LOTHAR MATTHÄUS Born: 21 March 1961 in Erlangen/Germany. Nickname: Loddar, Torminator. Position: Midfield, libero. Caps: (West) Germany 150 (1980-2000) / 23 goals Domestic League Games: (West) Germany 464 (1979-1988 & 1992-2000) / 121 goals Italy 115 (1988-1992) / 40 goals Domestic Cup Games: German Cup 57 (1979-1988 & 1992-2000) / 18 goals Coppa Italia 17 (1988-1992) / 7 goals European Cup Games: 98 (1979-2000) / 17 goals International Club Cup Games: European Champions Cup 48 (1985-2000) / 6 goals European Cup Winners’ Cup 5 (1984-1985) / 1 goal UEFA Cup 45 (1979-1996) / 10 goals European Footballer of the Year: 1988 (6th), 1989 (4th), 1990 (winner), 1991 (2nd) German Footballer of the Year: 1990, 1999 Clubs FC Herzogenaurach (1970-1979) Borussia Mönchengladbach (1979-1984) Bayern Munich (1984-1988) Internazionale Milano (1988-1992) Bayern Munich (1992-2000) New York Metro Stars (2000-2001) Trophies won (compact version): 1 World Cup 1 European Championship 7 German Championships (with Bayern) 1 Italian Championship (with Inter) 2 UEFA Cups (with Inter and Bayern) 3 German Cups (with Bayern) 3 German League Cups (with Bayern) 2 German Supercups (with Bayern) 1 Italian Supercup (with Inter) 1 time European Footballer of the Year 2 times German Footballer of the Year Trophies & Tournaments (detailed version): World Cup: 1990 World Cup runner-up: 1982*, 1986 European Championship: 1980 European Champions Cup: never European Champions Cup runner-up: 1987, 1999 European Cup Winners Cup: never UEFA-Cup: 1991, 1996 UEFA-Cup runner-up: 1980 German Champion: 1985, 1986, 1987, 1994, 1997, 1999, 2000 German runner-up: 1988, 1993, 1996, 1998 German Cup winner: 1986, 1998, 2000* German Cup runner-up: 1984, 1985, 1999 Italian Champion: 1989 Italian runner-up: 1991 Italian Cup winner: never Italian Cup runner-up: never Italian Supercup: 1989* Best League Goal Scorer: never World Cup Participation: 1982, 1986, 1990, 1994, 1998 European Championship Participation: 1980, 1984, 1988, 2000 * did not play in final Lothar Matthaus stands as one of the most decorated players of the modern era. His international career stretched a phenomenal 20 years and was littered with honours, accolades and success. Matthaus began his career at the German club of Borussia Monchengladbach and quickly made his mark in a fine side. In his first season at the club they reached the final of the UEFA Cup losing to fellow Germans Eintract Frankfurt 3-3 on aggregate. Matthaus himself scored in the 3-2 victory in the first leg but it was not enough. He made his international debut in the 1980 European Championships as a sub in the 3-2 win over bitter rivals Holland, Germany went on to lift the trophy becoming the first team to win the competition twice. At the 1982 World Cup Matthaus was still just 21 and not a key player. Although W Germany reached the final Matthaus himself only made two appearances, both as a sub, in the group stages against Chile and Austria. Matthaus final season at Monchengladbach saw the club finish 3rd in the league and heartbreakingly lose the final of the German cup to Bayern Munich. However at the 1984 European Championships Matthaus was a much more important figure for the W Germans than before, although it was not too be one of their most glorious tournaments (the first time they had not made the final of the European Championships since 1968. He came on as a sub in the 0-0 draw with Portugal and started in the victory over Romania and the defeat at the hands of Spain. After the championships Matthaus moved to Bundesliga giants Bayern Muninch and won the German title there. It was something of a breakthrough season there as Matthaus was a driving force behind their victory, scoring 16 times in 33 games. Again though the season was tinged with disappointment as Bayern lost the final 2-1 to Bayer Uerdingen. The next season Bayern made up for the disappointment winning the domestic double, and although Matthaus was ruled out for part of the season with injury, he still made a major contribution to their success. The 1986 World Cup saw W Germany back to form and Matthaus at the heart of the side. The Germans were drawn in a tough group alongside Uruguay, Denmark and Scotland. The opening game saw Uruguay take an early lead which they held until Klaus Allofs scored a late equaliser. In the game with the Scots, the Germans again went behind to an early goal but they responded well and won the game with Voller and Allofs on target again. The final game pitted the Germans against a Denmark side that had already beaten Scotland and thrashed Uruguay and were ably led by Michael Laudrup and Elkjær-Larsen. The Germans lost 2-0 but still progressed to face a Morocco side that had topped its group ahead of England. It was a very tight game which Matthaus finally settled with an 89th minute goal to see off the Africans. In the quarter finals the Germans played host nation Mexico and a dour game forced penalties with the Germans victorious and Matthaus scored the 3rd penalty to reach the semis. There they faced a French team weary from their own epic encounter with Brazil, but desperate for revenge for their defeat at the same stage 4 years earlier and for Schumacher’s infamous “tackle” on Battiston. The Germans took an early lead through Brehme, and in the dying moments Rudi Voller added a second. The final pitted the Germans against an Argentina side led by the great Diego Maradona, who had been in dazzling form to carry his team to their second final in 8 years. In that final manager Franz Beckenbauer decided to use Matthaus as a man-marker for Maradona, just as he had been used in the 1966 final to follow Bobby Charlton. The result was that the attacking threat posed by Matthaus was largely negated and he struggled to get into a game for which the Germans desperately needed him at his best. Argentina won the game 3-2, having led 2-0 before a spirited German fightback. Sadly for Matthaus and Beckenbauer the mistakes of 1966 had been repeated. In 1988 the Germans lined up for the European Championships with home advantage and a huge opportunity for fresh success. They were drawn in a tough group alongside Italy, Spain and Denmark, and after drawing their opener against the Italians, saw off the Spanish and the Danes (both 2-0) to top the group and set up a semi-final clash with the Dutch. Matthaus later said that it had been like an away game for the Germans despite it being played in Hamburg, such was the intensity of the Dutch support. Matthaus put the W Germans ahead with a penalty in the 55th minute, but Koeman hit back with a penalty of his own. With the game balanced on a knife-edge the ball was played into Marco Van Basten and he somehow managed to hook the ball into the net from the edge of the 18 yard box. The Germans were somehow eliminated and it was all the more bitter that the Dutch had inflicted it upon them. After the European Championships of 1988 Matthaus moved to Italian giants Internazionale of Milan in a spell which would result in great success for both parties. Of particular importance was the 1988/9 season in which Mattheus was at his imperious best as Inter marched to Lo Scudetto. Despite being sent off twice during the season, a sign of his temper as much as his will to win, Matthaus netted 9 times, a superb record for a midfielder, as Inter saw of the challenge of Maradona’s Napoli as well as that of fierce city rivals Milan to win the league by eleven points. The following season Matthaus was in even better form, but Inter were unable to hold off a strong challenge from Napoli and eventually finished 3rd. The 1990 World Cup was perhaps Matthaus' finest hour as he captained W Germany to their 3rd title and was named the player of the tournament. W Germany started the competition with a flourish thrashing dark horses Yugoslavia (in which Matthaus scored one of the goals of the tournament) 4-1 and minnows UAE 5-1. The final game against Colombia was something of an irrelevance as the Germans had already qualified, but they were caught late on by a Freddy Rincon goal which saw them take a draw. In the second round the Germans faced the Dutch in a repeat of the 1988 European Championship semi-final. The Dutch bossed the early stages but the Germans rallied and took a two goal lead courtesy of Klinnsman and Brehme. The Dutch were able to pull one back late on through a Koeman penalty but the Germans had won a game marred by the antics of Rijkaard and Voller which saw both players sent off. The quarter finals pitted the West Germans against Czechoslovakia their conquerors in the 1976 European final and again the match was settled by a penalty. This time though it was the Germans who emerged victorious in one of the most dull games of the competition. Jurgen Klinsmann won a rather dubious penalty which was hammered home by the captain Matthaus, although the Germans were fortunate not to concede a penalty themselves late on when Lubo Moravcik was brought down in the box (the Czech was remarkably sent off for his protestations). The semifinal against England was a classic as most encounters between the two great nations have been. It was W Germany who drew first blood as an Andreas Brehme freekick reared up of the oncoming Paul Parker and looped high over Peter Shilton in the England goal. England were soon back on terms though as Gary Lineker scored his tenth World Cup goal to send the match into extra-time. The added spell could not separate the two teams, despite both hitting the woodwork, and the match went to penalties. Matthaus took the first and made no mistake, neither did the rest of his team mates and the Germans progressed to yet another final. It was of course a repeat of the 1986 final as the Germans faced Argentina. Sadly it was a game of few chances and little invention spoiled by the cynicism of both teams. The Argentinians were missing Cannigia, the one player who had made a real impact in the competition, and seemed content to sit and wait for penalties or a moment of inspiration by their talisman Maradona. Indeed the closest the Argentine came to breaking the deadlock was a pass back by (Augenthaler or Buchwald) which sent Ilgner sprawling. The game was marred early in the second half by a crude foul by the substitute Pedro Monzon on Klinsmann who did his opponent no favours with his theatrics, and Monzon became the first man ever to be sent off in a world cup final. After that the final descended into chaos, although Germany were able to win a hotly debated penalty after a "dive" by Rudi Voller following a challenge by Nestor Sensini. Andreas Brehme cooly buried the spotkick to give the German a decisive lead with 5 minutes to play. After the penalty Dezotti was sent off for attempting to strangle Jurgen Kohler. It was a fitting end to one of the most bitter, cynical and petulant World Cups seen. In the 1990/1 season Matthaus won his first piece of European silverware, the UEFA Cup with Inter. Inter started the campaign slowly needing extra-time to see of Rapid Vienna in the opening round. The second round pitted them against England’s Aston Villa and it took a massive effort in the second leg in Milan to successfully overturn a 2-0 deficit but they managed it and went through 3-2 on aggregate. Matthaus scored in both legs as Inter brushed aside Partizan Belgrade to set up a quarter final encounter with their compatriots Atalanta. After drawing the first leg 0-0 Matthaus scored a vital goal in the second that saw Inter progress 2-0. The semifinal saw Inter play Portuguese side Sporting Lisbon in a tie very similar to that of the last round. After drawing the first leg 0-0 Matthaus scored an early goal which set Inter on their way to a first European final for 19 years. Inter were drawn to play fellow Italians Roma in the final and won the first leg 2-0 (Matthaus scoring again) before clinging on in the second leg to win the trophy. In 1992 Matthaus returned to FC Bayern after an overwhelmingly successful spell in Italy. The 1994 World Cup saw Matthaus move position to sweeper in a role reminiscent of his great predecessor Franz Beckenbauer. It was not a good move for him. Matthaus did not look anywhere near his best and the German team were all the worse for it. They shockingly crashed out to the tournament’s surprise package, Bulgaria, in the quarter finals. In the 1995/6 season Matthaus and Bayern had an excellent season in Europe, picking up the UEFA Cup, the second of Matthaus’ career. The season saw Bayern drawn up against such European heavyweights as Benfica, Nottingham Forest and Barcelona before facing Girondins Bordeaux in the final. It was an easy victory for Bayern eventually winning 5-1 on aggregate. The 1998/9 season was one of mixed emotions for Matthaus and Bayern. They won the league comfortably by 15 points from their nearest challengers Bayer Leverkusen. However, the Champions League and Cup campaigns both provided a roller coaster of emotions. Bayern initially faced FK Obilic in a premilinary round which they breezed though 4-0 and 1-1, Matthaus scoring in the second leg. In the group stage they faced an extremely tough task being drawn in with Manchester United, Barcelona and Brondby. Bayern recovered from an early slip away at Brondby to top the group after beating Barca twice and drawing twice with Manchester United. In the quarter finals they were drawn against Kaiserslautern their fellow Germans and humbled them 6-0 on aggregate. The semi final was a classic encounter against Dynamo Kiev arguably the team of the tournament so far and the team that had eliminated the defending champions Real Madrid. The first leg saw the two teams draw 3-3 before Bayern eventually overcame them 1-0 in the second leg. Many observers felt Bayern fortunate to make it to the final. However, if their had been any luck in them getting so far it was to evaporate in the final, against Manchester United. Bayern went ahead early on through a Mario Basler freekick which seemed to completely deceive Peter Schmeical despite not really deviating. Bayern hit the bar and the post through Jancker and Scholl before Matthaus was substituted with just 10 minutes to go. Matthaus up till now had every piece of silverware worth winning with one glaring exception, the Champions League. Sadly it was to still elude him at the end as United broke the byern hearts with 2 goals in stoppage time through Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. To compound his misery Bayern lost the German Cup final the next month on a penalty shootout with Matthaus himself missing a crucial penalty. The next season was to be his last in Germany and he moved to the New York Metrostars where he finished his playing career. He went on to manage Rapid Vienna and Partizan Belgrade and is currently the manager of the Hungarian national team. League Statistics per Season Season - Club - Games – Goals [ Caps / Goals ] 1979/80 Borussia Moenchengladbach.... 28 / 04 [ 1 / 0 ] 1980/81 Borussia Moenchengladbach.....33 / 03 [ 0 / 0 ] 1981/82 Borussia Moenchengladbach.....33 / 10 [ 8 / 0 ] 1982/83 Borussia Moenchengladbach.....34 / 08 [ 5 / 0 ] 1983/84 Borussia Moenchengladbach.....34 / 11 [12 / 0 ] 1984/85 Bayern Munich.......................33 / 16 [ 9 / 1 ] 1985/86 Bayern Munich.......................23 / 10 [13 / 2 ] 1986/87 Bayern Munich.......................31 / 14 [ 6 / 1 ] 1987/88 Bayern Munich.......................26 / 17 [11 / 3 ] 1988/89 Internazionale.......................32 / 09 [ 4 / 1 ] 1989/90 Internazionale.......................25 / 11 [12 / 6 ] 1990/91 Internazionale.......................31 / 16 [ 7 / 4 ] 1991/92 Internazionale.......................27 / 04 [ 5 / 1 ] 1992/93 Bayern Munich......................28 / 08 [ 7 / 0 ] 1993/94 Bayern Munich......................33 / 08 [16 / 1 ] 1994/95 Bayern Munich......................16 / 05 [ 5 / 2 ] 1995/96 Bayern Munich......................19 / 01 1996/97 Bayern Munich......................28 / 01 1997/98 Bayern Munich......................25 / 03 [ 7 / 0 ] 1998/99 Bayern Munich......................25 / 01 [10 / 1 ] 1999/00 Bayern Munich......................15 / 01 [11 / 0 ] International Club Games 1979/80 Borussia Moenchengladbach.....UEFA-Cup........11 / 03 1981/82 Borussia Moenchengladbach.....UEFA-Cup........04 / 01 1984/85 Bayern Munich.......................EC II..............05 / 01 1985/86 Bayern Munich.......................EC I...............03 / 00 1986/87 Bayern Munich.......................EC I...............07 / 04 1987/88 Bayern Munich.......................EC I...............04 / 01 1988/89 Internazionale.......................UEFA-Cup........05 / 00 1989/90 Internazionale.......................EC I...............02 / 00 1990/91 Internazionale.......................UEFA-Cup.......10 / 05 1991/92 Internazionale.......................UEFA-Cup.......02 / 00 1993/94 Bayern Munich......................UEFA-Cup.......04 / 01 1994/95 Bayern Munich......................EC I...............06 / 00 1995/96 Bayern Munich......................UEFA-Cup........07 / 00 1996/97 Bayern Munich......................UEFA-Cup........02 / 00 1997/98 Bayern Munich......................EC I................05 / 00 1998/99 Bayern Munich......................EC I................12 / 01 1999/00 Bayern Munich......................EC I................09 / 00
Can always remember my coach when i played youth team football for a team just outside Gladbach saying that Gladbach had a young player who was going to be abit special. The rest, as they say, was history.
Here is a link to the master thread of profiles. https://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showthread.php?t=232370
I just miss the fact that Matthaeus was "World footballer of the year" in 1991 and also World Sportsman. He was a force of his time.