Thomas Linke facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Thomas Linke

Linke playing for RB Salzburg in a 2009 charity match
Personal information
Date of birth	(1969-12-26) 26 December 1969 (age 55)
Place of birth	Sömmerda, East Germany
Height	1.83 m
Playing position	Centre back
Youth career
1977–1983	Robotron Sömmerda
1983–1988	Rot-Weiß Erfurt
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1988–1992	Rot-Weiß Erfurt	85	(2)
1992–1998	Schalke 04	175	(13)
1998–2005	Bayern Munich	165	(2)
2005–2007	Red Bull Salzburg	51	(3)
2007–2008	Bayern Munich II	27	(1)
Total		502	(21)
National team
1997–2004	Germany	43	(1)
Honours Men's football Representing  Germany FIFA World Cup Runner-up 2002 Korea/Japan
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Thomas Linke (born December 26, 1969) is a German former professional football player. He played as a central defender, which means he was a key player in the defense, stopping opponents from scoring. He was known for his strong tackles and great ability to head the ball.

Linke played for 13 seasons in the Bundesliga, which is Germany's top football league. He played for famous clubs like Schalke 04 and Bayern Munich. He played a total of 340 games in the Bundesliga. He also played for the German national team in one World Cup and one European Championship. After retiring from playing, he worked as a director of football for FC Ingolstadt 04.

Club Career Highlights

Starting in East Germany

Linke (left) playing in 1989

Thomas Linke was born in Sömmerda, East Germany. He started playing football in 1977 with a local team called BSG Robotron Sömmerda. In 1983, he moved to FC Rot-Weiß Erfurt. He joined their main team in 1989.

With Rot-Weiß Erfurt, he played in the DDR-Oberliga, which was the top league in East Germany. When Germany became one country again, his club joined the 2. Bundesliga, a professional league in unified Germany. Linke was a regular player for them. He also played in the UEFA Cup, an important European club competition.

Time at Schalke 04

Linke's skills were noticed by FC Schalke 04 during a German Cup game. Schalke 04 then signed him in 1992. He quickly became a starting player for the team. From 1992 to 1998, he played 175 Bundesliga games for Schalke. His first game for them was on September 1, 1992.

A big moment for Linke at Schalke was winning the UEFA Cup in 1997. They won the final against Inter Milan in a penalty shootout. Linke played in 11 matches during this winning journey and even scored two goals.

Success with Bayern Munich

In 1998, Linke joined FC Bayern Munich, one of the biggest clubs in Germany and Europe. This was the most successful part of his career. In his first season, he scored his first goal for Bayern in a local derby match against TSV 1860 München. He also played in the famous UEFA Champions League final against Manchester United.

With Bayern, Linke won many trophies. He won the Bundesliga five times. He also won the German Cup three times and the German League Cup four times. The biggest wins were the UEFA Champions League and the Intercontinental Cup in 2001. In the Champions League final, he scored the winning penalty in the shootout against Valencia CF.

Many people thought Linke wouldn't keep his starting spot at Bayern. But he always proved them wrong with his strong and reliable performances. In his last year at Bayern, in 2005, he played fewer games but still helped the team win another league title.

Moving to Red Bull Salzburg

Linke receives a Red Card from referee Gerald Lehner during the game against FKA Vienna, 18 September 2005

In 2005, when he was 35, Linke decided to play in the Austrian Bundesliga. He joined FC Red Bull Salzburg with his former Bayern teammate Alexander Zickler. He quickly became the team captain and a key player. In his second season, he won the Austrian league title. In May 2007, the club told him his contract would not be extended.

In June 2007, Linke, almost 38, returned to Bayern Munich. He played for their amateur team, FC Bayern Munich II, in the third division. In early 2008, he went back to Salzburg to work as an assistant to the director of football. After this, he officially retired from playing football.

International Career

Thomas Linke made his debut for the German national team on November 15, 1997. It was a 3–0 win against South Africa. He played for Germany in the UEFA Euro 2000 tournament and the 2002 FIFA World Cup.

In the 2002 World Cup, Linke was a very important player for Germany. The team reached the final but lost 2–0 to Brazil. Linke scored his only goal for Germany in a group stage match against Saudi Arabia, which Germany won 8–0.

After the 2002 World Cup, Linke announced he was retiring from international football. However, in 2004, the national coach Jürgen Klinsmann called him back. This was because many defenders were injured. Linke played one more friendly game against Austria in August 2004, which Germany won 3–1. He then retired from international football for good, having played 43 games for his country.

Honours

Schalke 04

• UEFA Cup: 1996–97

Bayern Munich

• Bundesliga: 1998–99, 1999–2000, 2000–01, 2002–03, 2004–05
• DFB-Pokal: 1999–2000, 2002–03, 2004–05
• DFB-Ligapokal: 1998, 1999, 2000, 2004
• UEFA Champions League: 2000–01
• Intercontinental Cup: 2001

Red Bull Salzburg

• Austrian Bundesliga: 2006–07

Germany

• FIFA World Cup runner-up: 2002

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See also

In Spanish: Thomas Linke para niños