Matthias Sammer

Matthias Sammer (born 5 September 1967) is a German football official and former player and coach.

He played as a defensive midfielder and later in his career as a sweeper.

Sammer started his career at Dynamo Dresden when he joined the club's youth team as a nine-year-old in 1976.

He made his debut for the senior team under the management of his father, Klaus Sammer, in the 1985–86 season.

Playing as a striker, he scored eight goals in his first season as Dynamo finished fifth in the DDR-Oberliga.

He was part of the East German squads which won the 1986 UEFA European Under-18 Football Championship and finished third at the 1987 FIFA World Youth Championship.

In November 1986, he made his debut for the full East Germany national football team in a UEFA Euro 1988 qualifier against France at Zentralstadion in Leipzig.

After being moved to the left wing the following season by new manager Eduard Geyer, he eventually found his place in central midfield during the 1987–88 season.

Sammer then served as a non-commissioned officer in the Guards Regiment for three years from 1987, holding the rank of sergeant in the Stasi.

The President of SV Dynamo was the head of the Stasi Erich Mielke.

Sammer has explained that he would not have been able to continue to play football for Dynamo Dresden if he had refused to serve with the Guards Regiment and that he never saw any weapon or took part in any military exercise.

He has described his employment with the Guard Regiment as an alibi to play football to Dynamo Dresden.

In the 1988–89 season, Sammer was part of the Dynamo Dresden team which won the East German championship.

The same season the club also reached the semi-final of the UEFA Cup where they were knocked out by West German club VfB Stuttgart.

The following year Dynamo won the league and cup double, defending the DDR-Oberliga title and also winning the 1990 FDGB-Pokal.

Sammer was formally an officer of the Volkspolizei, as a player of Dynamo Dresden.

He enrolled into the Felix Dzerzhinsky Guards Regiment as a 19-year-old.

Many players of Dynamo Dresden were assigned to the regiment for their military service.

In the summer of 1990, Sammer joined VfB Stuttgart of the Bundesliga.

Sammer scored 11 times in his debut season as Stuttgart finished sixth in the Bundesliga.

The following year Sammer scored nine goals, helping Stuttgart to become the first champions of the reunified Germany.

On 12 September 1990, Sammer captained East Germany in its final match.

He scored both goals as the GDR beat Belgium 2–0 in Brussels.

On 19 December 1990, Sammer debuted for the newly formed unified Germany national football team, which was mostly made up of the West Germany team that had won the 1990 FIFA World Cup.

After two seasons at Stuttgart, Sammer joined Italian club Inter Milan for the 1992–93 Serie A season.

In the winter break of the 1992–93 season, Sammer signed for Borussia Dortmund.

He made 17 Bundesliga appearances in the second half of the season, scoring ten times.

The following season, Sammer was moved from midfield into the libero position by Dortmund coach Ottmar Hitzfeld.

Though he was a success on the pitch, scoring four times in 11 appearances, including a goal against Juventus in the Derby d'Italia, Sammer failed to adapt to the Italian lifestyle and returned to Germany in January 1993.

This move proved to be successful as Dortmund won back-to-back Bundesliga titles in 1994–95 and 1995–96, followed by the 1996–97 UEFA Champions League, with Sammer lifting the European Cup as captain after beating Juventus 3–1 in the final at Munich's Olympiastadion.

Soon after winning the Champions League, Sammer's career was cut short by injury.

With Borussia Dortmund as a player, Sammer won the Bundesliga and DFL-Supercup in 1995, the Bundesliga, DFL-Supercup, and European Footballer of the Year in 1996, and the UEFA Champions League and Intercontinental Cup in 1997.

In addition to the two Bundesliga titles and one Champions League, Sammer also led Dortmund to two DFB-Supercups, in 1995 and 1996.

Sammer himself was named Footballer of the Year (Germany) in both 1995 and 1996 and was named European Footballer of the Year in 1996, making him the first defender to win the Ballon d'Or since Franz Beckenbauer in 1976.

Sammer represented the GDR at every age group.

Germany won the UEFA Euro 1996 with Sammer as a player, where he was named the tournament's best player, and was subsequently awarded the Ballon d'Or later that year.

Sammer retired with 74 total caps, 23 for East Germany and 51 for the unified side.

Known for his exceptional defensive skills, including his ability to read the game, make interceptions, and tackle effectively, Sammer is regarded as one of the greatest defenders of all time.

He made only three further Bundesliga appearances for Dortmund before suffering a serious knee injury which he failed to recover from and retired in 1998.

With Sammer as a manager, Borussia Dortmund won the Bundesliga in 2002.