BERLIN (AP) — Christoph Daum, the fearless soccer coach who was denied a job with the German national team after admitting to cocaine use, has died. He was 70.

Daum died on Saturday in his house in Cologne from the effects of cancer, family members told the dpa news agency on Sunday.

“He was a pioneer of modern football and followed football controversially and passionately until the end,” said DFB President Bernd Neuendorf. “I was able to experience this first hand at a personal meeting a few weeks before his death. He lived football with every fibre of his being.”

Daum’s battle with cancer was indicative of his life – even as a skinny little boy growing up in the western German city of Duisburg, he took on boys who were bigger and stronger.

As a passionate and demanding coach, he led Stuttgart to the Bundesliga title in 1992. But Daum never won the cup again. Between 1996 and 2000, he finished runner-up three times and third once with Bayer Leverkusen. In 2000, Leverkusen missed the chance to win the Bundesliga title for the first time with a 2-0 defeat at newly promoted Unterhaching. Daum said he had tears in his eyes.

Leverkusen would have to wait until this year before No more nickname “Neverkusen”But Daum’s contribution laid the foundation for the success. He was the guest of honour at the celebrations.

“Christoph has changed a lot here in terms of processes and internal structure. Under him, Bayer 04 has become the biggest competitor of Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund,” said the Leverkusen Rudi Völler said.

Daum was considered as coach of the German national team in 2000 after the team’s disappointing performance at the European Championships. However, his private life came under fire when his long-time rival Uli Hoeneß of Bayern Munich suggested in an interview that Daum had a drug problem. The media reported on cocaine parties with prostitutes.

Daum denied drug use and submitted hair samples for analysis. The samples showed traces of cocaine.

He was subsequently sacked as Leverkusen coach and the scandal also ended his dream of becoming national coach.

“It was a big mistake that I admitted and apologized for,” Daum said years later. “Who can say that their life was completely error-free? I certainly can’t. Ultimately, it’s important to recognize mistakes, correct them and then do better. That’s what it means to be human.”

Daum was also successful as a coach outside of Germany, winning the league and cup double with Austria Vienna in 2003 and the Turkish championship with Fenerbahce in 2004 and 2005. Before that, he had led city rivals Besiktas to the Turkish Cup (1994) and championship title (1995).

After Fenerbahce, Daum returned to Germany and helped 1. FC Köln to promotion to the Bundesliga in 2008.

He later returned to Fenerbahce and then coached Eintracht Frankfurt, Club Brugge, Bursaspor and Romania.

“Christoph Daum was a real child of the Bundesliga. As a motivator and communicator without a previous professional career, he helped shape the coaching profession and the Bundesliga at the beginning of the media age,” said Marc Lenz, the managing director of the German Football League.

Lenz said Daum “remained true to himself throughout his career, both in phases of success and after setbacks and mistakes.”

Daum, for his part, viewed his ups and downs with composure.

“You can fall. It doesn’t matter how many times you fall,” he said. “You just have to keep getting up.”

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