Andi Herzog
Austria's midfield maestro whose elegant playmaking and record-setting international career made him a national football icon.
Born 1968 (age 58)·Austrian footballer and manager·Birthday: September 10·Generation X
Biography
Andi Herzog embodied the creative heartbeat of Austrian football for over a decade. With a left foot capable of both delicate passes and thunderous strikes, he orchestrated play from midfield for club and country. His club zenith came at Werder Bremen, where his vision and technical skill flourished in the Bundesliga. But it was in the red-white-red jersey where he became a legend, amassing a then-record 103 caps and starring in two World Cups. His free-kick expertise and calm penalty-taking were trademarks. After hanging up his boots, Herzog smoothly transitioned to coaching, taking the helm of the Austrian national team and later serving as a trusted assistant to the United States and South Korea, proving his tactical mind matched his on-field intelligence. He remains the standard-bearer for Austrian midfield artistry.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Andi was born in 1968, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Andi Was Born
The biggest hits of 1968
#1 Movie
2001: A Space Odyssey
Best Picture
Oliver!
#1 TV Show
The Andy Griffith Show
Andi's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1968Born
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1973Started school
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1981Became a teenager
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1984Could drive
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1986Could vote
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1989Turned 21
Berlin Wall falls; Tiananmen Square protests
Gas: $1.00/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Look Away" — ChicagoBest Picture: Driving Miss Daisy
1998Turned 30
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2008Turned 40
Barack Obama elected first Black US president; financial crisis
Gas: $3.27/galHome: $153,100Min wage: $6.55/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Low" — Flo RidaBest Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
2018Turned 50
Royal wedding of Harry and Meghan; Parkland shooting
Gas: $2.72/galHome: $211,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"God's Plan" — DrakeBest Picture: Green Book
2026Age 58 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Earned 103 caps for Austria, a national record at the time of his retirement, scoring 26 international goals.
- Played a key role in Werder Bremen's 1992-93 Bundesliga title victory and their 1992 European Cup Winners' Cup win.
- Represented Austria at the 1990 and 1998 FIFA World Cup tournaments.
- Served as head coach of the Austrian national team from 2018 to 2020.
Did You Know?
He scored Austria's last goal in the 20th century, netting against Spain in 1999.
After his playing career, he earned a UEFA Pro coaching license.
He served as an assistant coach to Jürgen Klinsmann with both the United States and South Korea national teams.
His son, Andreas Herzog Jr., is also a professional footballer.
“The pass must arrive at the striker's foot at the perfect moment.”
