Thomas Linke: Player profile - FC Bayern München Legends
Legend
Personal
- Date of birth
- 26/12/1969
- Nationality
- German
- Greatest sporting success
- Champions League winner in 2001
- My neighbour in the Bayern changing room
- Brazzo and Thorsten Fink
- My ritual
- Step onto the pitch with your left foot first
- Toughest opponent
- Fillipo Inzaghi
- Hobbys
- Volleyball, paddle tennis, skiing
From Sömmerda via Schalke to Munich
Thomas Linke was born on 26 December 1969 in Sömmerda in Thuringia and began his footballing career with BSG Robotron Sömmerda. In 1983 he moved to the youth setup of FC Rot-Weiß Erfurt, where he broke into the first team in 1989 and gained experience in the final season of the East German Oberliga. After reunification, the rugged central defender established himself in the 2. Bundesliga and, in 1992, joined FC Schalke 04, where he celebrated the sensational UEFA Cup triumph in 1997 with the “Euro Fighters”. His outstanding performances attracted the interest of FC Bayern: in 1998, the record champions signed the 28-year-old for Munich – despite criticism from many pundits who did not believe he would become a regular starter.
The Penalty of Milan
For seven seasons, Thomas Linke marshalled the defence for FC Bayern – and proved all doubters wrong with his solid, unspectacular reliability. With Bayern he won five German championships, three DFB Cups and four League Cups. His greatest moment came on 23 May 2001 at Milan’s San Siro: in the penalty shoot-out of the Champions League final against Valencia, Linke stepped up to take the last, decisive spot-kick – and scored. “There are days when the goal keeps getting smaller; that day it was huge,” he recalls today. The Intercontinental Cup triumph in Tokyo followed. For the German national team, Linke won 43 caps and finished as World Cup runner-up in Japan and South Korea in 2002.
The Quite Trophy Collector
In 2005, Thomas Linke joined Red Bull Salzburg, where he became captain and won the Austrian championship in 2007. That same year he returned once more to FC Bayern – this time to the reserve team, where, as a leader, he helped pave the way for promotion to the newly created 3. Liga. In 2008, at almost 38 years of age, he ended his playing career. Linke then moved into management, working among other roles as sporting director at RB Leipzig and FC Ingolstadt 04, whom he led into the Bundesliga in 2015. For FC Bayern, Thomas Linke remains one of the great defensive leaders of the Champions League era and is now a permanent member of the FC Bayern Legends – a player who, as he once said himself, “feels at home at FC Bayern.”
Champions League winner: 2001
World Cup winner: 2001
German champion 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2005
DFB Cup winner 2000, 2003, 2005
UEFA Cup winner: 1997
- Date of birth
- 26/12/1969
- Nationality
- German
- Greatest sporting success
- Champions League winner in 2001
- My neighbour in the Bayern changing room
- Brazzo and Thorsten Fink
- My ritual
- Step onto the pitch with your left foot first
- Toughest opponent
- Fillipo Inzaghi
- Hobbys
- Volleyball, paddle tennis, skiing
From Sömmerda via Schalke to Munich
Thomas Linke was born on 26 December 1969 in Sömmerda in Thuringia and began his footballing career with BSG Robotron Sömmerda. In 1983 he moved to the youth setup of FC Rot-Weiß Erfurt, where he broke into the first team in 1989 and gained experience in the final season of the East German Oberliga. After reunification, the rugged central defender established himself in the 2. Bundesliga and, in 1992, joined FC Schalke 04, where he celebrated the sensational UEFA Cup triumph in 1997 with the “Euro Fighters”. His outstanding performances attracted the interest of FC Bayern: in 1998, the record champions signed the 28-year-old for Munich – despite criticism from many pundits who did not believe he would become a regular starter.
The Penalty of Milan
For seven seasons, Thomas Linke marshalled the defence for FC Bayern – and proved all doubters wrong with his solid, unspectacular reliability. With Bayern he won five German championships, three DFB Cups and four League Cups. His greatest moment came on 23 May 2001 at Milan’s San Siro: in the penalty shoot-out of the Champions League final against Valencia, Linke stepped up to take the last, decisive spot-kick – and scored. “There are days when the goal keeps getting smaller; that day it was huge,” he recalls today. The Intercontinental Cup triumph in Tokyo followed. For the German national team, Linke won 43 caps and finished as World Cup runner-up in Japan and South Korea in 2002.
The Quite Trophy Collector
In 2005, Thomas Linke joined Red Bull Salzburg, where he became captain and won the Austrian championship in 2007. That same year he returned once more to FC Bayern – this time to the reserve team, where, as a leader, he helped pave the way for promotion to the newly created 3. Liga. In 2008, at almost 38 years of age, he ended his playing career. Linke then moved into management, working among other roles as sporting director at RB Leipzig and FC Ingolstadt 04, whom he led into the Bundesliga in 2015. For FC Bayern, Thomas Linke remains one of the great defensive leaders of the Champions League era and is now a permanent member of the FC Bayern Legends – a player who, as he once said himself, “feels at home at FC Bayern.”
Champions League winner: 2001
World Cup winner: 2001
German champion 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2005
DFB Cup winner 2000, 2003, 2005
UEFA Cup winner: 1997