Lothar Matthäus, one of the best german footballers ever

Lothar Matthäus, one of the best german footballers ever
Matthaus with Maradona in the final of Italy 90. PHOTO: Transfer market

To get an idea of ​​what has been Lothar Matthäus in football you only need to refer briefly to their numbers. Belonging to the select club of players with 5 world played and with four European Cups, 150 internationals for Germany (25 of them in later stages of a world championship), FIFA best player of the year award 91, Champion of the World Italia 90 and Europe in 80, and UEFA in the 91 and 96…indeed they are data that support that we are talking about one of the best players in the history of football.

Lothar Matthäus, one of the best footballers in history

Refined class midfielder, great tactical sense and strong personality emphasized at the outset by his terrible arrival on the second line, although in the last years of his career he would delay its position towards libero, or even plant being equally effective in both positions.

Lothar Matthaus in its infancy.
Lothar Matthaus in its infancy. PHOTO: Google

The football career of this German legend born in 1961 start way back 1979 en el Borussia Moenchengladbach, club in which militated up 1984, when he was transferred to Bayern Munich. 36 goals in 162 games with Borussia led him to barely 19 years to be summoned for the Euro 80 of Italy, where the Germans were going to win the title and take part in the World 82 from Spain where Germany would reach the final and Matthäus would play a single match, disputed with Chile.

The signing by Bayern greatly launched the dimension of Lothar Matthäus as a player. With the Bavarian club, would win two league titles and one Copa, that led him to participate in a World Cup again, the one of Mexico 1986, where again he ends up being a finalist. On this occasion, Matthäus if he would play a leading role and even mark the victory goal in the match against Morocco eighths. Besides, Teuton in the club, I would leave an image for history like the famous stomp suffered by the madridista Juanito.

Juanito's stomp on Lothar Matthäus
The pisotón Juanito to Matthäus went around the world. PHOTO:Brand

A very long career in the elite

Its good performance in Bayern and the selection will be earned signed for Inter Milan 1988, after the dispute of the Euro 88 in his country he would end up as a semifinalist. Inter stage would be the most successful in terms of titles. Inter achieved the League 1989 and UEFA 91, but especially where it would stand out in the World Cup in Italy 90, where he was to get as captain to lift the world cup champion for the first time in its history.

Their active participation and their four goals with the German team, They earned him to be named European player and German 90, and best player in the world according to FIFA a year later. In 1992, Lothar Matthäus he would return to Bayern where he would remain there until the year 2000. This step, include its title UEFA 96, two German cups and 4 Bundesliga more. But above all, a new participation in the USA World Cup 94 where they would fall in quarters with Bulgaria, and in France 98, his fifth and last World Cup and which came as a replacement late in Summer.

Do you recognize the young Brazilian is next to Matthäus on the photo?. Some 19 years separate them.
Do you recognize the young Brazilian is next to Matthäus on the photo?. Some 19 years separate them.

Only the European Cup will resist Matthäus, and it would not be for lack of opportunities, so that in 1999, I would witness as two goals in the final minute, They stole the dream of getting also be European champion at club level. Finally, after Euro 2000 and a brief step 16 MetroStars matches with US, the great German player put an end to his long career 21 years in the elite.

Julio Muñoz

Journalist, specialist in international football and retro. I write in Colgadosporelfutbol.com and you can follow me at @ juliomv1982
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