Thomas Linke

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Thomas Linke (born December 26, 1969 in Sömmerda, Thuringia, Germany) is a German professional footballer, currently serving as a defender for FC Bayern Munich II.

[edit] Early Career

Thomas Linke began his football career in 1977 with BSG Robotron Sömmerda. In 1983, he transfered to FC Rot-Weiß Erfurt, eventually making the breakthrough into the first team in 1989. With Erfurt, Linke had the opportunity to gain experience by playing in the DDR-Oberliga (East German First Division). After finishing third in the last year of the Oberliga, the club was placed into the newly consolidated 2. Fußball-Bundesliga in 1991 as part of the German reunification process. During his time in the 2. Bundesliga, Linke established himself as a primary starter, but was ultimately unable to prevent Rot-Weiß Erfurt from being relegated at the end of the season.

[edit] Schalke Years

During Rot-Weiß Erfurt’s German Cup win over FC Schalke 04, team management took notice of Linke and brought the defender into the club the following season. At Schalke, he was also able to quickly earn his way into the starting line-up. From 1992 until 1998 Linke appeared in a total of 175 German Bundesliga matches for the Royal Blues. His crowning achievement during this tenure with Schalke was the penalty shoot-out win over Inter Milan in the final of the 1996/97 UEFA Cup.

[edit] Bayern Munich Success

In 1998 Linke transferred to German giants FC Bayern Munich, where he would go on to experience the most successful chapter of his professional career. With Bayern, Linke won five German Championships, three German Cups, and four German League Cups in addition to the 2001 editions of the UEFA Champions League and the FIFA Intercontinental Cup. In the Champions League final, he scored the final penalty to give Bayern the victory in the shoot-out against Valencia CF.

Since first joining Bayern, numerous critics prophesised that Linke would never be able to hold on to his starting spot in the center of defense. Linke made it a point to prove his critics wrong by continualy impressing in the back four with solid, if unspectacular, performances. Not until his final season at Bayern, under coach Felix Magath, did Linke end up losing his starting role to defender Robert Kovac.

[edit] Austrian Adventure

At the beginning of the 2005/06 season, Thomas Linke made the decision to extend his playing career by transferring to the Austrian Bundesliga to link up with newly re-tooled Red Bull Salzburg. Soon after arriving at Salzburg, Linke was appointed captain of the first team and became a regular within the starting eleven. During his second season with the Red Bulls, Linke added one last piece of silverware to his extensive collection by winning the Austrian Championship. On May 3, 2007, Red Bull Salzburg informed Linke that his initial two-year contract would not be extended.

[edit] Next Step

Not yet willing to call it quits on his playing days, Linke signed a new contract on June 13, 2007, with Bayern Munich, agreeing to take over as captain of third division amateur side Bayern Munich II. In this capacity, it was understood that Linke would lead Bayern II into the newly created 3. Fußball-Bundesliga. On September 12, 2007, Linke additionally signed a contract with his other former club, Red Bull Salzburg, to serve as Assistant to Director of Sport Heinz Hochhauser. Linke performed both his playing duties in Munich and his management duties in Salzburg cocurently, splitting time between the two cities. Thomas Linke’s contract with Bayern II runs out on June 30, 2008.

Linke’s legacy will see him remembered as a hard-nosed central defender who employed skillful headers, constant composure, and never turned away from a one-on-one situation.

[edit] National Team

Linke’s debut with the Germany national team took place in a 3:0 victory over South Africa on November 15, 1997. He represented Germany at the UEFA European Championship in 2000 and the FIFA World Cup in 2002. In the 2002 World Cup, Linke played a key role in the team that would eventually finish runner-up after a 0:2 loss in the final to Brazil. Additionally, Linke scored his only national team goal during the group stage match against Saudi Arabia; a match that would end in a 8:0 route for Germany. He announced his retirement after the 2002 World Cup, but was called up for national duty once more in 2004. After numerous injuries to German central defenders, then Germany coach Jürgen Klinsmann personally called Linke on the telephone and asked him to temporarily come out of retirement in order to add experience to the depleted German back-line. It total, Linke appeared 43 times for his country.

[edit] Honours

• UEFA Cup Champion: 1997
• DFB Liga-Pokal Champion: 1998, 1999, 2000, 2004
• Bundesliga Champion: 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2005
• DFB Pokal Champion: 2000, 2003, 2005; Runner-up: 1999
• UEFA Champions League Champion: 2001; Runner-up: 1999
• FIFA Intercontinental Cup Champion: 2001
• Austrian Bundesliga Champion: 2007
• European Super Cup: Runner-up 2001
• FIFA World Cup: Runner-up 2002

[edit] External links

• Career stats at Fussballdaten.de (German)

v • d • e Germany squad - UEFA Euro 2000 1 Kahn • 2 Babbel • 3 Rehmer • 4 Linke • 5 Bode • 6 Nowotny • 7 Scholl • 8 Häßler • 9 Kirsten • 10 Matthäus • 11 Rink • 12 Lehmann • 13 Ballack • 14 Hamann • 15 Wosz • 16 Jeremies • 17 Ziege • 18 Deisler • 19 Jancker • 20 Bierhoff • 21 Ramelow • 22 Butt • Coach: Ribbeck

v • d • e Germany squad - 2002 FIFA World Cup Runners-up 1 Kahn • 2 Linke • 3 Rehmer • 4 Baumann • 5 Ramelow • 6 Ziege • 7 Neuville • 8 Hamann • 9 Jancker • 10 Ricken • 11 Klose • 12 Lehmann • 13 Ballack • 14 Asamoah • 15 Kehl • 16 Jeremies • 17 Bode • 18 Böhme • 19 Schneider • 20 Bierhoff • 21 Metzelder • 22 Frings • 23 Butt • Coach: Völler