 Sammer in 2013 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | (1967-09-05)5 September 1967 (age 58) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Dresden, East Germany | |||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.81 m (5 ft 11 in)[1] | |||||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Defensive midfielder,sweeper | |||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 1976–1985 | Dynamo Dresden | |||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||||||
| 1985–1990 | Dynamo Dresden | 102 | (39) | |||||||||||||||||
| 1990–1992 | VfB Stuttgart | 63 | (20) | |||||||||||||||||
| 1992–1993 | Inter Milan | 11 | (4) | |||||||||||||||||
| 1993–1998 | Borussia Dortmund | 115 | (21) | |||||||||||||||||
| Total | 291 | (84) | ||||||||||||||||||
| International career | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 1986–1990 | East Germany | 23 | (6) | |||||||||||||||||
| 1990–1997 | Germany | 51 | (8) | |||||||||||||||||
| Managerial career | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2000–2004 | Borussia Dortmund | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2004–2005 | VfB Stuttgart | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2012–2016 | Bayern Munich (sports director) | |||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
| ||||||||||||||||||||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | ||||||||||||||||||||
Matthias Sammer (German pronunciation:[maˈtiːasˈzamɐ]; born 5 September 1967) is a Germanfootball official and former player and coach. He played as adefensive midfielder and later in his career as asweeper.
WithBorussia Dortmund as a player, Sammer won theBundesliga andDFB-Supercup in 1995, the Bundesliga, DFB-Supercup, andEuropean Footballer of the Year in 1996, and theUEFA Champions League andIntercontinental Cup in 1997.Germany won theUEFA Euro 1996 with Sammer as a player, where he was named thetournament's best player, and was subsequently awarded theBallon d'Or later that year. Sammer retired with 74 totalcaps, 23 forEast Germany and 51 for the unified side. Known for his exceptional defensive skills, including his ability to read the game, make interceptions, and tackle effectively, Sammer is regarded as one of the greatest defenders of all time.[2]
With Sammer as a manager, Borussia Dortmund won the Bundesliga in 2002.
Sammer started his career atDynamo Dresden when he joined the club's youth team as a nine-year-old in 1976.[3] He made his debut for the senior team under the management of his father,Klaus Sammer, in the1985–86 season. Playing as a striker, he scored eight goals in his first season as Dynamo finished fifth in theDDR-Oberliga. After being moved to the left wing thefollowing season by new managerEduard Geyer, he eventually found his place in central midfield during the1987–88 season.
In the1988–89 season, Sammer was part of the Dynamo Dresden team which won theEast German championship. The same season the club also reached the semi-final of theUEFA Cup where they were knocked out byWest German clubVfB Stuttgart.The following year Dynamo won the league and cupdouble, defending the DDR-Oberliga title and also winning the1990FDGB-Pokal.
Sammer was formally an officer of theVolkspolizei, as a player of Dynamo Dresden. He enrolled into theFelix Dzerzhinsky Guards Regiment as a 19-year-old. Many players of Dynamo Dresden were assigned to the regiment for their military service. Sammer then served as a non-commissioned officer in the Guards Regiment for three years from 1987,[4] holding the rank ofsergeant in the Stasi.[5] The President of SV Dynamo was the head of the StasiErich Mielke. Sammer has explained that he would not have been able to continue to play football for Dynamo Dresden if he had refused to serve with the Guards Regiment and that he never saw any weapon or took part in any military exercise. He has described his employment with the Guard Regiment as an alibi to play football to Dynamo Dresden.[4]
In the summer of 1990, Sammer joinedVfB Stuttgart of theBundesliga. Sammer scored 11 times inhis debut season as Stuttgart finished sixth in the Bundesliga.The following year Sammer scored nine goals, helping Stuttgart to become thefirst champions of thereunified Germany.
After two seasons at Stuttgart, Sammer joined Italian clubInter Milan for the1992–93 Serie A season. Though he was a success on the pitch, scoring four times in 11 appearances, including a goal againstJuventus in theDerby d'Italia, Sammer failed to adapt to the Italian lifestyle and returned to Germany in January 1993.
In the winter break of the1992–93 season, Sammer signed forBorussia Dortmund. He made 17 Bundesliga appearances in the second half of the season, scoring ten times.
The following season, Sammer was moved from midfield into thelibero position by Dortmund coachOttmar Hitzfeld. This move proved to be successful as Dortmund won back-to-back Bundesliga titles in1994–95 and1995–96, followed by the1996–97 UEFA Champions League, with Sammer lifting theEuropean Cup ascaptain after beatingJuventus 3–1 inthe final atMunich'sOlympiastadion.
Soon after winning the Champions League, Sammer's career was cut short by injury. He made only three further Bundesliga appearances for Dortmund before suffering a serious knee injury which he failed to recover from and retired in 1998.[6]
In addition to the two Bundesliga titles and one Champions League, Sammer also led Dortmund to twoDFB-Supercups, in1995 and1996. Sammer himself was namedFootballer of the Year (Germany) in both 1995 and 1996 and was namedEuropean Footballer of the Year in 1996, making him the firstdefender to win the Ballon d'Or sinceFranz Beckenbauer in 1976.
Sammer represented theGDR at every age group. He was part of the East German squads which won the1986 UEFA European Under-18 Football Championship and finished third at the1987 FIFA World Youth Championship.
In November 1986, he made his debut for the fullEast Germany national football team in aUEFA Euro 1988qualifier againstFrance atZentralstadion in Leipzig.
On 12 September 1990, Sammer captained East Germany in its final match. He scored both goals as the GDR beatBelgium 2–0 inBrussels.[7]
On 19 December 1990, Sammer debuted for the newly formed unifiedGermany national football team, which was mostly made up of theWest Germany team that had won the1990 FIFA World Cup. The match was played athis home stadium inStuttgart and Germany ran out 4–0 winners againstSwitzerland.
Sammer was a member of the German squad forUEFA Euro 1992, where the team was beaten inthe final byDenmark.[8] He was also selected for the1994 FIFA World Cup, as Germany was surprisingly knocked out by the underdogBulgaria at the quarter-final stage.
InUEFA Euro 1996, Sammer played in the libero role he had been converted to at Borussia Dortmund. He scored the opening goal in Germany's second group match againstRussia and the winning goal againstCroatia in the quarter-final. After Germany defeated theCzech Republic inthe final, Sammer was named Player of the Tournament.[9]
On 7 June 1997, Sammer played his final match for Germany in a1998 FIFA World Cup qualifier againstUkraine inKyiv. He did not take part at the1998 FIFA World Cup due to injury.[10]
Sammer usually played as asweeper during the height of his career, in particular in later years, although he was also capable of playing in severalmidfield andoffensive roles; indeed, he was often deployed further up the pitch earlier in his career, including in aholding role, as anattacking midfielder, as acentral midfielder, as aleft winger, as adeep-lying playmaker, or even as astriker on occasion, courtesy of his technique, stamina, passing ability, and vision. Although he was not the most physically gifted defender, due to his slender frame, he was regarded as a world class player in his position, in particular due to his intelligence and positional sense, while he was also able to improve his tackling ability as his career progressed. Despite his moredefensive playing role, he was also a talented and energetic player, who was known for his eye for goal, athleticism, elegance, finesse, and offensive capabilities, and had a penchant for undertaking individual forward runs with the ball towards the opposing penalty area. Beyond his skills as a footballer, he was also known as an influential player and a commanding presence on the pitch, who stood out for his charismatic leadership qualities, determination, bravery, and composure under pressure. Despite his ability and reputation as one of the greatest sweepers of all time, however, he was also known to be prone to injuries, which ultimately forced him to retire from professional football at the age of 31.[a]
After retirement, Sammer became head coach ofBorussia Dortmund on 1 July 2000.[21] Sammer led Borussia Dortmund to another Bundesliga title in2002. His team reached the2001–02 UEFA Cupfinal the same year but lost 2–3 againstFeyenoord. Sammer was sacked at the end of the2003–04 season after Dortmund finished in sixth place.
Sammer returned toVfB Stuttgart as head coach for the2004–05 season.[22] Despite finishing one point off a Champions League qualifying position, Sammer left the club on 3 June 2005.[23]
On 1 April 2006, he was appointed technical director ofGerman Football Association (DFB), on a five-year contract. The position was new in the DFB at the time and had been initiated by national coachJürgen Klinsmann, who undertook major structural reforms in the DFB during his short time of two years as a coach, with an impact lasting much longer than his actual term. The position included responsibility for the national youth teams, focusing on young talents between the ages of eleven and eighteen, as well as incorporating the latest developments in sports science into the DFB's training theories. Sammer was also expected to work on a tactical system for all of Germany's national sides in close co-operation with national coachJoachim Löw. He is credited of having led the declining quality of German football from its worst era at the beginning of the 2000s to new success through several talented players developed in the restructured youth system.
On 2 July 2012, he took over asSporting Director ofBayern Munich and replacedChristian Nerlinger, who had been released following Bayern's treble losses in Bundesliga, German Cup and Champions League and because of his strained relationship with the club.[24] As Sporting Director, Sammer was a member of themanagement board responsible for the professional playing staff of the club.[24]
In his first season, Sammer orchestrated FC Bayern's turnaround to the firsttreble in club history by claiming the2012–13 Bundesliga, the2012–13 UEFA Champions League and the2012–13 DFB-Pokal in record-setting fashion. In the next years three consecutive Bundesliga championships and two cup wins followed.
In spring 2016, he had a "minute circulatory disorder in the brain"[25] and had to take a break from his work. During his recovery, he gained a new perspective on his work and family life and asked FC Bayern to release him from his position as sporting director which they granted.[26][27] Afterwards Munich continued working without any sporting director for a year before they presentedHasan Salihamidžić as his replacement.
Following this he effectively retired, initially working as a pundit forEurosport for a while but ruling out to continue this in the future. In 2018, he started to work part-time as an adviser for Borussia Dortmund, meeting with the club for talks every two weeks, and is regularly seen sitting next to Dortmund's management during matches.
Sammer is married and has three children, Sarah, Marvin, and Leon. He lives inMunich, Germany.[28] He is the son ofKlaus Sammer, a former player and manager of Dynamo Dresden.[29]
| Club | Season | League | National cup[b] | League cup[c] | Europe | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Dynamo Dresden | 1985–86 | DDR-Oberliga | 18 | 8 | 4 | 6 | – | 6[d] | 2 | – | 28 | 16 | ||
| 1986–87 | 20 | 7 | 3 | 2 | – | – | – | 23 | 9 | |||||
| 1987–88 | 19 | 8 | 3 | 1 | – | 2[e] | 0 | – | 24 | 9 | ||||
| 1988–89 | 25 | 6 | 3 | 1 | – | 10[e] | 0 | – | 38 | 7 | ||||
| 1989–90 | 20 | 9 | 5 | 4 | – | 2[f] | 0 | – | 27 | 13 | ||||
| Total | 102 | 38 | 18 | 14 | – | 20 | 2 | – | 140 | 54 | ||||
| VfB Stuttgart | 1990–91 | Bundesliga | 30 | 11 | 3 | 1 | – | – | – | 33 | 12 | |||
| 1991–92 | 33 | 9 | 3 | 1 | – | 3[e] | 1 | – | 35 | 11 | ||||
| Total | 63 | 20 | 6 | 2 | – | 3 | 1 | – | 68 | 23 | ||||
| Inter Milan | 1992–93 | Serie A | 11 | 4 | 1 | 0 | – | – | – | 12 | 4 | |||
| Borussia Dortmund | 1992–93 | Bundesliga | 17 | 10 | – | – | – | – | 17 | 10 | ||||
| 1993–94 | 29 | 4 | 2 | 0 | – | 8[e] | 0 | – | 39 | 4 | ||||
| 1994–95 | 28 | 4 | 1 | 1 | – | 7[e] | 0 | – | 36 | 5 | ||||
| 1995–96 | 22 | 3 | 3 | 1 | – | 6[g] | 0 | 1[h] | 0 | 32 | 4 | |||
| 1996–97 | 21 | 0 | 1 | 0 | – | 5[g] | 0 | 1[h] | 0 | 28 | 0 | |||
| 1997–98 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1[g] | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | ||
| Total | 115 | 21 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 27 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 153 | 23 | ||
| Career total | 296 | 83 | 33 | 18 | 1 | 0 | 50 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 382 | 104 | ||
East Germany
| East Germany | ||
| Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|
| 1986 | 1 | 0 |
| 1987 | 0 | 0 |
| 1988 | 6 | 1 |
| 1989 | 11 | 2 |
| 1990 | 5 | 3 |
| Total | 23 | 6 |
International goals
| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 31 August 1988 | Friedrich-Ludwig-Jahn-Sportpark,East Berlin,East Germany |  Greece | 1–0 | 1–0 | Friendly |
| 2. | 6 September 1989 | Laugardalsvöllur,Reykjavík,Iceland |  Iceland | 1–0 | 3–0 | 1990 FIFA World Cup qualifying |
| 3. | 8 October 1989 | Stadion an der Gellertstraße,Karl-Marx-Stadt, East Germany |  Soviet Union | 2–1 | 2–1 | 1990 FIFA World Cup qualifying |
| 4. | 11 April 1990 | Stadion an der Gellertstraße, Karl-Marx-Stadt, East Germany |  Egypt | 2–0 | 2–0 | Friendly |
| 5. | 12 September 1990 | Constant Vanden Stock Stadium,Brussels, Belgium |  Belgium | 1–0 | 2–0 | Friendly |
| 6. | 12 September 1990 | Constant Vanden Stock Stadium, Brussels, Belgium | Belgium | 2–0 | 2–0 | Friendly |
Germany
| Germany | ||
| Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 1 | 0 |
| 1991 | 3 | 0 |
| 1992 | 9 | 1 |
| 1993 | 6 | 0 |
| 1994 | 12 | 2 |
| 1995 | 6 | 2 |
| 1996 | 11 | 3 |
| 1997 | 3 | 0 |
| Total | 51 | 8 |
International goals
| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 16 December 1992 | Estádio Olímpico Monumental,Porto Alegre, Brazil |  Brazil | 1–2 | 1–3 | Friendly |
| 2. | 2 June 1994 | Ernst-Happel-Stadion, Vienna, Austria |  Austria | 1–0 | 5–1 | Friendly |
| 3. | 8 June 1994 | Varsity Stadium, Toronto, Canada |  Canada | 1–0 | 2–0 | Friendly |
| 4. | 8 October 1995 | Ulrich-Haberland-Stadion,Leverkusen, Germany |  Moldova | 3–0 | 6–1 | UEFA Euro 1996 qualifying |
| 5. | 8 October 1995 | Ulrich-Haberland-Stadion, Leverkusen, Germany | Moldova | 6–0 | 6–1 | UEFA Euro 1996 qualifying |
| 6. | 4 June 1996 | Carl-Benz-Stadion,Mannheim, Germany |  Liechtenstein | 5–0 | 9–1 | Friendly |
| 7. | 16 June 1996 | Old Trafford, Manchester, England |  Russia | 1–0 | 3–0 | UEFA Euro 1996 |
| 8. | 23 June 1996 | Old Trafford, Manchester, England |  Croatia | 2–1 | 2–1 | UEFA Euro 1996 |
| Team | From | To | Record | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | W | D | L | Win % | Ref. | |||
| Borussia Dortmund | 1 July 2000[31] | 30 June 2004[31] | 183 | 89 | 46 | 48 | 048.63 | [31] |
| VfB Stuttgart | 1 July 2004[32] | 3 June 2005[32] | 47 | 25 | 8 | 14 | 053.19 | [32] |
| Total | 230 | 114 | 54 | 62 | 049.57 | — | ||
Dynamo Dresden
VfB Stuttgart
Borussia Dortmund
Germany
Individual
Borussia Dortmund
Awards | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Germany squads | |||||||||||||
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| International | |
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| People | |
