Thomas Häßler facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Thomas Häßler

Häßler in 2015
Personal information
Full name	Thomas Jürgen Häßler
Date of birth	(1966-05-30) 30 May 1966 (age 59)
Place of birth	West Berlin, West Germany
Height	1.66 m
Playing position	Midfielder
Youth career
1976–1979	BFC Meteor 06
1979–1984	Reinickendorfer Füchse
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1984–1990	1. FC Köln	149	(17)
1990–1991	Juventus	32	(1)
1991–1994	Roma	88	(11)
1994–1998	Karlsruher SC	118	(28)
1998–1999	Borussia Dortmund	18	(2)
1999–2003	1860 Munich	115	(21)
2003–2004	SV Salzburg	19	(1)
Total		539	(81)
National team
1987–1988	West Germany Olympic	11	(0)
1988–2000	Germany	101	(11)
Teams managed
2007–2008	Nigeria (assistant)
2008–2010	1. FC Köln (assistant)
2014–2015	Padideh (assistant)
2016–2019	Berlin United
2019–	BFC Preussen
Honours Representing  Germany Bronze Olympics 1988 Winner FIFA World Cup 1990 Runner-up European Championship 1992 Winner European Championship 1996 1. FC Köln Runner-up UEFA Cup 1986 Juventus Runner-up Supercoppa Italiana 1990 AS Roma Runner-up Coppa Italia 1993 Karlsruher SC Runner-up DFB-Pokal 1996
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Thomas Jürgen "Icke" Häßler, born on May 30, 1966, is a famous German former football player. He was a midfielder, a player who helps both defense and attack. He played for many top clubs in Germany and Italy. Häßler also played over 100 games for the German national team.

He was a key player when West Germany won the 1990 FIFA World Cup. He also helped Germany win the UEFA Euro 1996. He played in other big tournaments too, like the 1994 and 1998 FIFA World Cups. He also took part in the 1992 and 2000 UEFA European Championships. In 1988, he played in the Olympic Games.

Thomas Häßler's Club Career

Starting Out at 1. FC Köln (1984–1990)

Thomas Häßler was born in West Berlin. He started playing football in youth teams, like Reinickendorfer Füchse. In 1984, he began his professional career with 1. FC Köln. This club played in the Bundesliga, Germany's top league. He spent six successful years there. During his time, he helped the club finish second in the Bundesliga in 1989 and 1990.

Playing in Italy: Juventus and Roma (1990–1994)

After winning the 1990 FIFA World Cup with Germany, Häßler moved to Italy. He joined Juventus in 1990. He played there for one year. Then, he decided to join another Italian club, A.S. Roma, in 1991. He stayed with Roma for three years. He played 88 games and scored 11 goals for them.

Returning to Germany: Karlsruher SC (1994–1998)

In 1994, Häßler wanted to play in the Bundesliga again. He chose to sign with Karlsruher SC. This was a big transfer for the club. For the next three years, Karlsruhe did very well. They finished high in the league table. This allowed them to play in the UEFA Cup in 1996–97 and 1997–98.

In 1996, Karlsruher SC won the UEFA Intertoto Cup. This helped them qualify for the UEFA Cup. They even beat Häßler's old club, AS Roma, in the tournament. In one game, Häßler scored two goals against Brøndby IF. But soon after, he broke his leg. This was his first major injury. Without their captain, Karlsruhe was knocked out of the tournament.

After he recovered, Häßler helped his team finish sixth in the 1996–97 season. This meant another year of international football. However, the club faced tough times in the 1997–98 season. They were in danger of being moved down to a lower league. Häßler played very well, scoring four goals in the last three games. But Karlsruher SC still lost their final match and were relegated.

Short Stay at Borussia Dortmund (1998–1999)

Because of his contract, Häßler could leave Karlsruhe for free. He decided to join Borussia Dortmund. This club had won the UEFA Champions League in 1997. He had some disagreements with the coach, Michael Skibbe. Häßler played only 18 games and rarely played the full 90 minutes.

Success at 1860 Munich (1999–2003)

Häßler left Dortmund and joined TSV 1860 Munich. He had four very successful years there. He became a very important player for the team. In his first season, the club finished fourth in the Bundesliga. They tried to qualify for the UEFA Champions League but lost to Leeds United. So, Häßler and his team played in the UEFA Cup instead. They also played in the UEFA Intertoto Cup in later years. After the 2002–03 season, Häßler left Munich. He planned to finish his career in Austria.

Final Club: SV Salzburg (2003–2004)

In 2003, Häßler signed a one-year contract with the Austrian club SV Salzburg. He played 19 games for them. They finished seventh in the 2003–04 season. After this, he announced he was retiring from playing football.

Overall, Thomas Häßler played 539 club games and scored 81 goals. He was named Footballer of the Year (Germany) in 1989 and 1992. Even though he is one of Germany's best players ever, he never won a major club title. He lost in the finals of the UEFA Cup (1986), Coppa Italia (1993), and DFB-Pokal (1996).

Thomas Häßler's International Career

For the German national team, Häßler played 101 games and scored 11 goals. He was part of the teams that won the 1990 FIFA World Cup and the 1996 UEFA European Championship. He also played in the 1994 and 1998 FIFA World Cups. He also played in Euro 92 and Euro 2000.

He won a bronze medal for West Germany at the 1988 Summer Olympics. He was a standout player at Euro 92. He was known for scoring amazing free kicks. He also had great energy and fantastic dribbling skills. Germany reached the final of that tournament.

Thomas Häßler's Style of Play

Thomas Häßler was a world-class playmaker. Many people thought he was one of the best German players in the 1990s. He was a very talented and creative midfielder. He had quick feet and a strong right foot. He was known for his speed, energy, and always moving around the field. Even though he was not very big, he had amazing technique and dribbling skills.

He could score goals himself or help his teammates score by giving them assists. He was also a specialist at taking free kicks. He was a leader throughout his career. He usually played as an attacking central midfielder. Sometimes, he played as a right winger or even as a "number 10." This meant he played behind the main attackers. In Italy, he was called "Tommasino" and "Pollicino" (which means "Hop-o'-My-Thumb") because he was short. In Germany, he was nicknamed "Icke" because of how he said "Ich" (which means "I" in German) in his Berlin accent.

Thomas Häßler's Coaching Career

Häßler as an assistant coach for Köln in 2008

After retiring as a player, Häßler became an assistant coach. He worked at 1. FC Köln. Before that, he was an assistant coach for the Nigerian national team. He worked with head coach Berti Vogts there.

In 2014, he became an assistant coach for the club Padideh in Iran. He worked with his friend, Alireza Marzban. In 2016, Häßler became the coach for Club Italia Berlin. This team played in the eighth division of German football. His goal was to help them get promoted to higher leagues.

Fun Facts About Thomas Häßler

• In March 1996, Häßler started his own music label called MTM Music.
• He took part in the German dance TV show Let's Dance in 2016.
• In 2017, Häßler was on the German reality TV show Ich bin ein Star – Holt mich hier raus! (which means "I'm a Celebrity – Get Me Out of Here!").

Career Statistics

Club Appearances and Goals

International Appearances and Goals

Scores and results list Germany's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Häßler goal.

List of international goals scored by Thomas Häßler

No.	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	15 November 1989	Müngersdorfer Stadion, Cologne, Germany	Wales	2–1	2–1	FIFA World Cup 1990 qualifying
2	18 December 1991	Ulrich-Haberland-Stadion, Leverkusen, Germany	Luxembourg	4–0	4–0	UEFA Euro 1992 qualifying
3	22 April 1992	Stadion Eden, Prague, Czechoslovakia	Czechoslovakia	1–0	1–1	Friendly
4	12 June 1992	Idrottsparken, Norrköping, Sweden	CIS	1–1	1–1	UEFA Euro 1992
5	21 June 1992	Råsunda Stadium, Stockholm, Sweden	Sweden	1–0	3–2	UEFA Euro 1992
6	20 December 1992	Estadio Centenario, Montevideo, Uruguay	Uruguay	3–0	4–1	Friendly
7	23 June 1995	Wankdorf Stadium, Bern, Switzerland	Switzerland	1–0	2–1	Friendly
8	15 November 1995	Olympic Stadium, Berlin, Germany	Bulgaria	2–1	3–1	UEFA Euro 1996 qualifying
9	9 October 1996	Hrazdan Stadium, Yerevan, Armenia	Armenia	1–0	5–1	FIFA World Cup 1998 qualifying
10				3–0
11	10 September 1997	Westfalenstadion, Dortmund, Germany	Armenia	3–0	4–0	FIFA World Cup 1998 qualifying

Honours and Awards

1. FC Köln

• Bundesliga runner-up: 1988–89, 1989–90
• UEFA Cup runner-up: 1985–86

Juventus

• Supercoppa Italiana runner-up: 1990

Roma

• Coppa Italia runner-up: 1992–93
• Supercoppa Italiana runner-up: 1991

Karlsruher SC

• UEFA Intertoto Cup: 1996
• DFB-Pokal runner-up: 1995–96

Germany National Team

• FIFA World Cup: 1990
• UEFA European Championship: 1996; runner-up: 1992
• Summer Olympic Games bronze medal: 1988

Individual Awards

• kicker Bundesliga Team of the Season: 1987–88, 1988–89, 1989–90, 1995–96
• Footballer of the Year in Germany: 1989, 1992
• Onze Mondial: 1990, 1992
• UEFA European Championship Team of the Tournament: 1992
• FIFA World Player of the Year bronze award: 1992
• FIFA World Cup top assist provider: 1994
• DFB-Pokal top scorer: 1996
• FIFA XI: 1999

More Information

• List of men's footballers with 100 or more international caps
• List of people from Berlin