Daum, born in Zwickau in 1953, started playing football in 1971 and began his coaching career a decade later, taking charge of the likes of FC Köln, VfB Stuttgart, Bayer Leverkusen and Eintracht Frankfurt.

"German football is in mourning following the death of Christoph Daum. The former Bundesliga winner has died at the age of 70 after a long battle with cancer," the DFL said in an official statement.

Daum, who also managed Cologne and Bayer Leverkusen before winning titles in Turkey and Austria, went public with his battle with cancer in October 2022 to raise awareness of the disease.

"I try to live my life without letting cancer dominate it," Daum said at the time.

Throughout his long footballing career, the former coach maintained a combative attitude, stating that "cancer chose the wrong body".

"Christoph Daum has left an indelible mark on German football," said Bernd Neuendorf, President of the German Football Association (DFB). "He was a pioneer of modern football and fought passionately until the end."

Known for his energetic personality and direct style, Daum was also surrounded by controversy, including a career-defining incident.

He missed out on the chance to coach Germany after failing a cocaine test. At the time, Daum offered to take a hair test to prove his innocence, but the results showed traces of cocaine, prompting the DFB to terminate his contract.

In the 1980s, he twice led Cologne to second place in the Bundesliga, both times behind Bayern Munich, before winning the title with Stuttgart in 1992.

After Stuttgart, Daum moved to Leverkusen, where he finished runner-up on three occasions, losing the title to Bayern Munich in Unterhaching on the final day of the season when a draw would have secured the club their first ever top-flight title.

Bayern Munich was a recurring theme in Daum's career, and his rivalry with influential Bayern chairman Uli Hoeness was well known. Indeed, it was Hoeness who publicly accused him of drug use.

In addition to his success in Germany, Daum had already won the Turkish league with Besiktas in 1994 and later added two more titles with Fenerbahce. He also won the Austrian Bundesliga title with Austria Vienna.

Daum's most recent coaching position was as manager of the Romanian national team from 2016 to 2017.

Uli Hoeness was one of the first to offer his condolences, revealing that the two had "made peace years ago" and adding that "the news of his death affects me deeply".

In May 2024, Daum celebrated Leverkusen's league and cup double, a historic achievement for the club as they finally secured their first top-flight title.

Leverkusen's current coach, Spaniard Xabi Alonso, dedicated the title win to Daum, stating that the victory "must be shared and celebrated" in honour of the former coach.