedy brace and a screamer from Bernardo Silva saw Dynamo cruise to the final.

FC Schalke were to be Dynamo's opponents in the final. It proved to be a fiery affair, with no less than 34 fouls conceded in total by both sides. It became a challenge for Dynamo when Geoffrey Kondogbia was sent off for two bookable offences. Schalke midfielder Renato Sanches was then sent off, evening up the numbers of the two sides. With the clock ticking on and both teams looking tired, Kenedy broke through the Schalke defence and fired a fierce drive past Loris Karuius to give Dynamo a 90th minute lead. Schalke could not claw a way back, despite their frantic attempts, and a red card for Schalke striker Maximiliano Romero in stoppage time all but sealed their faith.

It was Christian Schäfer's Dyamo Dresden who were crowned champions of Europe, an accomplishment which would echo through the world of football for years to come.

DFB-Pokal

Bayern Munich demolished us in the third round to put us out of the competition. It was a disappointing way to be knocked out but considering we secured a treble this season, the cup can be considered a write-off this season.

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German manager Christian Schäfer today resigned from his role as manager of UEFA Champions League winners Dynamo Dresden. The forty one year-old had been in charge of Dynamo for seven whole seasons, and his achievements have written his name in footballing folklore, most notably winning last season's UEFA Champions League and guiding his side to three back-to-back Bundesliga titles.

The popular German manager, known as 'Der Professor', found the decision a "difficult one to make", but was quoted as to be "looking for a new challenge to complete".

Christian Schäfer opened his account as a football manager in the summer of 2015, when then Dynamo Dresden director of football Robert Schäfer (no relation) made the surprising appointment. Despite this being his first, and only to date, club as a manager, Christian had a remarkably successful first season in charge, guiding his team to the 3. Bundesliga title. His second season in charge saw Dynamo go from strength-to-strength, placing second in the 2. Bundesliga, and earning promotion to the Bundesliga. It was in this first Bundesliga season where Schäfer faced one of his greatest challenges; keeping a side heavily backed for relegation above the water. He did so, with aplomb, as Dynamo finished in a remarkable 15th position.

It was after these three seasons when Dynamo Dresden under Christian Schäfer began to take notice. The following season saw Dynamo qualify for the UEFA Champions League through a fourth place finish in the Bundesliga, and winning the DFB-Pokal that season brought home Schäfer's first major title as manager. European football brought great excitement to the city, but nothing could match the jubilation as Dynamo lifted the Bundesliga trophy in each of the next three seasons, the last of which proved to be the most famous. It was in this final season when, against all the odds, Dynamo Dresden defeated the likes of Paris Saint-Germain, Atlético Madrid and Manchester City to reach their first ever UEFA Champions League final. FC Shalke 04 stood in their way in the final, but a late Kenedy strike was enough for Schäfer's side to become champions of Europe, a fitting way for the gaffer to sign off as a Dynamo legend.

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