Markus Babbel facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Markus Babbel

Babbel in 2015
Personal information
Date of birth	(1972-09-08) 8 September 1972 (age 52)
Place of birth	Munich, West Germany
Height	1.91 m
Playing position	Centre back, right back
Youth career
1979–1981	TSV Gilching-Argelsried
1981–1991	Bayern Munich
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1991–1992	Bayern Munich	12	(0)
1992–1994	Hamburger SV	60	(1)
1994–2000	Bayern Munich	170	(9)
2000–2004	Liverpool	42	(3)
2003–2004	→ Blackburn Rovers (loan)	25	(3)
2004–2007	VfB Stuttgart	46	(2)
Total		355	(18)
National team
1992–1993	Germany U21	12	(0)
1995–2000	Germany	51	(1)
Teams managed
2007–2008	VfB Stuttgart (assistant)
2008–2009	VfB Stuttgart
2010–2011	Hertha BSC
2012	TSG Hoffenheim
2014–2018	FC Luzern
2018–2020	Western Sydney Wanderers
Honours Men's football Representing  Germany UEFA European Championship Winner 1996 England
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Markus Babbel (born 8 September 1972) is a German football coach and former player. He played as a defender for several clubs in Germany and England. Babbel won the UEFA Cup twice. He won it in 1996 with Bayern Munich and again in 2001 with Liverpool. He was also part of the German national team that won Euro 96.

Playing Career

Early Days in Germany

Markus Babbel was born in Munich, Germany. He started his football journey with Bayern Munich as a young player. He moved up from their youth team to play for the main team. He played in 12 league games for Bayern Munich during his first period there.

In 1992, he moved to Hamburger SV. There, he became a regular player and scored his first goal in Germany's top football league. After two years, Babbel returned to Bayern Munich in 1994. He played 167 games for them. His strong performances even caught the eye of Manchester United after Euro 96.

Time at Liverpool

In June 2000, Markus Babbel joined Liverpool F.C. in England. He became a very important player in Liverpool's defense. He helped them win many trophies in the 2000–01 season. This was a very successful year for Liverpool.

Babbel was known for his powerful runs down the right side of the field. These runs often led to goals, and he even scored one himself in the UEFA Cup final. Sadly, his time at Liverpool was cut short. He was diagnosed with a serious illness called Guillain–Barré syndrome. This illness kept him from playing football for a whole year.

Loan to Blackburn

After recovering from his illness, Babbel joined Blackburn Rovers on loan in August 2003. He played regularly for them and scored three goals during his time there.

Finishing at Stuttgart

Markus Babbel's last club as a player was VfB Stuttgart. He joined them for free in July 2004.

Markus Babbel (right) with VfB Stuttgart in 2006.

In January 2007, Babbel announced that he would stop playing football at the end of the 2006–07 season.

Playing for Germany

Markus Babbel played 51 times for the German national team and scored one goal. He was a key part of the team that won the Euro 96 tournament. He also played for Germany in the 1998 FIFA World Cup and Euro 2000.

Coaching Career

Starting as a Coach

After he stopped playing, Babbel stayed with VfB Stuttgart as an assistant coach. On 24 November 2008, Markus Babbel became the head coach of VfB Stuttgart. The team was in 11th place when he took over. Under his guidance, Stuttgart finished the season in third place. This meant they qualified for the Champions League, a big European competition. He signed a new contract, but he left the club on 6 December 2009.

Babbel then became the head coach of Hertha BSC in July 2010. He led Hertha BSC to win the 2nd division in the 2010–11 season. This meant they were promoted back to the top German league, the Bundesliga. However, he was dismissed from Hertha BSC on 18 December 2011.

On 10 February 2012, Babbel was appointed manager of TSG Hoffenheim. The team was in eighth place at the time. He was dismissed on 3 December 2012 because of poor results.

Markus Babbel coaching Hertha BSC in 2011.

Coaching in Switzerland

Markus Babbel became the new head coach of Luzern in Switzerland on 12 October 2014. The team had not won a single league game that season before he arrived. Luzern finished the 2014–15 season in fifth place. In the 2015–16 season, Luzern reached the semi-final of the Swiss Cup. They also finished third in the league that year. He coached Luzern until January 2018.

Coaching in Australia

On 19 May 2018, Babbel was named manager of Western Sydney Wanderers FC in Australia's A-League. In his first season, the Wanderers finished eighth out of ten teams. They won only six games. The next season started well, including a big win against Sydney FC. But then the team struggled, winning only one more game in 11 matches. Babbel was dismissed by the Wanderers on 20 January 2020.

Career Statistics

International Goal

Markus Babbel scored one goal for the German national team.

International goal scored by Markus Babbel

No.	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	6 September 1995	Frankenstadion, Nuremberg, Germany	Georgia	4–1	4–1	UEFA Euro 1996 qualifying

Managerial Statistics

Here is a summary of Markus Babbel's coaching record:

Achievements

As a Player

Bayern Munich

• Bundesliga (German League): 1996–97, 1998–99, 1999–2000
• DFB-Pokal (German Cup): 1997–98, 1999–00
• DFB-Ligapokal (German League Cup): 1997, 1998, 1999
• UEFA Cup: 1995–96
• UEFA Champions League runner-up: 1998–99

Liverpool

• FA Cup: 2000–01
• League Cup: 2000–01
• FA Community Shield: 2001
• UEFA Cup: 2000–01
• UEFA Super Cup: 2001

VfB Stuttgart

• Bundesliga (German League): 2006–07
• DFB-Pokal (German Cup) runner-up: 2006–07
• DFB-Ligapokal (German League Cup) runner-up: 2005

International

• UEFA European Championship: 1996
• Military World Cup third place: 1993

As a Coach

Hertha BSC

• 2. Bundesliga (German Second Division): 2010–11

See also

In Spanish: Markus Babbel para niños