Thomas Häßler facts for kids
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Häßler in 2015
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Thomas Jürgen Häßler | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 30 May 1966 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | West Berlin, West Germany | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.66 m (5 ft 5 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | 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) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| International career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1987–1988 | West Germany Olympic | 11 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1988–2000 | Germany | 101 | (11) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Managerial career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2007–2008 | Nigeria (assistant) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2008–2010 | 1. FC Köln (assistant) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2014–2015 | Padideh (assistant) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2016–2019 | Berlin United | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2019– | BFC Preussen | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Thomas Jürgen "Icke" Häßler (born May 30, 1966) is a famous German former professional footballer. He was a talented midfielder known for his amazing skills on the field. 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 Germany won the 1990 FIFA World Cup and the UEFA Euro 1996. He also played in other big tournaments like the World Cups in 1994 and 1998, and the European Championships in 1992 and 2000.
Contents
Club Career Highlights
Starting Out at 1. FC Köln (1984–1990)
Thomas Häßler was born in West Berlin. He started playing football in youth teams before joining 1. FC Köln in 1984. This was a big step into professional football in the Bundesliga, Germany's top league. He played there for six successful years. 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 World Cup, Häßler moved to Italy. He joined Juventus, a very famous club. He only stayed for one year before moving to another Italian team, A.S. Roma. He played for Roma for three years, showing his skills in 88 games and scoring 11 goals.
Return to Germany: Karlsruher SC (1994–1998)
In 1994, Häßler decided to come back to Germany. He joined Karlsruher SC, even though bigger clubs wanted him. He became a very important player for Karlsruhe. The team did well, often finishing high in the league. This allowed them to play in the UEFA Cup, a European competition, in 1996–97 and 1997–98.
In 1996, Karlsruhe 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! However, Häßler broke his leg in a league match. Without their captain, Karlsruhe struggled and was knocked out of the tournament. He returned for the last two games of the season, helping his team secure another year of European football.
At the end of the 1997–98 season, Karlsruher SC was in danger of being relegated. Häßler played incredibly well, scoring four goals in the last three games. But despite his efforts, the team lost their final match and was relegated from the Bundesliga.
Short Stint at Borussia Dortmund (1998–1999)
Because of his contract, Häßler could leave Karlsruhe for free after relegation. He joined Borussia Dortmund, a club that had won the UEFA Champions League in 1997. However, he had some disagreements with the coach and didn't play as much as he wanted. He only played 18 games and rarely played for the full 90 minutes.
Successful Years at 1860 Munich (1999–2003)
After a disappointing time in Dortmund, Häßler moved to TSV 1860 Munich. He had four very successful years there and became a key player. In his first season, the club finished an amazing fourth in the Bundesliga. They tried to qualify for the UEFA Champions League but didn't make it. They then played in the UEFA Cup, but again, Häßler's team couldn't get past the third round. He left Munich in 2003 to finish his career in Austria.
Final Season at SV Salzburg (2003–2004)
In 2003, Häßler signed a one-year contract with the Austrian club SV Salzburg. He played 19 games before deciding to retire from professional football.
Throughout his career, Thomas Häßler played 539 games and scored 81 goals. He was named Footballer of the Year (Germany) in 1989 and 1992. Even though he is considered one of Germany's best players ever, he never won a major club title. He was a runner-up in several finals, including the UEFA Cup, Coppa Italia, and DFB-Pokal.
International Career Achievements
For the German national team, Häßler played 101 games and scored 11 goals. He helped Germany win the 1990 FIFA World Cup and the UEFA Euro 1996. He also played in the 1994 and 1998 World Cups, and the Euro 92 and Euro 2000 tournaments.
He also won a bronze medal for West Germany at the 1988 Summer Olympics. At Euro 92, he was the star player, showing incredible skills like scoring amazing free kicks, having endless energy, and dazzling with his dribbling. Germany reached the final of that tournament.
How He Played (Style of Play)
Thomas Häßler was a world-class playmaker. He was known as one of the best German players of the 1990s. He was a talented, energetic, and creative midfielder with quick feet and a strong right foot. Even though he wasn't very tall or strong, he was famous for his technique and dribbling skills. He could score goals himself or set up assists for his teammates. He was also a specialist at taking free kicks.
He usually played as an attacking central midfielder. Sometimes he played as a right winger or even as a "number 10" behind the main strikers. In Italy, fans nicknamed him "Tommasino" and "Pollicino" (which means "Hop-o'-My-Thumb") because he was short. In Germany, he was called "Icke" because of how he said "Ich" (German for "I") in his Berlin accent.
Coaching Career
After retiring as a player, Häßler became a coach. He worked as an assistant coach at 1. FC Köln. He also served as an assistant coach for the Nigerian national team under Berti Vogts.
In 2014, he became an assistant coach for the Iranian club Padideh. In February 2016, Häßler took on a new role as the coach for Club Italia Berlin, an amateur team, with the goal of helping them move up to higher leagues.
Fun Facts
- Häßler started his own music label called MTM Music in 1996.
- He appeared on the German dance show Let's Dance in 2016.
- In 2017, Häßler was a participant in the German TV show Ich bin ein Star – Holt mich hier raus! (which is like "I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!").
Honours and Awards
Thomas Häßler won many awards and helped his teams achieve great things:
With 1. FC Köln
- Finished second in the Bundesliga in 1988–89 and 1989–90.
- Was a runner-up in the UEFA Cup in 1985–86.
With Juventus
- Was a runner-up in the Supercoppa Italiana in 1990.
With Roma
- Was a runner-up in the Coppa Italia in 1992–93.
- Was a runner-up in the Supercoppa Italiana in 1991.
With Karlsruher SC
- Won the UEFA Intertoto Cup in 1996.
- Was a runner-up in the DFB-Pokal (German Cup) in 1995–96.
With Germany National Team
- Won the FIFA World Cup in 1990.
- Won the UEFA European Championship in 1996.
- Was a runner-up in the UEFA European Championship in 1992.
- Won a bronze medal at the Summer Olympic Games in 1988.
Individual Awards
- Named to the kicker Bundesliga Team of the Season multiple times.
- Named Footballer of the Year in Germany in 1989 and 1992.
- Received the Onze Mondial award in 1990 and 1992.
- Named to the UEFA European Championship Team of the Tournament in 1992.
- Won the bronze award for FIFA World Player of the Year in 1992.
- Was the top assist provider at the 1994 FIFA World Cup.
- Was the top scorer in the DFB-Pokal in 1996.
- Was part of the FIFA XI team in 1999.
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!").
See also
In Spanish: Thomas Häßler para niños
