Soccer Memories-Part 54: East Germans in the Unified German National Team-Part 1 (1990-94)

 

When West and East Germany reunified in October 1990, it also affected the National Team. The now re-unified National Team was now essentially the West German side (recent World Cup Champions) and the best East German players who could further strengthen the team.

In the decade of 1990s, many former East German Internationals and later players born in East Germany would line up for the German National Team.

 

To mark this reunification at the National Team Football level a match was arranged vs. Switzerland on December 19, 1990, at Stuttgart.

The first East German to start and be part of this Team was perhaps the greatest of this group. Former Dynamo Dresden midfielder Matthias Sammer, who had now joined VfB Stuttgart, would be replaced by former East German teammate and former Dynamo Berlin striker Andreas Thom (now at Bayer Leverkusen) in the 73^rd minute. Thom would score just a minute later.

Photo From: World Soccer, February 1991

(Matthias Sammer, December 19, Germany 4-Switzerland 0)

Photo From: Onze-Mondial, Issue 25, February 1991

(Andreas Thom, December 19, Germany 4-Switzerland 0)

By Springtime 1991 (March 27^th), a third former East German International Thomas Doll would also make his debut for the reunified Team in a friendly (2-1) win over the Soviet Union at Frankfurt am Main.

This trio would be part of the National Team set-up until the 1992 Euros. Sammer and Doll would even earn transfers to Italy to Internazionale Milano and Lazio respectively (though Sammer would quickly return to the Bundesliga and Borussia Dortmund).

Sammer would flourish in the following years and eventually change positions and become one of the best sweepers in Europe. He would win the 1996 Euros with Germany and even become the Ballon d’or of ‘France Football’ in 1996.

Doll and Thom would soon be out of contention and out of the picture by 1994.

Doll fell out of favor with Germany manager Berti Vogts in 1993, while Andreas Thom was nothing more than an extra attacking option to the likes of Voeller, Klinsmann and Riedle.

 

Following the 1992 Euros, Vogts selected another former East German International defender Heiko Scholz (now Bayer Leverkusen) in a friendly vs. Mexico on October 14, 1992, (1-1 tie) at Dresden. It would be his only appearance with the reunified Team.

In the same match, former Dynamo Dresden striker Ulf Kirsten (now Bayer Leverkusen) also made his debut, replacing Rudi Völler (in what was billed as his farewell match).

A month later at Nürnberg, on November 18^th, 1992, Vogts selected Ulf Kirsten again in a scoreless friendly vs. Austria. He replaced Karlheinz Riedle in the 69^th minute (only to be sent-off minutes later).

It was surprising that Vogts had waited so long to call him up as he was one of the best strikers of the latter East Germany era. Kirsten would be part of the set-up until 2000.

In a friendly vs. Tunisia on September 22^nd, 1993 (1-1 tie) at Tunis, Vogts selected Werder Bremen striker Bernd Hobsch. He played in the last ten minutes after replacing Guido Buchwald. Hobsch had played for the East German U-21 Team. This would be his only cap.

Less than a month later, East German-born defender Thomas Ritter (Kasierslautern) played only three minutes in a friendly vs. Uruguay on October 13^th, 1993 (5-0 win) at Karlsruhe. He replaced Stefan Effenberg in the 87^th minute. This would remain his only appearance for the National Team.

 

 In the post-World Cup 1994 cycle, Vogts selected former East German International defender Dirk Schuster (Karlsruhe) and striker Olaf Marschall (Kasierslautern) in a scoreless friendly at Budapest vs. Hungary on October 12^th, 1994. Schuster started the match while Marschall replaced Fredi Bobic in the last five minutes. Schuster would only play three matches in the 1994/95 years, while Marschall was part of the set-up until 1999.

 

Matthias Sammer would remain the best of this initial crop of the early decade. In fact, he would be regarded as one of the greatest German players of his generation. Thomas Doll did well in the 1991/92 cycle but disappeared afterwards. Ulf Kirsten was one of the best German strikers of his era, while the rest made fleeting appearances.

 

 

Matthias Sammer

Matthias Sammer was born in Dresden and made his name at Dynamo Dresden in the 80s. He earned 23 caps for East Germany (1986-1990).

He won two Oberliga titles (1989, 1990).

After the break-up of the wall, he joined VfB Stuttgart in 1990. He won the Bundesliga title with the club in 1992 and then joined Internazionale Milano in Italy.

After less than half a year, he joined Borussia Dortmund in 1993.

He would change position for club and country and become an effective sweeper.

He won Bundesliga titles in 1995, 1996 and the Champions League in 1997.

He was victorious in the 1996 Euros with Germany and elected as the Ballon d’Or of ‘France Football’ in 1996.

He prematurely retired in 1998 due to injury. He later managed Borussia Dortmund to the Bundesliga title in 2002.

In addition to his appearances for East Germany, he earned 51 caps for the German National Team (1990-1997).

Photo From: Fußball Bundesliga 1994-95 Junior Stickers

(Matthias Sammer)

 

Andreas Thom

Andreas Thom broke through as a striker at Dynamo Berlin from 1983 onwards. He won many Oberliga titles and earned 51 caps for East Germany (1984-1990).

He was the East German Footballer of the year in 1988.

In spring 1990, after break-up of the Berlin Wall, he joined Bayer Leverkusen and remained until 1995. He won the German Cup in 1993 with the club.

In 1995, he joined Scottish side Celtic Glasgow and won the League title in 1998.

For the last phase of his career, he played for Hertha Berlin (1998-2001).

He was a member of Germany’s 1992 Euros Finals squad.

In addition to his appearances for East Germany, he earned 10 caps for the German National Team (1990-1994).

 

Photo From: Fußball Bundesliga 1994-95 Junior Stickers

(Andreas Thom)

 

Thomas Doll

Thomas Doll started out as a midfielder with Hansa Rostock in 1983 before joining Dynamo Berlin in 1986.

He won two Oberliga titles (1987, 1988) and earned 29 caps for East Germany (1986-1990).

Following the break-up of the wall, he joined SV Hamburg (1990/91). He was capped by the reunified German Team at the latter part of that season. He earned a move to the Serie A to Lazio in 1991. He had an excellent first season and for a while appeared the best former East German player.

He was a member of Germany’s 1992 Euros squad.

He would fall out of favor at club and country during the 1992/93 season. He left Lazio in 1994 and lined up for the likes of Eintracht Frankfurt (1994-1996), Bari back in Italy (1996-1998) and SV Hamburg (1998-2001).

He never regained his form and struggled with injuries.

In addition to his appearances for East Germany, he earned 18 caps for the German National Team (1991-1993).

 

 

Photo From: Fußball Bundesliga 1994-95 Junior Stickers

(Thomas Doll)

Heiko Scholz

Former East German defender Heiko Scholz started at Chemie Leipzig in 1984 before joining Lokomotive Leipzig in 1986.

He earned 7 caps for East Germany (1987-1990).

He joined Dynamo Dresden in 1990, before moving west to Bayer Leverkusen in 1992. It was there that he earned his one and only cap for Germany in 1992 vs. Mexico.

He remained in Leverkusen until 1995, before joining Werder Bremen (1995-1998), Fortuna Koln (1998), Wattenscheid (1998-1999) and Dresdner SC (1999-2000).

 

Photo From: Fußball Bundesliga 1995-96 Junior Stickers

(Heiko Scholz)

Ulf Kirsten

Prolific striker Ulf Kirsten had a similar trajectory to Andreas Thom.

He broke through as a striker at Dynamo Dresden in 1983. He won two Oberliga titles (1989, 1990) and earned 49 caps for East Germany (1985-1990).

He was the East German Footballer of the year in 1990.

In spring 1990, after break-up of the Berlin Wall, along with Thom, he joined Bayer Leverkusen and remained for the rest of his career until 2003. He won the German Cup in 1993 with the club.

He was Bundesliga’s top goslscorer in 1993, 1997 and 1998.

He was part of Germany’s squads in the 1994, 1998 World Cups and the 2000 Euros.

In addition to his appearances for East Germany, he earned 51 caps for the German National Team (1990-2000).

 

Photo From: Fußball Bundesliga 1994-95 Junior Stickers

(Ulf Kirsten)

Bernd Hobsch

Former East German striker Bernd Hobsch started at Chemie Bohlen in 1986 before joining Lokomotive Leipzig in 1987.

He made appearances for the East German U-21 Team in this period.

He remained at Leipzig until 1992 before joining Werder Bremen in 1992.

He would be noticed in Otto Rehhagel’s successful Bremen side and win the Bundesliga title in 1992/93.

He would gain his lone cap in a friendly vs. Tunisia in 1993.

After Werder Bremen, he joined French side Stade Rennais (1997/98) and then TSV Munich 1860 (1998/99), Nuremberg (1999-2002) and finally Carl Zeiss Jena (2002).

 

Photo From: Fußball Bundesliga 1994-95 Junior Stickers

(Bernd Hobsch)

Thomas Ritter

Former East German defender Thomas Ritter started at Dynamo Dresden in 1987. After short spells at Fortschritt Bischofswerda and TSG Meissen, he joined Stuttgarter Kickers in 1990.

He joined Kaiserslautern in 1992 and remained there until 1995. He came to notice in Kaiserslautern’s successful season (1993/94) and earned his one and only cap for Germany in a friendly vs. Uruguay in October 1993.

After Kaiserslautern, he joined a number of clubs (including Karlsruhe and clubs in Austria and China) until 2005.

 

Photo From: Fußball Bundesliga 1995-96 Junior Stickers

(Thomas Ritter)

Dirk Schuster

Former East German defender Dirk Schuster started at Sachsenring Zwickau in 1986, before joining Magdeburg in 1988.

He earned 4 caps for East Germany in 1990 on the last days of the National team.

After the break-up of the wall, he joined Eintracht Braunschweig in 1990. He would join Karlsruhe in 1991 and remain until 1997.

It was there that he earned his caps for Germany in 1994-95 years and made appearances in the UEFA Cup.

After Kaiserslautern, he joined a number of clubs (including Koln and Waldhof Mannheim) until 2007.

In addition to his appearances for East Germany, he earned 3 caps for the German National Team (1994-1995).

 

Photo From: Fußball Bundesliga 1994-95 Junior Stickers

(Dirk Schuster)

Olaf Marschall

Former East German striker Olaf Marschall started out at Lokomotive Leipzig in 1983. He earned 4 caps for East Germany (1984-1989).

He remained at Leipzig until 1990 and then joined Admira wacker in Austria.

He returned to Germany in 1993 and joined Dynamo Dresden and then joined Kaiserslautern in 1994.

He would have a successful time at the club and remain there until the end of his career in 2002.

He would suffer relegation in 1996, but with Otto Rehhagel at the helm the team would be promoted in 1997 and win the Bundesliga title in 1998.

He had been capped by Germany in 1994, but it was around the 1998 season that he was at his best. He was a member of Germany’s 1998 World Cup squad.

In addition to his appearances for East Germany, he earned 13 caps for the German National Team (1994-1999).

Photo From: Fußball Bundesliga 1994-95 Junior Stickers

(Olaf Marschall)