In late 1974 "Kicker Sportmagazin" asked its readers to vote for the "Kicker of the Year" (Kicker des Jahres). Readers were asked to vote the best player for a number of positions. "Kicker" adapted (roughly) the same positional categories which they had used in their semi-annual "Rangliste" (Ranking of German football). The intention was to offer an alternative to their own "Rangliste" in asking their readers to vote their own "best players" for each position. From 1974 to 1991, the poll took place in January of the following year, thus the results mirrored the calendar year. In 1992 this was changed and the voting took place at the end of a season from then on. The poll was a great success right from the start (in 1988 roughly 25,000 votes were collected). German players who plied their trade abroad were not eligible. These are the winners: Goalkeepers 1974 Rudolf KARGUS 1975 Rudolf KARGUS 1976 Josef MAIER 1977 Josef MAIER 1978 Josef MAIER 1979 Norbert NIGBUR 1980 Harald SCHUMACHER 1981 Harald SCHUMACHER 1982 Harald SCHUMACHER 1983 Jean-Marie PFAFF 1984 Harald SCHUMACHER 1985 Harald SCHUMACHER 1986 Harald SCHUMACHER 1987 Andreas KÖPKE 1988 Raimond AUMANN 1989 Ulrich STEIN 1990 Raimond AUMANN 1991 Bodo ILLGNER 1992-93 Andreas KÖPKE 1993-94 Oliver KAHN 1994-95 Andreas KÖPKE 1995-96 Andreas KÖPKE 1996-97 Oliver KAHN 1997-98 Oliver KAHN 1998-99 Oliver KAHN 1999-00 Oliver KAHN 2000-01 Oliver KAHN 2001-02 Oliver KAHN 2002-03 Oliver KAHN 2003-04 Timo HILDEBRAND 2004-05 Roman WEIDENFELLER 2005-06 Robert ENKE 2006-07 Manuel NEUER 2007-08 René ADLER 2008-09 Robert ENKE 2009-10 Jörg BUTT 2010-11 Manuel NEUER 2011-12 Marc-André TER STEGEN 2012-13 Roman WEIDENFELLER 2013-14 Manuel NEUER 2014-15 Manuel NEUER Defenders 1974 Hans-Hubert VOGTS 1975 Hans-Hubert VOGTS 1976 Hans-Hubert VOGTS 1977 Hans-Hubert VOGTS 1978 Bernard DIETZ 1979 Manfred KALTZ 1980 Manfred KALTZ 1981 Manfred KALTZ 1982 Karlheinz FÖRSTER 1983 Karlheinz FÖRSTER 1984 Karlheinz FÖRSTER 1985 Karlheinz FÖRSTER 1986 Karlheinz FÖRSTER 1987 Jürgen KOHLER 1988 Jürgen KOHLER 1989 Guido BUCHWALD 1990 Jürgen KOHLER 1991 Martin KREE 1992-93 Guido BUCHWALD 1993-94 Guido BUCHWALD 1994-95 Júlio CÉSAR 1995-96 Jürgen KOHLER 1996-97 Jürgen KOHLER 1997-98 Christian WÖRNS 1998-99 Samuel KUFFOUR 1999-00 Robert KOVAC Liberos 1974 Franz BECKENBAUER 1975 Franz BECKENBAUER 1976 Franz BECKENBAUER 1977 Manfred KALTZ 1978 Gerhard ZEWE 1979 Bernhard CULLMANN 1980 Bruno PEZZEY 1981 Franz BECKENBAUER 1982 Gerhard STRACK 1983 Gerhard STRACK 1984 Matthias HERGET 1985 Matthias HERGET 1986 Thomas HÖRSTER 1987 Matthias HERGET 1988 Klaus AUGENTHALER 1989 Klaus AUGENTHALER 1990 Manfred BINZ 1991 Manfred BINZ 1992-93 Olaf THON 1993-94 Lothar MATTHÄUS 1994-95 Matthias SAMMER 1995-96 Matthias SAMMER 1996-97 Olaf THON 1997-98 Lothar MATTHÄUS 1998-99 Lothar MATTHÄUS 1999-00 Jens NOWOTNY 2000-01 Jens NOWOTNY Central Defenders 2001-02 LÚCIO 2002-03 Thomas LINKE 2003-04 Valérien ISMAEL 2004-05 LÚCIO 2005-06 LÚCIO 2006-07 Marcelo BORDON 2007-08 Martín DEMICHELIS 2008-09 Josip SIMUNIC 2009-10 Mats HUMMELS Defenders 2010-11 Mats HUMMELS 2011-12 Mats HUMMELS 2012-13 DANTE 2013-14 Mats HUMMELS 2014-15 Jérome BOATENG Defensive Laterals 2000-01 Bixente LIZARAZU 2001-02 Bixente LIZARAZU 2002-03 Arne FRIEDRICH 2003-04 Philipp LAHM 2004-05 Bixente LIZARAZU 2005-06 Philipp LAHM 2006-07 Marcell JANSEN 2007-08 Philipp LAHM 2008-09 Philipp LAHM 2009-10 Philipp LAHM Midfielders 1974 Rainer BONHOF 1975 Herbert WIMMER 1976 Rainer BONHOF 1977 Heinz FLOHE 1978 Hansi MÜLLER 1979 Paul BREITNER 1980 Hansi MÜLLER 1981 Paul BREITNER 1982 Paul BREITNER 1983 Lothar MATTHÄUS 1984 Uwe RAHN 1985 Uwe RAHN 1986 Uwe RAHN 1987 Olaf THON 1988 Thomas HÄSSLER 1989 Thomas HÄSSLER Defensive Midfielders 1990 Stefan REUTER 1991 Guido BUCHWALD Offensive Midfielders 1990 Andreas MÖLLER 1991 Andreas MÖLLER Midfielders 1992-93 Matthias SAMMER 1993-94 Mario BASLER 1994-95 Mario BASLER 1995-96 Mehmet SCHOLL 1996-97 Dariusz WOSZ 1997-98 Ciriaco SFORZA 1998-99 Stefan EFFENBERG 1999-00 Stefan EFFENBERG Defensive Midfielders 2000-01 Jens JEREMIES 2001-02 Michael BALLACK 2002-03 Michael BALLACK 2003-04 Fabian ERNST 2004-05 Fabian ERNST 2005-06 Torsten FRINGS 2006-07 Torsten FRINGS 2007-08 Simon ROLFES 2008-09 JOSUÉ 2009-10 Bastian SCHWEINSTEIGER Offensive Midfielders 2000-01 Mehmet SCHOLL 2001-02 Tomás ROSICKÝ 2002-03 Krassimir BALAKOV 2003-04 Johan MICOUD 2004-05 MARCELINHO 2005-06 Michael BALLACK 2006-07 DIEGO 2007-08 DIEGO 2008-09 Zvjezdan MISIMOVIC 2009-10 Mesut ÖZIL Offensive Laterals 2001-02 ZÉ ROBERTO 2002-03 Paul FREIER 2003-04 Bastian SCHWEINSTEIGER 2004-05 Bastian SCHWEINSTEIGER 2005-06 Bastian SCHWEINSTEIGER 2006-07 Bernd SCHNEIDER 2007-08 Franck RIBÉRY 2008-09 Franck RIBÉRY 2009-10 Arjen ROBBEN Midfielders 2011 Nuri SAHIN 2012 Marco REUS 2013 Franck RIBÉRY 2014 Marco REUS 2015 Kevin DE BRUYNE Forwards 1974 Gerhard MÜLLER 1975 Josef HEYNCKES 1976 Gerhard MÜLLER 1977 Klaus FISCHER 1978 Kevin KEEGAN 1979 Karl-Heinz RUMMENIGGE 1980 Karl-Heinz RUMMENIGGE 1981 Karl-Heinz RUMMENIGGE 1982 Karl-Heinz RUMMENIGGE 1983 Karl-Heinz RUMMENIGGE 1984 Klaus ALLOFS 1985 Rudolf VÖLLER 1986 Rudolf VÖLLER 1987 Jürgen KLINSMANN 1988 Jürgen KLINSMANN 1989 Karl-Heinz RIEDLE 1990 Brian LAUDRUP 1991 Stéphane CHAPUISAT 1992-93 Stéphane CHAPUISAT 1993-94 Anthony YEBOAH 1994-95 Heiko HERRLICH 1995-96 Jürgen KLINSMANN 1996-97 Ulf KIRSTEN 1997-98 Olaf MARSCHALL 1998-99 Michael PREETZ 1999-00 Martin MAX 2000-01 Ebbe SAND 2001-02 Márcio AMOROSO 2002-03 Fredi BOBIC 2003-04 AÍLTON 2004-05 Roy MAKAAY 2005-06 Miroslav KLOSE 2006-07 Theofanis GEKAS 2007-08 Luca TONI 2008-09 GRAFITE 2009-10 Edin DZEKO 2010-11 Mario GOMEZ 2011-12 Klaas-Jan HUNTELAAR 2012-13 Robert LEWANDOWSKI 2013-14 Robert LEWANDOWSKI 2014-15 Robert LEWANDOWSKI Managers 1976 Dettmar CRAMER 1977 Hennes WEISWEILER 1978 Jürgen SUNDERMANN 1979 Udo LATTEK 1980 Karl-Heinz FELDKAMP 1981 Josef HEYNCKES 1982 Ernst HAPPEL 1983 Udo LATTEK 1984 Rolf SCHAFSTALL 1985 Otto REHHAGEL 1986 Josef HEYNCKES 1987 Otto REHHAGEL 1988 Otto REHHAGEL 1989 Otto REHHAGEL 1990 - 1991 Karl-Heinz FELDKAMP 1992-93 Ottmar HITZFELD 1993-94 Franz BECKENBAUER 1994-95 Volker FINKE 1995-96 Ottmar HITZFELD 1996-97 Klaus TOPPMÖLLER 1997-98 Otto REHHAGEL 1998-99 Ottmar HITZFELD 1999-00 Ottmar HITZFELD 2000-01 Ottmar HITZFELD 2001-02 Klaus TOPPMÖLLER 2002-03 Felix MAGATH 2003-04 Thomas SCHAAF 2004-05 Jürgen KLOPP 2005-06 Hans MEYER 2006-07 Armin VEH 2007-08 Ottmar HITZFELD 2008-09 Felix MAGATH 2009-10 Louis VAN GAAL 2010-11 Jürgen KLOPP 2011-12 Jürgen KLOPP 2012-13 Josef HEYNCKES 2013-14 Jürgen KLOPP 2014-15 Jürgen KLOPP Thanks to BigSoccer poster Raute who provided the data for the years 1992 onwards!