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Germany remained a major footballing force throughout the 90s – and its top league, the Bundesliga, was graced by its fair share of stars.
From national heroes to immensely successful foreign imports, these are the best Bundesliga players of the 20th century’s final decade – when Germany became reunified after 45 years of division.
Let’s get stuck in, shall we?
33. Hasan Salihamidzic (Hamburg, Bayern Munich)
Bosnia and Herzegovina great Hasan Salihamidzic spent the majority of his career in the Bundesliga, starting out with Hamburg and impressing sufficiently to earn a move to Bayern Munich in 1998.
The versatile wide player won his first of six Bundesliga titles with Bayern in 1998/99 and later returned to the Bavarian giants as sporting director.
32. Guido Buchwald (Stuttgart, Karlsruher SC)
Legendary German centre-back Guido Buchwald began the 90s by man-marking Diego Maradona out of the 1990 World Cup final – then winning his second Bundesliga title with Stuttgart in 1991/92.
One of the league’s standout defenders during the first half of the decade, Buchwald left for Japanese outfit Urawa Red Diamonds in 1994 – but returned home to see out his career with Karlsruher SC.
31. Marco Bode (Werder Bremen)
A one-club man, winger Marco Bode scored over 100 goals in almost 400 Bundesliga appearances for Werder Bremen – with the majority of them coming during the 90s.
Bode helped Bremen to the title in 1992/93 – and later won Euro 96 with Germany, for whom he earned 40 caps in all.
30. Thomas Strunz (Bayern Munich, Stuttgart)
Four times a Bundesliga a champion across two spells with Bayern Munich, Thomas Strunz was among the league’s top defensive midfielders of the 90s.
A Euro 96 winner with Germany – who capped him 41 times – Strunz made more than 150 Bundesliga appearances for Bayern either side of a three-year stint at Stuttgart.
29. Michael Preetz (Fortuna Dusseldorf, MSV Duisburg, Hertha Berlin)
Bundesliga top scorer with 23 goals for Hertha Berlin in 1998/99, Michael Preetz ended his career with a seven-year spell in the German capital.
Capped seven times by Germany – scoring three goals – Preetz got his first taste of top-flight football with Fortuna Dusseldorf at the very beginning of the 90s.
28. Mario Basler (Hertha Berlin, Werder Bremen, Bayern Munich, Kaiserslautern)
A 1996/97 and 1998/99 Bundesliga champion with Bayern Munich, 30-cap Germany midfielder Mario Basler racked up well over 100 appearances in the competition, featuring for four clubs.
Renowned for his set-piece ability, the highly creative Basler scored his fair share of goals from free-kicks (and even a couple from corners!).
27. Carsten Jancker (Koln, Bayern Munich)
Signed from Rapid Vienna in 1996, towering centre-forward Carsten Jancker was a steady goalscoer for Bayern Munich throughout the latter years of the 90s.
Previously of Koln, the 33-cap German international won his first two of four Bundesliga titles with Bayern in 1996/97 and 1998/99 – averaging a goal every other game during the latter campaign.
26. Olaf Thon (Bayern Munich, Schalke)
Legendary German midfielder turned sweeper Olaf Thon won two Bundesliga titles with Bayern Munich in the first five years of the 90s, taking his career total to three.
‘The Professor’ – who lifted the 1990 World Cup with West Germany – then returned to hometown club Schalke to see out his playing days, taking his overall Bundesliga appearance tally to almost 450.
25. Jurgen Klinsmann (Bayern Munich)
One of the most popular German footballers of his generation – or any generation, for that matter – Jurgen Klinsmann spent most of the 90s in Italy, France and England – but he did enjoy a goal-laden two-season stint with Bayern Munich.
The 1990 World Cup and Euro 96 winner struck 31 times across the 1995/96 and 1996/97 campaigns, winning his only league title (in any country) in the latter.
24. Krasimir Balakov (Stuttgart)
One of Bulgaria’s very best players of all time, Krasimir Balakov arrived in the Bundesliga in 1995, joining Stuttgart from Sporting Lisbon.
He soon established himself as one of the league’s standout playmakers, pulling the strings as part of Stuttgart’s so-called ‘magic triangle’ which also comprised Fredi Bobic and Giovane Elber.
23. Andreas Brehme (Kaiserslautern)
Forever assured of legendary status by scoring the winner for West Germany in the 1990 World Cup final against Argentina, the late Andreas Brehme rounded off his career with a five-year spell at Kaiserslautern from 1993 to 1998.
There, the iconic left wing-back was part of the team which famously lifted the 1997/98 Bundesliga title just a year after being promoted.
22. Fritz Walter (Stuttgart)
He shares a name with one of the all-time greats of German football, but Fritz Walter was an extremely handy player in his own right.
Bundesliga top scorer in 1992/93 as he fired Stuttgart to the title, Walter (pictured holding the Bundesliga trophy) notched at least league 12 goals in every season between 1989/90 and 1993/94 – and he probably would have been capped by Germany if not for their glut of top attacking talent at the time.
21. Stefan Kuntz (Kaiserslautern, Arminia Bielefeld, Bochum)
Another member of Germany’s Euro 96-winning side, Stefan Kuntz was voted 1991 German Footballer of the Year as he lifted the title with Kaiserlautern – where he scored more than a third of his 179 career Bundesliga goals.
That haul makes Kuntz – who had a brief spell with Turkish giants Besiktas in the middle of the decade – one of the all-time leading marksmen in the German top flight.
20. Andreas Kopke (Nurnberg, Eintracht Frankfurt)
Germany’s first-choice goalkeeper during the latter half of the 90s, the reliable Andreas Kopke was named 1993 German Footballer of the Year.
Then of Nurnberg – for whom he made most of his career appearances – Kopke went on to establish himself as one of the game’s finest custodians at Eintracht Frankfurt.
19. Sammy Kuffour (Bayern Munich)
One of the best African players of all time, formidable Ghanaian centre-back Sammy Kuffour spent almost all of his career at Bayern Munich, starting out there in 1993.
By the end of the decade, Kuffour – who won the 1991 U-17 World Cup with his nation – had won his first two of six Bundesliga titles.
18. Michael Zorc (Borussia Dortmund)
Born in Dortmund, Michael Zorc spent his entire 17-year career at his hometown club, enjoying great success on the domestic and continental stages.
The goalscoring midfielder – who earned seven caps for Germany – captained the Black and Yellows to successive Bundesliga titles in 1994/95 and 1995/96, later also winning the Champions League.
17. Fredi Bobic (Stuttgart, Borussia Dortmund)
Capped 37 times by Germany, Yugoslav-born striker Fredi Bobic worked his way up through the lower divisions to join Stuttgart in 1994/95 – and proceeded to bang in 69 Bundesliga goals in five seasons.
At Stuttgart, Bobic excelled as one prong of the successful ‘magic triangle’ attacking trio with Krasimir Balakov and Giovane Elber.
16. Markus Babbel (Bayern Munich, Hamburg)
Munich native Markus Babbel won three Bundesliga titles with his hometown club, returning in 1994 after proving his defensive credentials at Hamburg.
Adept at centre-half or right-back, the Euro 96 winer – who made almost 200 league appearances for Bayern in all – tasted Bundesliga glory for the first time during the 1996/97 season.
15. Christian Ziege (Bayern Munich)
Twice a Bundesliga champion with Bayern Munich, Christian Ziege featured almost 200 times for the club in the competition.
A dead-ball specialist, the left wing-back – later of AC Milan and Liverpool, among others – played an integral part in a successful era for Bayern, as well as helping Germany to Euro 96 glory.
14. Bodo Illgner (Koln)
West Germany’s number one at the 1990 World Cup – where he became the first goalkeeper to keep a clean sheet in the final – Bodo Illgner provided Koln with a seriously safe pair of hands between the sticks until 1996, when he left for Real Madrid.
Voted German Goalkeeper of the Year four years running from 1989 to 1992, Illgner was also named Best European Goalkeeper in 1991.
13. Mehmet Scholl (Karlsruher SC, Bayern Munich)
With eight Bundesliga winner’s medals to his name, Mehmet Scholl is one of the most decorated players in the history of the competition.
The Euro 96-winning attacking midfielder lifted his first three titles between 1994 and 1999 with Bayern Munich – who he played for from 1992 until his retirement in 2007.
12. Thomas Helmer (Borussia Dortmund, Bayern Munich)
Capped 68 times by Germany, centre-back Thomas Helmer made almost 200 Bundesliga appearances for both Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich – and he won the 1993/94, 1996/97 and 1998/99 titles with the latter, who he also captained.
Helmer joined Bayern in 1992, just three months after leaving Dortmund for Lyon – after BVB refused to sell him to their arch-rivals – becoming the Bavarian giants’ record signing at the time.
11. Stefan Effenberg (Borussia Monchengladbach, Bayern Munich)
Controversy-courting Germany midfielder Stefan Effenberg had two spells with two of the Bundesliga’s most storied clubs, Borussia Monchengladbach and Bayern Munich.
He moved from Gladbach to Bayern in 1992 then, after a stint at Fiorentina, back the other way in 1998 – final getting has hands on the Bundesliga title for the first time in 1999.
10. Giovane Elber (Stuttgart, Bayern Munich)
Among the Bundesliga’s finest South American imports, Brazilian frontman Giovane Elber’s 133 goals makes him one of the all-time top scorers in the competition.
Capped by his country on 15 occasions, Elber bagged the majority of those 133 goals in the 90s, netting 41 times in three seasons at Stuttgart – where he completed the aforementioned ‘magic triangle’ – before joining Bayern Munich – where he struck 13 times in 21 outings en route to the 1998/99 title.
9. Stefan Reuter (Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund)
A highly versatile defender-cum-midfielder, Stefan Reuter lifted the Bundesliga title twice with each of its two most successful clubs: Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund.
He won three of those crowns during the 90s, a decade which saw him amass over 250 appearances in the German top flight – as well as taste success at the 1990 World Cup and Euro 96.
8. Tony Yeboah (Eintracht Frankfurt, Hamburg)
Ghanaian great Tony Yeboah is a Premier League cult hero – and a bona fide Bundesliga legend, starring for Eintracht Frankfurt and Hamburg either side of his memorable spell at Leeds.
The Bundesliga’s leading marksmen in each of the 1992/93 and 1993/94 campaigns, Yeboah earned his big move to England by netting 68 times in 123 league outings for Eintracht.
7. Andreas Moller (Borussia Dortmund, Eintracht Frankfurt)
Having started out with local club Eintracht Frankfurt, Andreas Moller went on to win back-to-back Bundesliga titles with Borussia Dortmund in 1995 and 1996.
Regarded as one of the finest playmakers of his generation, 1990 World Cup and Euro 96 winner Moller led the league for assists in 1989/90 and 1995/96.
6. Ulf Kirsten (Bayer Leverkusen)
Up there with very best East German footballers of all time, Ulf Kirsten played solely for Bayer Leverkusen in the Bundesliga, finishing as top scorer on three occasions during the 90s.
Come the end of 1999, the prolific Kirsten – who netted 20 times in 51 caps for a unified Germany – had passed the milestone of 150 Bundesliga goals.
5. Stephane Chapuisat (Borussia Dortmund)
Another member of the Bundesliga’s 100-goal club, legendary Swiss striker Stephane Chapuisat never actually managed to finish as the league’s top scorer – but he did find the net at a remarkably consistent rate, registering 102 times in 218 games for Borussia Dortmund between 1991 and 1999.
A back-to-back champion of Germany in 1994/95 and 1995/96, Chapuisat finished in the top 10 of voting for the 1992 and 1993 Ballons d’Or.
4. Oliver Kahn (Karlsruher SC, Bayern Munich)
One of the greatest goalkeepers in the history of the game, Oliver Kahn was bestowed with the honour of the Bundesliga’s top custodian four times during the 90s alone.
Signed from Karlsruher SC in 1994, the man whose aggression saw him nicknamed ‘Der Titan’ was Bayern Munich’s number one as they won the title in 1996/97 and 1998/99.
3. Jurgen Kohler (Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund)
A Bundesliga champion with Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund in the 90s, 1990 World Cup and Euro 96 winner Jurgen Kohler was one of the best defenders of his era.
Voted 1997 German Footballer of the Year, the supremely well-rounded centre-back made the Bundesliga Team of the Season as both a Bayern and Dortmund player.
2. Matthias Sammer (Stuttgart, Borussia Dortmund)
German Footballer of the Year in 1995 and 1996, Matthias Sammer has to go down as one of his nation’s greatest players of all time.
An elite defensive midfielder – and later sweeper – Sammer got his hands on the Bundesliga title with Stuttgart in 1991/92, and Borussia Dortmund in 1994/95 and 1995/96, featuring 178 times in the competition altogether.
1. Lothar Matthaus (Bayern Munich)
A true icon of the modern game, Lothar Matthaus’ career spanned the entirety of the 90s (and the entirety of the 80s, for that matter) – a decade during which he won three Bundesliga titles with Bayern Munich.
Named German Footballer of the Year for the second time in 1999, the World Cup, Euros and Ballon d’Or-winning midfielder ended his epic and glittering playing career in 2000.
