Lothar Matthäus facts for kids
Matthäus in 2019
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Lothar Herbert Matthäus | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 21 March 1961 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Erlangen, West Germany | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.74 m (5 ft 9 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Midfielder, sweeper | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1971–1979 | 1. FC Herzogenaurach | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1978–1979 | 1. FC Herzogenaurach | 22 | (20) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1979–1984 | Borussia Mönchengladbach | 162 | (36) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1984–1988 | Bayern Munich | 113 | (57) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1988–1992 | Inter Milan | 115 | (40) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1992–2000 | Bayern Munich | 189 | (28) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2000 | MetroStars | 16 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2018 | 1. FC Herzogenaurach | 1 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 618 | (181) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| International career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1979 | West Germany U18 | 9 | (3) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1979–1983 | West Germany U21 | 15 | (2) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1979–1981 | West Germany B | 4 | (1) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1980–2000 | West Germany/Germany | 150 | (23) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Managerial career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2001–2002 | Rapid Wien | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2002–2003 | Partizan | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2003–2006 | Hungary | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2006 | Atlético Paranaense | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2006–2007 | Red Bull Salzburg (assistant) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2008–2009 | Maccabi Netanya | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2010–2011 | Bulgaria | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Lothar Herbert Matthäus (born 21 March 1961) is a famous German football expert, former player, and manager. He was the captain of the West Germany team that won the 1990 FIFA World Cup. He also won the Ballon d'Or award that year. In 1991, he was named the first-ever FIFA World Player of the Year. He is still the only German player to have received this award. In 2020, he was also chosen for the Ballon d'Or Dream Team.
Matthäus was the first player (who wasn't a goalkeeper) to play in five FIFA World Cup tournaments. These were in 1982, 1986, 1990, 1994, and 1998. Only a few other male players have achieved this. He also won the UEFA Euro 1980 and played in three other European Championships. In 1999, when he was 38, Matthäus was again named German Footballer of the Year. He had won this award before in 1990.
Matthäus played more games for Germany than anyone else. He played 150 matches over 20 years, scoring 23 goals. He is on the FIFA 100 list of the greatest living football players, chosen by Pelé. Even Diego Maradona called him "the best rival I've ever had."
Lothar Matthäus was a very flexible and complete player. He is seen as one of the best midfielders ever. He was known for his smart passes, good positioning, and strong tackles. He also had powerful shots. He usually played as a box-to-box midfielder. Later in his career, he played as a sweeper.
Contents
Early Life and Football Beginnings
Lothar Herbert Matthäus was born on 21 March 1961 in Erlangen, Bavaria, West Germany. His father worked as a canteen manager, and his mother worked for Puma. Lothar started playing football in the youth team of 1. FC Herzogenaurach. This club was in a small town near Nuremberg.
Club Career Highlights
Matthäus began his professional career in 1979 with Borussia Mönchengladbach in the Bundesliga. He played there until 1984.
Success with Bayern Munich and Inter Milan
He then joined Bayern Munich in 1984. With Bayern, he won the Bundesliga twice and the DFB-Pokal (German Cup). They also reached the European Cup final in 1987. Bayern was leading 1–0 for most of the game, but FC Porto scored two late goals to win.
In 1988, Matthäus and his Bayern teammate Andreas Brehme moved to Inter Milan in Italy. They won the Italian league title (Scudetto) in their first season (1988–89). They also won the Italian Supercup. Matthäus continued to succeed with Inter, winning the UEFA Cup in 1991. He scored a penalty in the final to help them beat Roma. He was also named FIFA World Player of the Year while at Inter.
Return to Bayern and Later Years
Matthäus returned to Bayern Munich in 1992. He won four more Bundesliga titles, two more DFB-Pokals, and another UEFA Cup. He also reached a second European Cup final in 1999. The only major club trophy he never won was the Champions League. In the 1999 final, Bayern was leading 1–0 against Manchester United. Matthäus was substituted in the 80th minute. Manchester United then scored two goals in the final minutes to win. This was a tough loss for Matthäus, similar to the 1987 final.
In 2000, Matthäus moved from Bayern to the MetroStars team in the United States. He played in Major League Soccer from March to October 2000 before retiring.
In 2018, at age 57, Matthäus played 50 minutes for 1. FC Herzogenaurach. This was the club where he started his career. He wanted to finish his playing days with his first club.
International Career Achievements
Early International Matches
Matthäus first played for West Germany in 1980. His team won the UEFA Euro 1980 in Italy. He played in two games at the 1982 FIFA World Cup in Spain. West Germany reached the final but lost to Italy.
He was a regular player for the 1986 FIFA World Cup in Mexico. He scored the winning goal against Morocco. In the final, he was assigned to mark Argentina's Diego Maradona. Maradona did not score, but his pass led to the winning goal for Argentina. West Germany lost the final 3–2.
At UEFA Euro 1988 in West Germany, Matthäus was the team captain. He scored a penalty in the semi-final against the Netherlands. However, the Netherlands came back to win the game.
World Cup Glory in the 1990s
Matthäus's success in Italy helped the national team win the 1990 FIFA World Cup in Italy. West Germany was one of the best teams in the tournament. Matthäus led his team from midfield and scored four goals. He scored two goals in their first match against Yugoslavia. He also scored the only goal from a penalty in the quarter-final against Czechoslovakia. West Germany reached its third final in a row, again against Maradona's Argentina. This time, Matthäus and his team won 1–0 in Rome. Andreas Brehme scored the winning penalty. Matthäus said playing the World Cup in Italy felt "like playing a World Cup at home." As captain, Matthäus lifted the last World Cup trophy before Germany became one country again in 1990.
Matthäus missed UEFA Euro 1992 due to an injury. Germany reached the final but lost to Denmark. At the 1994 FIFA World Cup in the United States, he was captain and played as a sweeper. He scored a penalty in the quarter-final against Bulgaria. This was his 21st World Cup match, tying a record. However, Bulgaria scored two late goals to win.
He was called up for the 1998 FIFA World Cup in France as a replacement for an injured player. He became the second player to play in five different World Cup tournaments. Matthäus played in all of Germany's remaining matches until Croatia beat them 3–0 in the quarter-finals. This brought his total to a record 25 World Cup matches.
Final International Appearances
Matthäus played his last three games for Germany at UEFA Euro 2000. His 150th game was against Portugal. Germany had a very bad tournament and was knocked out early.
Coaching Career Journey
After his playing career, Matthäus became a coach. He often said he wanted to coach in the German Bundesliga. He hoped that coaching abroad would lead to offers from German clubs.
Coaching in Austria and Serbia
His first head coaching job was at SK Rapid Wien in Austria from 2001 to 2002. In December 2002, he became the coach of FK Partizan in Serbia. He led Partizan to win the league title in 2002–03. His biggest success with Partizan was helping them reach the Champions League group stage in 2003. They beat Newcastle United in a penalty shootout. Matthäus left Partizan in December 2003.
Leading the Hungarian National Team
Matthäus became the manager of the Hungary national football team in December 2003. His goal was to help Hungary qualify for the 2006 FIFA World Cup. Hungary was in a tough group and did not qualify. Matthäus left the Hungarian team in January 2006.
Short Stints and Assistant Role
In January 2006, Matthäus signed a one-year contract to coach Brazilian club Athletico Paranaense. However, he left after only seven matches in March 2006, saying he needed to be with his family.
In May 2006, Matthäus became a coach for Red Bull Salzburg in Austria. He shared coaching duties with Giovanni Trapattoni. They led the team to win the Austrian league title. However, Matthäus was fired in June 2007.
Coaching in Israel and Bulgaria
In April 2008, Matthäus signed with Israeli club Maccabi Netanya. He coached them for the 2008–09 season. He left in April 2009 due to the club's financial problems.
In September 2010, Matthäus became the new coach of the Bulgarian national team. He won his first game against Wales. However, Bulgaria did not qualify for Euro 2012. Matthäus was sacked in September 2011.
Football Expert and TV Pundit
From 2001 to 2009, Matthäus wrote a column for the German sports magazine Sport Bild.
He also worked as a TV expert during big football tournaments. He appeared on German channels like Premiere and ZDF for the World Cups and European Championships. He also worked for Eurosport, Al Jazeera Sports, IRIB, and ITV. Since 2012, he has been an expert for the German TV channel Sky Deutschland.
Playing Style and Skills
Matthäus was known for his great positioning, technical skills, and stamina. He was also good at passing, tackling, and shooting powerfully from long range with both feet. Many people consider him one of the greatest and most complete midfielders of all time. He usually played as a box-to-box midfielder. He could also play as an attacking or defensive midfielder.
A journalist from France Football described Matthäus as a player who was good at every part of the game. This allowed him to play well anywhere on the field. His coach at Inter Milan, Giovanni Trapattoni, helped him become more creative and confident.
Later in his career, Matthäus became a sweeper. In this role, he had a lot of freedom. He could defend and also join in attacks. He was also very good at taking free kicks and penalties. Besides his skills, Matthäus was praised for his strong desire to win, his determination, and his leadership on the field.
Personal Life Summary
Lothar Matthäus has four children. He has been married five times. In 2023, Matthäus became a co-owner of the Ghanaian football team Accra Lions.
Media Appearances and Games
Matthäus is featured in EA Sports' FIFA video game series. He was on the cover of the German edition of FIFA 2001. He also appears as an Ultimate Team Icon in many later FIFA games. He was also in the opening video for EA's Euro 2000 video game. In 2019, Matthäus became the face of the football management game Football, Tactics & Glory.
Matthäus had a guest role in the TV series Alarm für Cobra 11 – Die Autobahnpolizei in 2012. He played himself in the show. In June 2012, a documentary about him called "Lothar – immer am Ball" was shown on German TV.
Career Statistics
Club
| Club | Season | League | National cup | League cup | Continental | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Borussia Mönchengladbach | 1979–80 | Bundesliga | 28 | 4 | 2 | 0 | – | 11 | 2 | 41 | 6 | |
| 1980–81 | Bundesliga | 33 | 10 | 5 | 2 | — | — | 38 | 12 | |||
| 1981–82 | Bundesliga | 33 | 3 | 5 | 4 | — | 4 | 1 | 42 | 8 | ||
| 1982–83 | Bundesliga | 34 | 8 | 5 | 2 | — | — | 39 | 10 | |||
| 1983–84 | Bundesliga | 34 | 11 | 6 | 4 | — | — | 40 | 15 | |||
| Total | 162 | 36 | 23 | 12 | — | 15 | 3 | 200 | 51 | |||
| Bayern Munich | 1984–85 | Bundesliga | 33 | 16 | 6 | 0 | — | 5 | 1 | 44 | 17 | |
| 1985–86 | Bundesliga | 23 | 10 | 5 | 2 | — | 3 | 0 | 31 | 12 | ||
| 1986–87 | Bundesliga | 31 | 14 | 3 | 1 | — | 7 | 4 | 41 | 19 | ||
| 1987–88 | Bundesliga | 26 | 17 | 4 | 3 | — | 4 | 1 | 34 | 21 | ||
| Total | 113 | 57 | 18 | 6 | — | 19 | 6 | 150 | 69 | |||
| Inter Milan | 1988–89 | Serie A | 32 | 9 | 7 | 3 | — | 5 | 0 | 44 | 12 | |
| 1989–90 | Serie A | 25 | 11 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 29 | 13 | |
| 1990–91 | Serie A | 31 | 16 | 3 | 1 | — | 12 | 6 | 46 | 23 | ||
| 1991–92 | Serie A | 27 | 4 | 5 | 1 | — | 2 | 0 | 34 | 5 | ||
| Total | 115 | 40 | 17 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 6 | 153 | 53 | ||
| Bayern Munich | 1992–93 | Bundesliga | 28 | 8 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 28 | 8 | ||
| 1993–94 | Bundesliga | 33 | 8 | 3 | 1 | — | 4 | 1 | 40 | 10 | ||
| 1994–95 | Bundesliga | 16 | 5 | 2 | 0 | — | 6 | 0 | 24 | 5 | ||
| 1995–96 | Bundesliga | 19 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | 7 | 0 | 26 | 1 | ||
| 1996–97 | Bundesliga | 28 | 1 | 3 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | 33 | 1 | ||
| 1997–98 | Bundesliga | 25 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 35 | 3 | |
| 1998–99 | Bundesliga | 25 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 12 | 1 | 44 | 2 | |
| 1999–2000 | Bundesliga | 15 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 26 | 1 | |
| Total | 189 | 28 | 18 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 45 | 2 | 256 | 31 | ||
| MetroStars | 2000 | Major League Soccer | 16 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 0 | — | 23 | 0 | |
| Career total | 595 | 161 | 78 | 26 | 9 | 0 | 100 | 17 | 782 | 204 | ||
International
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Germany | 1980 | 1 | 0 |
| 1981 | 1 | 0 | |
| 1982 | 10 | 0 | |
| 1983 | 7 | 0 | |
| 1984 | 10 | 0 | |
| 1985 | 7 | 1 | |
| 1986 | 15 | 2 | |
| 1987 | 6 | 1 | |
| 1988 | 10 | 4 | |
| 1989 | 3 | 1 | |
| 1990 | 15 | 7 | |
| 1991 | 7 | 3 | |
| 1992 | 4 | 0 | |
| 1993 | 11 | 0 | |
| 1994 | 15 | 3 | |
| 1995 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1996 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1997 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1998 | 8 | 0 | |
| 1999 | 13 | 1 | |
| 2000 | 7 | 0 | |
| Total | 150 | 23 | |
- Scores and results list West Germany's and Germany's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Matthäus goal
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 30 April 1985 | Stadion Evžena Rošického, Prague, Czech Republic |  Czechoslovakia |
3–0 | 5–1 | 1986 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 2 | 5 February 1986 | Stadio Partenio-Adriano Lombardi, Avellino, Italy |  Italy |
2–1 | 2–1 | Friendly |
| 3 | 17 June 1986 | Estadio Universitario, Monterrey, Mexico |  Morocco |
1–0 | 1–0 | 1986 FIFA World Cup |
| 4 | 25 March 1987 | Ramat Gan Stadium, Ramat Gan, Israel |  Israel |
2–0 | 2–0 | Friendly |
| 5 | 2 April 1988 | Olympiastadion, West Berlin, West Germany |  Argentina |
1–0 | 1–0 | Four Nations Tournament (1988) |
| 6 | 4 June 1988 | Weserstadion, Bremen, West Germany |  Yugoslavia |
1–1 | 1–1 | Friendly |
| 7 | 21 June 1988 | Volksparkstadion, Hamburg, West Germany |  Netherlands |
1–0 | 1–2 | UEFA Euro 1988 |
| 8 | 31 August 1988 | Helsinki Olympic Stadium, Helsinki, Finland |  Finland |
3–0 | 4–0 | 1990 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 9 | 4 October 1989 | Westfalenstadion, Dortmund, West Germany | Finland |
6–1 | 6–1 | 1990 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 10 | 25 April 1990 | Neckarstadion, Stuttgart, West Germany |  Uruguay |
1–1 | 3–3 | Friendly |
| 11 | 10 June 1990 | San Siro, Milan, Italy | Yugoslavia |
1–0 | 4–1 | 1990 FIFA World Cup |
| 12 | 3–1 | |||||
| 13 | 15 June 1990 | San Siro, Milan, Italy |  United Arab Emirates |
3–1 | 5–1 | 1990 FIFA World Cup |
| 14 | 1 July 1990 | San Siro, Milan, Italy | Czechoslovakia |
1–0 | 1–0 | 1990 FIFA World Cup |
| 15 | 29 August 1990 | Estádio da Luz (1954), Lisbon, Portugal |  Portugal |
1–0 | 1–1 | Friendly |
| 16 | 19 December 1990 | Neckarstadion, Stuttgart, Germany |  Switzerland |
4–0 | 4–0 | Friendly |
| 17 | 27 March 1991 | Waldstadion (Frankfurt), Frankfurt, Germany |  Soviet Union |
2–0 | 2–1 | Friendly |
| 18 | 1 May 1991 | Niedersachsenstadion, Hanover, Germany |  Belgium |
1–0 | 1–0 | UEFA Euro 1992 qualifying |
| 19 | 18 December 1991 | Ulrich Haberland Stadion, Leverkusen, Germany |  Luxembourg |
1–0 | 4–0 | UEFA Euro 1992 qualifying |
| 20 | 10 July 1994 | Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, United States |  Bulgaria |
1–0 | 1–2 | 1994 FIFA World Cup |
| 21 | 14 December 1994 | Stadionul Republican, Chişinău, Moldova |  Moldova |
3–0 | 3–0 | UEFA Euro 1996 qualifying |
| 22 | 18 December 1994 | Fritz-Walter-Stadion, Kaiserslautern, Germany |  Albania |
2–0 | 2–1 | UEFA Euro 1996 qualifying |
| 23 | 28 July 1999 | Estadio Jalisco, Guadalajara, Mexico |  New Zealand |
2–0 | 2–0 | 1999 FIFA Confederations Cup |
Managerial Statistics
| Team | From | To | Record | Ref. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M | W | D | L | Win % | ||||
| Rapid Wien | 6 September 2001 | 14 May 2002 | 32 | 9 | 9 | 14 | 28.13 | |
| Partizan | 22 December 2002 | 14 December 2003 | 44 | 29 | 6 | 9 | 65.91 | |
| Hungary | 14 December 2003 | 11 January 2006 | 28 | 11 | 3 | 14 | 39.29 | |
| Atlético Paranaense | 11 January 2006 | 20 March 2006 | 8 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 75.00 | |
| Maccabi Netanya | 13 June 2008 | 29 April 2009 | 32 | 14 | 12 | 6 | 43.75 | |
| Bulgaria | 23 September 2010 | 19 September 2011 | 10 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 30.00 | |
| Total | 154 | 72 | 35 | 47 | 46.75 | |||
Honours and Awards
Player Achievements
Bayern Munich
- Bundesliga: 1984–85, 1985–86, 1986–87, 1993–94, 1996–97, 1998–99
- DFB-Pokal: 1985–86, 1997–98
- DFB-Ligapokal: 1997, 1998, 1999
- DFB-Supercup: 1987
- UEFA Cup: 1995–96
- UEFA Champions League runner up: 1986–87, 1998–99
Inter Milan
MetroStars
Germany
- FIFA World Cup: 1990
- UEFA European Championship: 1980
- U.S. Cup: 1993
Individual Awards
- Ballon d'Or: 1990
- IFFHS World's Best Player: 1990
- World Soccer Awards Player of the Year: 1990
- FIFA World Player of the Year: 1991
- FIFA World Cup Silver Ball: 1990
- FIFA World Cup All-Star Team: 1990
- UEFA European Championship Team of the Tournament: 1988
- Onze d'Or: 1990
- Footballer of the Year (Germany): 1990, 1999
- Goal of the Year (Germany): 1990, 1992
- Pirata d'Oro (Inter Milan Player of the Year): 1991
- MLS All-Star: 2000
- FIFA 100
- Golden Foot legends award: 2012
- Inter Milan Hall of Fame: 2018
- Bayern Munich All-time XI
- Ballon d'Or Dream Team: 2020
Manager Achievements
Partizan
- Serbian SuperLiga: 2002–03
Red Bull Salzburg
- Austrian Bundesliga: 2006-07
See also
In Spanish: Lothar Matthäus para niños
- List of men's footballers with 100 or more international caps
- FIFA World Cup awards
