Michael Skibbe

4.1. Early Coaching Career

Skibbe began his coaching career at a remarkably young age, stepping into management at just 22 years old. He started with the youth team of FC Schalke 04 in 1987. In 1989, he moved to Borussia Dortmund, initially serving as a youth coach and later becoming the coordinator for the club's youth development department until 1994. From 1994 to 1997, he managed Borussia Dortmund's U19 team, and then took charge of Borussia Dortmund II, the reserve side, from 1997 to 1998. During his tenure with Borussia Dortmund II, he led the team to win the Oberliga Westfalen in the 1997-98 season.

4.2. Borussia Dortmund

On 1 July 1998, Michael Skibbe was appointed head coach of the senior team of Borussia Dortmund. At 32 years old, he became the youngest head coach in the history of the Bundesliga. His tenure lasted approximately a year and a half, until he was sacked on 6 February 2000. Following his dismissal from the senior team, Skibbe transitioned back to a role within the club's youth system, serving as its coordinator. His record with Borussia Dortmund's senior team was 28 wins, 20 draws, and 18 losses in 66 matches.

4.3. Germany National Team

In 2000, Skibbe was offered a significant position as the director of the Germany national football team. He served as the assistant coach to Rudi Völler, who, despite being the de facto head coach, did not possess the necessary coaching license to be officially recognized in that role. Skibbe was instrumental in determining team tactics and conducting tactical training. He was part of the coaching staff for the 2002 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 2004. After Germany's elimination in the group stage of UEFA Euro 2004, both Völler and Skibbe resigned from their positions in June 2004. Skibbe then served as the director of the youth system for the German Football Association from 24 August 2004 to 8 October 2005, where he implemented numerous reforms in youth development.

4.4. Bayer 04 Leverkusen

On 8 October 2005, Skibbe returned to club management, taking over as head coach of Bayer 04 Leverkusen. During his time at Leverkusen, he led the team to fifth-place finishes in both the 2005-06 and 2006-07 seasons, securing qualification for the UEFA Cup. However, after finishing seventh in the 2007-08 season and missing out on European qualification, Skibbe was sacked on 18 May 2008. His record with Bayer Leverkusen included 52 wins, 25 draws, and 45 losses in 122 matches. Skibbe was known for his willingness to promote young talent, notably replacing veteran goalkeeper Hans-Jörg Butt with the younger René Adler, who subsequently developed into the main goalkeeper for the German national team.

4.5. Galatasaray SK

On 11 June 2008, Skibbe agreed to terms with the Turkish club Galatasaray, signing a 1+1 year contract. He quickly achieved success by winning the Turkish Super Cup after a 2-1 victory against Kayserispor. However, Galatasaray failed to qualify for the group stages of the UEFA Champions League, losing 2-3 on aggregate to FC Steaua București. Skibbe was sacked on 23 February 2009, following a heavy 2-5 loss to Kocaelispor. At the time of his departure, Galatasaray was in fifth place in the league table, outside of a Champions League qualification spot. His record with Galatasaray was 20 wins, 9 draws, and 8 losses in 37 matches.

4.6. Eintracht Frankfurt

On 4 June 2009, Eintracht Frankfurt announced that Skibbe would succeed Friedhelm Funkel as the club's head coach. He managed the team until 22 March 2011, when he was sacked due to a decline in performance in the Bundesliga. During his tenure, Skibbe recorded 25 wins, 15 draws, and 27 losses in 67 matches.

4.7. Eskişehirspor (First Stint)

On 17 July 2011, Skibbe was appointed head coach of the Turkish club Eskişehirspor, succeeding Bülent Uygun. His first stint with the club was brief, lasting approximately six months. His contract was dissolved on 27 December 2011, to facilitate his move back to the Bundesliga with Hertha BSC. With Eskişehirspor, he achieved a record of 9 wins, 3 draws, and 5 losses in 17 matches.

4.8. Hertha BSC

Skibbe officially took over as manager of Hertha BSC on 27 December 2011. However, his tenure was remarkably short and unsuccessful. He was sacked on 12 February 2012, after just 43 days in charge, having suffered five consecutive losses in official matches without a single win. His record with Hertha BSC was 0 wins, 0 draws, and 5 losses in 5 matches.

4.9. Kardemir Karabükspor

On 17 May 2012, Skibbe was formally introduced as the new manager of Karabükspor on a two-year contract. However, he left the club on 5 November 2012, after a short period. His record with Karabükspor was 4 wins, 3 draws, and 5 losses in 12 matches.

4.10. Grasshopper Club Zürich

On 15 June 2013, Skibbe was appointed as the new manager of the Swiss club Grasshoppers, succeeding Uli Forte. He managed the team until January 2015, when his contract was terminated by mutual consent. This decision was made to accommodate Skibbe's desire for a new career direction. During his time with Grasshoppers, he recorded 31 wins, 14 draws, and 24 losses in 69 matches.

4.11. Eskişehirspor (Second Stint)

On 12 January 2015, Skibbe returned to manage Eskişehirspor in the Turkish Süper Lig, marking his second stint with the club. He had previously coached the team in 2011. His second period with Eskişehirspor saw him achieve a record of 10 wins, 6 draws, and 14 losses in 30 matches.

4.12. Greece National Team

On 29 October 2015, the Hellenic Football Federation appointed Michael Skibbe as the new head coach of the Greece national football team. He was brought in to succeed Sergio Markarián following the team's unsuccessful qualification campaign for UEFA Euro 2016.

Skibbe's tenure began with a challenging start, as Greece suffered a shocking 0-1 loss to Luxembourg in Differdange on 13 November 2015. His second match was an intense 0-0 derby draw against local rivals Turkey in Istanbul on 17 November 2015. Skibbe secured his first victory as Greece coach on 24 March 2016, with a 2-1 home win over Montenegro at the Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium in Piraeus, featuring goals from Giorgos Tzavellas and Nikos Karelis.

Subsequent matches included a 2-3 loss to Iceland in Piraeus, despite Greece initially leading 2-0. In June 2016, during a two-game tour of Australia, Greece lost the first match 0-1 in Sydney. However, Skibbe's side secured a notable 2-1 victory in the second game in Melbourne, with goals from Petros Mantalos and an extraordinary 60-meter strike from Giannis Maniatis that caught the Australian goalkeeper off guard. This marked Greece's first victory over Australia since 1978.

On 1 September 2016, Greece achieved a historic 2-1 away win over the Netherlands in an international friendly, marking their first-ever victory on Dutch soil, with goals from Kostas Mitroglou and Giannis Gianniotas. The team continued their strong performance in the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification campaign, defeating Gibraltar 4-1 in their opening group game on 6 September 2016. They also secured a commendable 1-1 draw against a strong Belgium squad on 25 March 2017.

Despite a 1-2 home loss to Belgium later, Greece's positive results against Cyprus and Gibraltar helped them secure second place in their World Cup qualification group, just above Bosnia & Herzegovina, and earning a spot in the playoffs. The playoff campaign against Croatia ended in disappointment with a heavy 1-4 away defeat in the first leg at Maksimir Stadion, which proved to be the aggregate score after a goalless draw in the return leg at Karaiskakis Stadium, leading to Greece's elimination.

Despite this outcome, the Hellenic Football Federation acknowledged Skibbe's significant contribution to restoring the national team's status after a devastating Euro 2016 qualifier campaign. His leadership was credited with bringing increased cohesion and chemistry among the players. On 12 November 2017, Skibbe announced his intention to remain as Greece coach, a decision later confirmed by the Federation with a two-year contract extension covering the UEFA Euro 2020 qualifiers. However, a poor showing in the initial rounds of the newly formed UEFA Nations League competition led the Federation to reconsider. Skibbe's removal as Greece manager was confirmed on 24 October 2018. His record with the Greece national team was 11 wins, 6 draws, and 10 losses in 27 matches.

4.13. Al-Ain

On 17 October 2020, Skibbe became the manager of Al-Ain FC in Saudi Arabia. His first match with the club resulted in a 0-1 loss to Al Hilal. His tenure was short-lived, as he was sacked on 28 January 2021. At the time of his dismissal, Al-Ain was at the bottom of the league table, six points away from safety. His record with Al-Ain was 4 wins, 1 draw, and 11 losses in 16 matches.

4.14. Sanfrecce Hiroshima

On 25 November 2021, Michael Skibbe was appointed as the manager of Sanfrecce Hiroshima in the J1 League. Under his leadership in 2022, the club achieved a third-place finish in the J1 League and was a runner-up in the Emperor's Cup. Most notably, he led Sanfrecce Hiroshima to their first-ever J.League Cup title. For his remarkable performance, Skibbe was awarded the J.League Manager of the Year in 2022. He also received the Monthly Excellent Manager Award in April and August 2022, and April 2023. He was again named J.League Manager of the Year in 2024. As of July 2023, his record with Sanfrecce Hiroshima stands at 40 wins, 12 draws, and 23 losses in 75 matches.

6.1. Club

Borussia Dortmund U19

• A-Junioren Bundesliga: 1994-95, 1995-96, 1996-97

Borussia Dortmund II

• Oberliga Westfalen: 1997-98

Galatasaray

• Turkish Super Cup: 2008

Sanfrecce Hiroshima

• J.League Cup: 2022
• Japanese Super Cup: 2025

6.2. Individual

• J.League Manager of the Year: 2022, 2024

7.1. Club

7.2. Managerial statistics