Sepp Herberger

Josef 'Sepp' Herberger played three times for Germany before becoming assistant to Otto Nerz in 1932 and taking over as national manager in 1936. A meticulous student of team psychology, physical conditioning, and tactical drills, he coached Germany for twenty-eight years over 167 matches.

His masterpiece came in 1954, when he deliberately fielded a reserve squad against Hungary in the group stage to conceal his tactics and preserve players, then unleashed his rested first team to win the final. His aphorisms, such as 'The ball is round' and 'The next game is always the hardest', became German national proverbs.