Cologne - Much has been made of the Bundesliga’s prominent youth player policy proving to be a conveyer belt of top-class talent since the turn of the century, but the willingness to promote from within has now stretched to the dugout with equally successful results.

Due to their innate familiarity with the club, staff and players in question, youth coaches are emerging as first-choice candidates to fill head coach vacancies with increasing regularity in Germany’s top flight - Mainz's Martin Schmidt became the latest to join a select group currently strutting the Bundesliga sidelines.

Thomas Schaaf is the pre-eminent example of a coach coming through the ranks to lift a side to new heights. The now Eintracht Frankfurt boss set the bar with a 25-year spell at SV Werder Bremen, whom he guided to their most recent Bundesliga title in 2004 and three DFB Cup wins (1999, 2004, 2009). How are those following in his footsteps faring at present, though? bundesliga.com investigates…

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