Matthias Sammer facts for kids
Sammer in 2013
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||
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| Date of birth | 5 September 1967 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Dresden, East Germany | ||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.81 m | ||||||||||||||||||
| Playing position | 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) | |||||||||||||||||
| National team | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1986–1990 | East Germany | 23 | (6) | ||||||||||||||||
| 1990–1997 | Germany | 51 | (8) | ||||||||||||||||
| Teams managed | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2000–2004 | Borussia Dortmund | ||||||||||||||||||
| 2004–2005 | VfB Stuttgart | ||||||||||||||||||
| 2012–2016 | Bayern Munich (sports director) | ||||||||||||||||||
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Honours
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Matthias Sammer (born September 5, 1967) is a famous German football player, coach, and official. He was known for being a strong defensive midfielder and later a "sweeper" (a defender who plays behind the main defense). Sammer is considered one of the best defenders ever!
As a player for Borussia Dortmund, he won the German league (Bundesliga) and the German Supercup in 1995. In 1996, he won the Bundesliga, Supercup, and was named European Footballer of the Year. He also helped Dortmund win the UEFA Champions League in 1997.
Sammer played for the German national team and helped them win the UEFA Euro 1996. He was even named the best player of that tournament! Later that year, he won the Ballon d'Or, a huge award for the best player in Europe. He played a total of 74 international games, 23 for East Germany and 51 for the unified German team.
After his playing career, Sammer became a successful coach. He led Borussia Dortmund to win the Bundesliga in 2002.
Contents
Matthias Sammer's Football Journey
Starting Out at Dynamo Dresden
Matthias Sammer began his football career at Dynamo Dresden when he was just nine years old in 1976. He joined the club's youth team. His first game for the senior team was in the 1985–86 season. His own father, Klaus Sammer, was the manager at the time.
He started as a striker, scoring eight goals in his first season. Later, he moved to the left wing and then found his best position in central midfield.
In the 1988–89 season, Sammer and Dynamo Dresden won the East German championship. They also reached the semi-finals of the UEFA Cup. The next year, 1989–90, Dynamo Dresden won both the league and the cup (the "double").
While playing for Dynamo Dresden, Sammer was part of an arrangement where many players served in a special police regiment. He explained that this was a way for him to continue playing football for the club. He never took part in military training or used weapons.
Moving to VfB Stuttgart
In 1990, Sammer joined VfB Stuttgart in the German Bundesliga. In his first season, he scored 11 goals. The next year, 1991–92, he scored nine goals. He helped Stuttgart become the first champions of the newly unified Germany.
A Short Time in Italy
After two seasons with Stuttgart, Sammer moved to Italy to play for Inter Milan in 1992. He played well, scoring four goals in 11 games, including one against rival team Juventus. However, he found it hard to get used to life in Italy. He returned to Germany in January 1993.
Success with Borussia Dortmund
In the middle of the 1992–93 season, Sammer signed with Borussia Dortmund. He quickly made an impact, scoring ten goals in 17 games.
The next season, his coach, Ottmar Hitzfeld, moved Sammer to a new position called "libero." This was a defensive role where he played behind the other defenders. This change was very successful! Dortmund won the Bundesliga title two years in a row, in 1994–95 and 1995–96.
In 1997, Sammer led Dortmund to win the UEFA Champions League. He was the team's captain when they beat Juventus 3–1 in the final.
Sadly, soon after this big win, Sammer's career was cut short by a serious knee injury. He only played three more games before he had to retire in 1998.
Besides the league titles and Champions League, Sammer also helped Dortmund win two German Supercups. He was named Footballer of the Year in Germany in both 1995 and 1996. In 1996, he also won the Ballon d'Or, becoming the first defender since 1976 to win this award.
Playing for His Country
East Germany National Team
Sammer played for East Germany at every age level. He was part of the team that won the 1986 UEFA European Under-18 Football Championship. He also helped them finish third at the 1987 FIFA World Youth Championship.
In November 1986, he played his first game for the senior East Germany national football team. This was a qualifier for the UEFA Euro 1988 against France.
On September 12, 1990, Sammer was the captain for East Germany's very last match. He scored both goals as East Germany beat Belgium 2–0.
Germany National Team
On December 19, 1990, Sammer played his first game for the newly formed unified Germany national football team. This team was mostly made up of players from the West Germany team that had won the 1990 FIFA World Cup. Germany won the match 4–0 against Switzerland.
Sammer was part of the German team for UEFA Euro 1992, where they lost to Denmark in the final. He also played in the 1994 FIFA World Cup. Germany was surprisingly knocked out by Bulgaria in the quarter-finals.
At UEFA Euro 1996, Sammer played in the libero role, just like he did for Borussia Dortmund. He scored a goal against Russia and the winning goal against Croatia. After Germany beat the Czech Republic in the final, Sammer was named the best player of the tournament.
His last game for Germany was on June 7, 1997, in a World Cup qualifier against Ukraine. He could not play in the 1998 FIFA World Cup because of his injury.
How Matthias Sammer Played
Matthias Sammer was best known as a "sweeper" later in his career. This meant he played behind the main defenders, cleaning up any loose balls and starting attacks. Earlier in his career, he played in many midfield and attacking roles. He was good at passing, had great vision, and could even score goals.
Even though he wasn't the biggest player, he was considered world-class because he was very smart on the field. He could read the game well and knew where to be. He was also a strong leader and very determined. Sadly, he was often injured, which led to him retiring at 31.
Life After Playing: Coaching and Management
Coaching Borussia Dortmund
After retiring as a player, Sammer became the head coach of Borussia Dortmund on July 1, 2000. He led the team to another Bundesliga title in 2002. His team also reached the UEFA Cup final that same year but lost to Feyenoord. Sammer left the club in 2004.
Coaching VfB Stuttgart
Sammer returned to VfB Stuttgart as head coach for the 2004–05 season. Even though the team finished close to a Champions League spot, Sammer left the club in June 2005.
Working for the German Football Association
On April 1, 2006, Sammer became the technical director for the German Football Association (DFB). This was a new role. He was in charge of the national youth teams and finding young talent. He also helped improve the training methods for all German national teams. Many people believe he helped improve German football after a tough period in the early 2000s.
Sporting Director at Bayern Munich
On July 2, 2012, Sammer became the Sporting Director for Bayern Munich. In this role, he was part of the management team responsible for the club's professional players.
In his first season, Sammer helped Bayern Munich achieve a historic "treble." This means they won the Bundesliga, the UEFA Champions League, and the German Cup all in one season! He was praised for always pushing the team to be better and never getting too comfortable. Bayern continued to win many more titles with him.
In 2016, Sammer had a health issue and had to take a break. During his recovery, he decided to focus more on his family life. He asked Bayern Munich to let him leave his role, and they agreed.
After this, he mostly retired from full-time work. He worked as a TV pundit for a while. In 2018, he started working part-time as an adviser for Borussia Dortmund, helping the club with his experience.
Personal Life
Matthias Sammer is married and has three children: Sarah, Marvin, and Leon. He lives in Munich, Germany. His father, Klaus Sammer, was also a famous football player and manager for Dynamo Dresden.
Honours
As a Player
Dynamo Dresden
- German League (East): 1988–89, 1989–90
- East German Cup: 1989–90
VfB Stuttgart
- Bundesliga (German League): 1991–92
Borussia Dortmund
- Bundesliga (German League): 1994–95, 1995–96
- German Supercup: 1995, 1996
- UEFA Champions League: 1996–97
- Intercontinental Cup: 1997
Germany National Team
- UEFA European Championship: 1996 (Winner); 1992 (Runner-up)
- U.S. Cup: 1993
Individual Awards
- Footballer of the Year in Germany: 1995, 1996
- UEFA European Championship Player of the Tournament: 1996
- Ballon d'Or: 1996
As a Manager
Borussia Dortmund
- Bundesliga (German League): 2001–02
- UEFA Cup: 2001–02 (Runner-up)
