Fritz Korbach (18 July 1945 – 14 August 2011) was a German professional football player and manager.
As a player, Korbach was active for Dutch amateur clubs ZSC Patria and SV Baarn.
[1] In 1970, Korbach was appointed assistant to Bert Jacobs at the newly formed club FC Utrecht.
[6] Given his experience at both Dutch tiers, and his ideas on scouting and youth programs, he was the most fit of the twelve candidates.
[8] After this incident, Korbach's team (with Rinus Israel[9] Uri Banhoffer[10] and Ron Jans), became the champion of the Eerste Divisie and promoted to the Eredivisie.
However, when the Amsterdam board consulted with then-PEC Zwolle chairman Jan Wiersma, Korbach stormed the boardroom, asking 'at what time the fucking would start.'
With a 0–2 victory in the last match against FC VVV the team secured a second place behind DS'79 in the league, and Korbach's goal was achieved.
[13][14] Despite this, the club and the coach parted ways, and FC Twente lured Korbach to Enschede for 1983–84 season.
[18] Korbach developed a special game style, which had all the charms of English football: little fuss, attacking, demanding a lot of effort and a heartbreaking enthusiasm.
Willem van der Ark was given a chance to change the odds when Cambuur was awarded a penalty, but failed hopelessly.
[21] After less than two years without success, Korbach found a new challenge at SC Heerenveen before his second season ended.
[22] Although only 16th place in the second Dutch league was reached, the club rose to the Eredivisie by the play-offs for the first time in history.
[24] One of Korbach's skills was his talent to teach his players tactics in a simple yet charismatic and humorous way.
As player René van der Gijp recalled: "If he is talking about tactics, the trashman at the corner of the street understands it too.
Under Korbach, the club remained unbeaten the next fifteen matches, finishing in the Eredivisie at a sixth place.