Thomas Strunz facts for kids
Strunz signing autographs in 2010
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 25 April 1968 | |||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Duisburg, West Germany | |||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in) | |||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Defensive Midfielder | |||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||
| 1977–1981 | TuRA 88 Duisburg | |||||||||||||||
| 1981–1986 | MSV Duisburg | |||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||
| 1986–1989 | MSV Duisburg | 94 | (30) | |||||||||||||
| 1989–1992 | Bayern Munich | 59 | (12) | |||||||||||||
| 1992–1995 | VfB Stuttgart | 79 | (9) | |||||||||||||
| 1995–2000 | Bayern Munich | 97 | (11) | |||||||||||||
| Total | 329 | (62) | ||||||||||||||
| International career | ||||||||||||||||
| 1990 | West Germany U21 | 2 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 1990–1999 | Germany | 41 | (1) | |||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | ||||||||||||||||
Thomas Strunz, born on April 25, 1968, is a former German professional football player. He mostly played as a defensive midfielder, helping protect his team's goal.
During his 12 seasons in the Bundesliga (Germany's top football league), he played 235 games and scored 32 goals. He played for famous clubs like FC Bayern Munich and VfB Stuttgart. Thomas Strunz won an amazing 12 big titles with his clubs!
He also played 41 times for the German national team over nine years. He was a key player when Germany won the European Championship in 1996.
Contents
Playing Career
Early Club Days
Thomas Strunz started his football journey in his hometown of Duisburg, Germany. He played for a local club called MSV Duisburg. When he was 21, he moved to one of Germany's biggest clubs, FC Bayern Munich.
He played his first game in the Bundesliga on August 31, 1989. It was a great start, as Bayern won 4–0 against Hamburger SV. In his first season, he scored five goals in 20 matches.
Time at VfB Stuttgart
In 1992, Strunz joined VfB Stuttgart. He played there for three years and scored five goals in his first season with them.
Return to Bayern Munich
After his time at Stuttgart, Thomas Strunz returned to FC Bayern Munich. This was a very successful period for him. With Bayern, he won the Bundesliga championship four times. He also won the DFB-Pokal (German Cup) twice.
In 1996, his team won the 1995–96 UEFA Cup (now called the UEFA Europa League). Strunz scored two goals in nine games during that competition. In his final full season, his team won the league title again. However, he played less often due to injuries. He stopped playing professional football in late 2000.
International Career
Thomas Strunz played his first game for the German national team on October 10, 1990. It was a friendly match against Sweden, which Germany won 3–1.
He represented Germany in two major tournaments: the 1994 FIFA World Cup and the UEFA Euro 1996.
Euro 1996 Victory
During the UEFA Euro 1996 tournament, Strunz played in five out of six matches. He was a very important player. In the semi-finals, he successfully scored his penalty kick during the shootout. He then played the entire final match against the Czech Republic, which Germany won!
Achievements and Awards
Club Honours
Bayern Munich
- Bundesliga: 1989–90, 1996–97, 1998–99, 1999–2000
- DFB-Pokal: 1997–98, 1999–2000
- DFB-Ligapokal: 1997, 1998, 2000
- DFL-Supercup: 1990
- UEFA Cup: 1995–96
- UEFA Champions League runner-up: 1998–99
VfB Stuttgart
- DFL-Supercup: 1992
International Honours
Germany
- UEFA European Championship: 1996
- U.S. Cup: 1993
Career Statistics
International Goals
Here is the only goal Thomas Strunz scored for the German national team:
| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 7 June 1995 | Vasil Levski, Sofia, Bulgaria |  Bulgaria |
2–0 | 2–3 | Euro 1996 qualifying |
Life After Football
After he stopped playing football, Thomas Strunz worked as a general manager for a football club called VfL Wolfsburg. He was in this role for almost a year. Later, he also worked in a similar position at Rot-Weiss Essen.
Thomas Strunz also became a football expert for the German TV channel Sport1. He would share his opinions and insights about football matches.
Interesting Facts
On March 10, 1998, Thomas Strunz was mentioned in a famous press conference. The manager of Bayern Munich at the time, Giovanni Trapattoni, was very angry and spoke to the media in broken German. This event became quite well-known and is still remembered by football fans.
See also
In Spanish: Thomas Strunz para niños
