Lothar Matthäus
Lothar Herbert Matthäus entered the world on the 21st of March 1961 in Erlangen, Bavaria. His father Heinz worked as a canteen manager after fleeing across the Oder River during the Soviet invasion of 1944. His mother Katharina found employment at Puma. He spent his early playing days with the youth team of 1. FC Herzogenaurach. This small town sits close to Nuremberg and served as the starting point for his football journey.
Matthäus began his professional career in 1979 with Borussia Mönchengladbach. He played there until 1984 before moving to Bayern Munich. The club won two Bundesliga titles and the DFB-Pokal during his tenure from 1984 to 1988. They reached the European Cup final in 1987 but lost to FC Porto after leading 1, 0 for most of the game. Two late goals sealed their defeat. He then signed with Inter Milan alongside Andreas Brehme in 1988. They won the Scudetto in their first season and the Italian Supercup that same year. Matthäus returned to Bayern Munich in 1992 and won four more Bundesliga titles. He also secured another UEFA Cup and reached a second European Cup final in 1999. That match ended in heartbreak when Manchester United scored two last-minute goals while he was substituted in the 80th minute. His last official match for Bayern took place on the 8th of March 2000 against Real Madrid. He retired from professional football after playing for New York City's MetroStars team from March to October 2000.
Matthäus made history by appearing at five FIFA World Cups between 1982 and 1998. He became the first outfield player to achieve this feat. Only Antonio Carbajal had done so before him as an overall player. He captained West Germany to victory in the 1990 FIFA World Cup held in Italy. The squad played many games at Inter's home stadium, the San Siro. Matthäus led his team from midfield and scored four goals during the tournament. Two of those came in the opening group match against Yugoslavia. He scored the only goal of the quarter-final against Czechoslovakia from a penalty awarded in the 25th minute. West Germany won their third consecutive final thanks to Andreas Brehme converting an 85th minute penalty. As captain, Matthäus hoisted the last World Cup trophy before German reunification in 1990. He earned 150 international caps over 20 years, making him the most capped German player of all time. His total included 83 appearances for West Germany and 67 for unified Germany.
Journalist Jacques Thibert described Matthäus as good in every aspect of the game despite not being sublime in anything individually. He was primarily a box-to-box midfielder but could also play as an attacking or defensive midfielder. Well into his 30s, injuries led manager Berti Vogts to convert him into a sweeper. This position gave him great freedom to defend and make offensive runs into the opposing team's area. He exerted influence on Bayern's attacking game due to his ability to read the situation. Matthäus excelled in a three-man midfield at Inter under Giovanni Trapattoni. He played either as a deep-lying playmaker or as an offensive left-sided central midfielder. He was known for his powerful long-range shooting abilities with either foot. He was also an expert free kick and penalty taker. His winning mentality and commanding presence made him a decisive player for his teams.
Matthäus went into coaching one year after ending his playing career. His first head coaching experience was at SK Rapid Wien from September 2001 until May 2002. He achieved mixed results there. In December 2002, Serbian club FK Partizan hired him during the winter break. They signed him to an 18-month contract. He steered Partizan to the 2002, 03 league title in convincing fashion. The German's finest hour came in August 2003 when Partizan eliminated Newcastle United in the Champions League third qualifying round. Following a 0, 1 loss at home, they triumphed 0, 1 away at St. James' Park. The match went to extra-time and eventually penalties. Right back Milivoje Čirković scored the successful spot-kick in the seventh penalty round. Matthäus had his back turned to the pitch because he could not bear to watch the drama. On the 13th of December 2003, he abruptly resigned his Partizan post. Four months later, a row over contract terms erupted between both parties. He claimed Partizan failed to pay him agreed percentages totaling US$600,000 or €469,500. The club denied owing any money. One day after that, Matthäus decided to sue Partizan for the amount before Sports Arbitration Court in Lausanne, Switzerland.
From 2001 until 2009, Matthäus wrote a column for the German weekly sports magazine Sport Bild. He worked as an in-studio TV pundit on various networks during big football competitions. He appeared for Premiere during the 2002 and 2006 FIFA World Cups. ZDF featured him during UEFA Euro 2004. Eurosport covered him during UEFA Euro 2008. Al Jazeera Sports broadcast him during the 2010 FIFA World Cup. IRIB showed him during the 2014 FIFA World Cup and 2015 AFC Asian Cup. ITV aired him during UEFA Euro 2016. Since the 2012, 13 Bundesliga season, he has worked as an expert for Sky Deutschland. He participated in a special É Campeão for the Brazilian channel SporTV. Matthäus features in EA Sports' FIFA video game series. He was on the cover of the German edition of FIFA 2001. He appears in FIFA 14 through FIFA 20 as an Ultimate Team Icon. In August 2019, he became the face of turn-based football management game Football, Tactics & Glory.
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Common questions
When and where was Lothar Matthäus born?
Lothar Herbert Matthäus entered the world on the 21st of March 1961 in Erlangen, Bavaria. His father Heinz worked as a canteen manager after fleeing across the Oder River during the Soviet invasion of 1944.
Which clubs did Lothar Matthäus play for during his professional career?
Lothar Matthäus began his professional career with Borussia Mönchengladbach before moving to Bayern Munich in 1984. He later signed with Inter Milan alongside Andreas Brehme in 1988 and returned to Bayern Munich in 1992. He retired from professional football after playing for New York City's MetroStars team from March to October 2000.
How many FIFA World Cups did Lothar Matthäus appear in between 1982 and 1998?
Lothar Matthäus made history by appearing at five FIFA World Cups between 1982 and 1998. He became the first outfield player to achieve this feat and captained West Germany to victory in the 1990 FIFA World Cup held in Italy.
What position did Lothar Matthäus play and how did he change roles over time?
Lothar Matthäus was primarily a box-to-box midfielder but could also play as an attacking or defensive midfielder. Injuries led manager Berti Vogts to convert him into a sweeper well into his 30s, which gave him great freedom to defend and make offensive runs.
When did Lothar Matthäus start his coaching career and what were his results with SK Rapid Wien?
Lothar Matthäus went into coaching one year after ending his playing career. His first head coaching experience was at SK Rapid Wien from September 2001 until May 2002 where he achieved mixed results there.
Which media networks featured Lothar Matthäus during major football competitions from 2002 to 2016?
Lothar Matthäus appeared for Premiere during the 2002 and 2006 FIFA World Cups and ZDF featured him during UEFA Euro 2004. He worked as an expert for Sky Deutschland since the 2012, 13 Bundesliga season and appeared on ITV during UEFA Euro 2016.