Borussia Mönchengladbach were defending champions having won the Bundesliga title each of the previous three seasons. But despite going into the final day of the 1977-78 season in second behind 1. FC Köln on goal difference there was seemingly no chance of Gladbach making it four in a row. Gladbach's goal difference of +30 put them 10 goals behind Köln on +40 and with Köln playing bottom of the league and already relegated FC St Pauli the title was, therefore, this time surely out of reach or so everyone thought. But a routine afternoon of Köln winning the title turned out to be not so routine after all thanks to one of the craziest games in Bundesliga history.
In 1978 Borussia Mönchengladbach were not just a top side in Germany but one of the best in Europe and had reached the previous season's European Cup final in Rome although they lost to an all conquering Liverpool side. Gladbach were managed by Udo Lattek who would go on to eventually become considered an all-time great by winning 15 major trophies as manager of Gladbach, FC Bayern München, and FC Barcelona. He already had three Bundesliga titles to his name and had won the European Cup with FC Bayern in 1974. Gladbach also had big names on the pitch and their squad included West German internationals such as Bertie Vogts, Rainer Bonhof, and Jupp Heynckes as well as then European Footballer of the Year Allan Simonsen, a Danish international.
Whilst Gladbach went into the final day of the 1977-78 season hoping to pip 1. FC Köln to the title Köln were hoping to clinch their first Bundesliga title since 1964. Their squad also included some star names in Toni Schumacher, Herbert Zimmermann, Heinz Flohe, and Dieter Müller, all fellow West German internationals. Köln's manager Hennes Weisweiler had himself been in charge of Gladbach just three years earlier and like Lattek would also end up classed as an all-time great. Retiring with 11 major trophies to his name he also just like Lattek had three Bundesliga titles to his name by this point as well as having won the UEFA Cup in 1975.
In the penultimate weekend of the season, Köln laboured to a 2-1 win at fourth placed VfB Stuttgart whilst Gladbach defeated Hamburger SV 6-2. Although they both entered the final weekend challenging for the title, neither sides campaign's had been out of this world. Gladbach had lost four times in the opening half of the season, Köln five. But with eight defeats in total compared to Gladbach's six Köln just edged in front of their rivals by virtue of having drawn fewer games. It was a competitive era, however, and winning it at a canter like Bayern often do these days very much uncommon. Besides, the league table still showed they were the two best sides in the country and the pair had numerous big name stars that many other clubs just did not have.
On on April 29, 1978, that final day, Gladbach were at home to Borussia Dortmund (BVB) though with their home stadium being renovated the match was played at Fortuna Düsseldorf's Rheinstadion. Köln meanwhile were away from home in Hamburg where opponents FC St Pauli were based. Both matches kicked off at 15:30 and it did not take long for goals to go in, at least not in Düsseldorf...
By 15:52 Gladbach were 4-0 up after a stunning opening period and were really going for it but with Köln taking the lead after 28 minutes in their match they would need plenty more goals. Gladbach had gone 1-0 up within a minute thanks to Jupp Heynckes who had been part of West Germany's 1974 World Cup winning squad. He scored with a looping header. Twelve minutes later Heynckes grabbed his second with a low drive whilst a minute later Carsten Nielsen headed home to make it 3-0, one of 23 goals the Dane would score in a Gladbach shirt. Then on 22 minutes 22-year-old winger Karl Del’Haye, signed from Alemannia Aachen three years earlier, made it four by running with the ball from just inside his own half before confusing several defenders then firing the ball into the net from almost 15yds out. Some brilliant football but Gladbach weren't done there - they would be 6-0 up by half-time. Heynckes completed his hat-trick nipping in to slot the ball home on the line before later a through ball saw Herbert Wimmer hit the ball over a sliding out keeper and into the BVB net.
With Köln 1-0 up Gladbach would need to score plenty more goals in the second-half and in what was turning out to be an incredible game did exactly that. For their next goal, Heyneckes looked like he barely touched the ball but just about got a head onto it and the 'keeper who'd rushed out had no chance. 59 minutes gone Gladbach were 7-0 up and It did not take long for 7-0 to become 8 and then 9-0. Nielson turned and fired home before Del’Haye grabbed his second by knocking the ball home after his initial shot was saved. As noted by supporters in the stands who were following events in Hamburg via portable radios, by this point Köln had grabbed a second in their match, however, and were still firm favourites for the title but, nonetheless, Gladbach were really giving it a go.
Heyneckes then grabbed his fifth of the match as the keeper who blocked his first effort didn't quite manage to keep the ball in front of the line from the rebound. Köln scored goals either side that Gladbach tenth, one before and two after, they were 5-0 up and the title was all but theirs but still Gladbach were not done yet. Ewald Lienen, in his first of two spells at the club, made it eleven by controlling then firing the ball home on the half volley before in injury time a through ball saw Christian Kulik, seven years into a ten-year spell at the club, run from just outside the box before firing home from almost 15yds out to finish off the rout and give a final score of Borussia Mönchengladbach 12-0 Borussia Dortmund. 12-0, but trying to overturn a ten goal deficit in the goal difference column they had, however, came up three goals short thanks to Köln's 5-0 win. "We'd rather score a dozen goals than Cologne lose at St. Pauli," said the Gladbach striker on the morning of the match. They did exactly that but on unfortunately in this instance, it was still not enough.
Despite losing out in the title race, Gladbach's supporters headed home very impressed with their team's performance but others less so. Accusations of match-fixing would unsurprisingly be voiced after such a performance and even as it unfolded live many were suspicious. As the goal updates filtered through to Hamburg some St Pauli fans feeling something wasn't quite right even started cheering on their opponents Köln. Of course, everyone involved denied this especially the BVB players themselves. They did not do it on purpose they had everyone believe and right back Amand Theis admitted regarding the poor performance that: "The shame has accompanied us for years." Nothing has ever been proven and it's generally accepted these days that the match was played fairly.
If the match was embarrassing for BVB then none more so than their goalkeeper Peter Endrulat. Playing in place of injured first choice keeper Horst Bertram the game was most definitely the beginning of the end for the 23-year-old at the club as the as the following day he was told his contract would not be renewed. A short lived career saw him go on to make 60 appearances for 2. Bundesliga Nord club Tennis Borussia Berlin.
Endrulat was not the only departure at BVB post the 12-0 debacle as manager Otto Rehhagel was also fired the day after the match. He would go on to manage various other clubs across Germany before coaching the Greek national team to shock European Championship glory when as rank outsiders they unexpectedly won the Euro 2004 tournament held in Portugal.
Others not sacked by BVB did not get off scot free, however, as their poor performance was rewarded with a DM2000 fine for each player.
For Gladbach's five goal star of the show it was also the end as Heynckes had announced he was retiring after a distinguished career that saw two spells at the club and 39 caps for West Germany. He would go on to have a managerial career almost as successful as his mentor Lattek starting at none other than Gladbach a year later when Lattek quit to join unbeliebably BVB having just won the UEFA Cup with Gladbach. Gladbach won five league titles over the course of the seventies, three with Lattek in charge, and twice finished runners up but have yet to win a Bundesliga title since or indeed even finished second again. As for the team that pipped them to the title on that final day, Köln have also yet to the title again though dd twice finish runners up at the end of eighties. Manager Hennes Weisweiler left at the end of 1979-80 season and moved to America to briefly manage the New York Cosmos.
Considering, as mentioned, neither side would win another title, in some ways that April afternoon in 1978 was the last hurrah for both Borussia Mönchengladbach and 1. FC Köln. And as for that 12-0 win well it was and still is the biggest ever winning margin in Bundesliga history. The match was also listed 43rd in 11 Freunde magazine's greatest matches of all-time. A truly crazy scoreline that saw one of the most surreal final day title races in football history - Even if the final outcome was the one everyone had predicted beforehand!
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