Matthias Zammer is unique for many reasons, and although he never belonged to such icons of German football as, say, Franz Beckenbauer or Gerd Muller, he guaranteed himself a place in history.

Matthias was the first player from the German Democratic Republic to play for the united Germany national team (“defectors” from the German Democratic Republic to the Federal Republic of Germany didn’t count), and he was the author of the last goal in the official history of the East German national team (total 23 matches, 6 goals). But most importantly, Zammer is one of those who managed to clearly prove himself as a player, coach and functionary - such in history can be counted on the fingers of one hand.

Throughout his life, no matter what he did, Zammer was a team player, although he had undeniable leadership qualities. To this day, Matthias is confident that no one in football can achieve success alone.. Even the one who, like him, independently makes his way to the top, cannot cope without support.

However, at first professional observers considered his debut at a professional level in Dresden Dynamo to be a "

Soon after the fall of the Berlin Wall, Zammer, like many of the leading players in the GDR team, ended up in clubs in West Germany. In 1990, after five years in Dynamo D (140 matches in all tournaments, 52 goals), Matthias ended up in Stuttgart (although he was originally expected in Bayer), and then received a call to the Bundestim (he played 51 matches, 8 goals).

Who knows what his career would have been like if he had confessed to being a Stasi employee right after he had retired from the GDR, and not at the end of his career? However, everyone knows that in the countries of the socialist camp all the players of the “army” and “Dynamo” teams wore officer ranks of the relevant departments. And you could, playing for Dynamo, be the captain of the KGB, but at the same time have nothing to do with the operations of the notorious department. So let's not judge Zammer too harshly.

All players from East Germany wanted to be like stars from the Federal Republic of Germany. It was not easy to immediately switch from a GDR national team to a new national team, but I quickly got used to the anthem of another country.. Probably because my mentality was western.

All players from East Germany wanted to be like the stars from Germany, but this could not be said out loud.. For example, I admired Franz Beckenbauer and Gerd Muller.

In the first season, the “red meteor” (as the fans called him) helped the “Swabians” to win a ticket to the UEFA Cup, and in the next to win the national championship. In two seasons, Zammer played 68 matches for Stuttgart and scored 23 goals..

The next step was Inter, but in Italy, our hero did not go. What played the role was that perhaps the “Nerazzurri” after speaking at Giuseppe Meazza Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, and then the magnificent trio of Lothar Matteus, Andreas Breme and Jurgen Klinsmann, expected too much from another German at once. As a result, after a single season (12 matches, 4 goals), Zammer in 1992 ended up in Borussia D, where his stellar period as a player passed.

Two victories in the German championship, two German Super Cups and a win in the Champions League. In just six seasons in Borussia, Matthias spent 156 matches in all tournaments and scored 23 goals.

That's just the player’s career, he had only 32 years old: due to an infection introduced during a simple operation, it almost came to amputation.

And Matthias reached his peak in 1996, when the German team won the European Championship, and Zammer, recognized as the best player of the tournament, was awarded the Golden Ball at the end of the year..

Many people think that Matthias didn’t get that Golden Ball well-deserved, but this can only be said by those who did not see how this red-haired “monster” tore any opponent in the fields of England, acting in the base zone or in the libero position.

All the main matches are won precisely due to the character. The Germans always had a strong character, but not all coaches manage to reveal it.. But all the main matches are won precisely due to the character.

Short but successful was Zammer's coaching career. In Borussia, D Matthias won the German championship and reached the UEFA Cup final, and Stuttgart obtained a ticket to the UEFA Cup, which was a phenomenal result for the “Swabians”.

After which Zammer plunged headlong into administrative work, becoming the technical director of the German football union. The statement that he was the author of the training system for the Bundestim is probably an exaggeration, but it was Matthias who brought his favorite principle to it - the team first of all, and with it a tangible result was noticeable.

First you need to create a system, and then you have to build players into it First you need to create a system, and then you have to build players in it. But this does not mean that they should be just cogs in the car. Individuality matters a lot.

Great teams draw strength even from defeats. The main thing is not to stop. Even when it seems like you’re gone, you still have to squeeze yourself. There is no other way to achieve great success..

Truly great players and leaders are well aware that without a team they are nothing, and they can reach their full potential only with the help of a team.

A true champion, no matter what kind of sport, is never satisfied with his title. The thirst for victory in him never subsides.

Six years later, Zammer took over as the sports director of Bavaria, and it was his work that was remembered for the loud transfers of Javi Martinez, Robert Lewandowski, Arturo Vidal, Xabi Alonso and the arrival of Josep Guardiola's team on the coaching bridge.

Zammer’s work led the Munich leadership to such a delight that when four years later he began to have health problems and could not continue to work due to circulatory problems in the brain, Bavaria did not appoint a new sports director for a year, hoping that Matthias would.

Alas, with all his inherent seething energy, Zammer can no longer work.. Having worked as an expert on the Eurosport TV channel, he now holds the position of consultant in Borussia D, trying as much as possible to benefit the club, which he has glorified both as a player and as a coach.

Now I see a generation of players who have an incredible will to win.

However, many of them have problems with socialization.. They do not know how to communicate with each other, joke and make fun of.

The ideal role model should not be Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi, but Marco Royce. What he went through, but did not give up and did not lose motivation - this is impressive.

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