Stefan Effenberg, nicknamed Tiger, is a generation of midfield masters, and his good overall view and unique leadership temperament have made him a rare talent on the green field. He was born on August 2, 1968, and today is his 48th birthday. Happy Birthday Tiger!
In 1990, at the age of 22, Effenberg moved from Mönchengladbach to Bayern. After two consecutive years without winning the league, he left Munich and fled. After moving to Florence and old club Borussia Mönchengladbach, the Tigers joined Bayern again in 1998 and began a golden age for Effenberg.
Young Effenberg
Effenberg during the Mönchengladbach period
Effenberg of the Florentine period
Bayern manager Heathfield insisted on letting him join the team at the time, giving him firm support from day one. Effenberg, dressed in the number 11 shirt, also repaid the coach's trust in him with excellent results. Under his leadership, Bayern won the Bundesliga three times in 1999, 2000 and 2001, and the German Cup in 2000. The 2001 UEFA Champions League title and Toyota Cup title brought his career at Bayern to the pinnacle.
Bayern won the Bundesliga three-time title
Tigers hold aloft the Champions League trophy
In total, he played 160 games for Bayern and scored 35 times. In addition to playing in the Bundesliga, he played in 35 international matches and scored 5 goals in them. Runner-up at euro 1992 in Sweden was his highest honour for the national team.
Effenberg at the 1994 Fifarth World Cup
Heathfield often admired his leadership as captain. "Stephen runs this team, and this team depends on him. Not only does he have a good understanding of his teammates, but he also exudes a confident glow all the time. Where everyone else is hiding is the stage where Effenberg shows himself. Heathfield once said.
Innate leadership qualities
Effenberg is a rare talent in German football, he has an extremely broad vision, his footwork is very exquisite, he can tear through the opponent's defense with long passes, and can also cooperate with his teammates for smooth short passes. More importantly, Effenberg was born with a strong leadership temperament, commanding in midfield and being domineering. However, it is regrettable that he is arrogant and arrogant, and often attracts criticism from all sides because of his out-of-the-ordinary words and deeds. In 1994, he represented the German national team at the World Cup in the United States, and in the group stage 3-2 victory over South Korea, Effenberg was extremely uncool and gave the fans a middle finger gesture, so he was expelled from the national team by coach Foggock. Since then, Effenberg has been sidelined by the German national team, rejecting a call from new manager Ribeck after Vogts stepped down in 1998.
A proud tiger
Of course, Effenberg has officially bid farewell to the green field, and his merits can only be left to posterity. In fact, after Effenberg, German football did not emerge as a midfielder on a par with him. The strength of the former German national team captain Barak is unquestionable, and bayern Munich brought him in from Bayern Munich in 2002 to fill the gap left by Effenberg, but there is still a certain gap between Barak and Effenberg. As far as the leadership temperament is concerned, to this day, only Kahn, who is known as a lion, can break the wrist with a tiger.
Barak and Effenberg
Lion and tiger
At the end of his career, Effenberg played for Wolfsburg for one season, and his performances were still remarkable. Tigers then traveled to West Asia to pan for gold and joined the Doha Arabs in Qatar. There, he became teammates with Batistuta, the god of war.
Effenberg during the Wolfsburg period
Play alongside Batti, the god of war, in the Qatari league
On 5 May 2002, Bayern played rostock at home against Rostock, the entire Olympic Sports Center was packed, and the match ended in thunderous applause from 63,000 spectators, which announced the official farewell of Effenberg and Bayern. As the entire team applauded to salute their teammates, the fans in the audience kept shouting "Goodbye!" and held aloft nearly 20 meters wide banners "2001, Milan – we won't forget!" Thank you! Effe!”
Effenberg waved goodbye to his green career
Ever Effenberg, Forever Tiger, Happy Birthday!