“Barcelona”, “Real Madrid”, “Atletico Madrid” - when these clubs are mentioned, football lovers get pictures of real battles in their heads, because all three are irreconcilable rivals to each other. The grandees constantly challenge the title of the best team in Spain. And since the “Real” and “Atletico” from the same city, then according to the football tradition, they are fighting in the Madrid derby for the title of the best team in Madrid.
Being a player in one of these clubs is the dream of any football player. Go to the camp of another team - betrayal. Cases of a transition from Barcelona to Real Madrid or vice versa, although rare, were, for example: the transfer of Luis Enrique in 1996 from Real Madrid to Barcelona or the transfer of Luis Figo in 2000 from Barcelona to Real Madrid . Much more rare are cases of transition from one Madrid team to another. By the standards of Spain, betraying a club is a crime. But was there such a player who did not give a damn about all moral principles and managed to play in all three warring clubs? Meet Bernd Schuster, the footballer who made the transition from Barcelona to Real Madrid and from Real Madrid to Atlético.
Carier start
Bernd Schuster was born on December 22, 1959 in Augsburg. In 1971, he began his football career in his hometown with the Hammerschmidt children's club team. In 1976, he transferred to the youth team of the Augsburg football club.
In 1978, Bernd Schuster began his professional career after moving to the Cologne football club from the city of the same name. Successful performances for “Cologne” he paved his way to the national team of West Germany under 18 years old (U-18).
Barcelona
In 1980, with his brilliant game, Bernd Schuster attracted the attention of such a grand football as Barcelona, after which he made the transition to the Catholic club. In Barcelona, Schuster saw the makings of a field vision and from the position of the defender - the cleaner was transferred to the middle line, where he firmly took the position of the central midfielder. Here in Barcelona, he won the true status of a legend. Under Bernd Schuster, the club won the championship in the 1984/1985 season, twice won the Spanish Cup in the seasons 1980/1981, 1982/1983, and reached the final of the 1985/1986 champions cup.
After the 1985/1986 season, complications began in the relationship between President Josep Luis Nunez and representatives of the Barcelona coaching staff, and over the next two years, Bernd Schuster began to appear less and less on the field, which settled a huge feeling of resentment in the player’s heart, and after the expiration of the term contract in 1988, the brand resolves to its first football crime in life ...
"Real Madrid"
In 1988, he transferred to the evil of his former club in the camp of sworn enemies - in Real Madrid. Bernd Schuster immediately became a key player in the cream and helped Madrid win the championship in the 1988/1989 and 1989/1990 season, as well as the Spanish Cup in the 1988/1989 season.
In June 1990, Real Madrid went on a tour of North America, but Schuster did not like this idea, which caused a quarrel with the club president. And, like in Barcelona, his grievances led the player to part with the team.
The second crime, or the transition to Atletico (Madrid)
After Bernd Schuster left Real Madrid, realizing his plight, he made an attempt to return to Barcelona. But the club never forgave its former leader. Then in 1990, Schuster commits his second football crime and goes to Atletico (Madrid), which is the city's enemy of Real Madrid.
In Madrid “Atletico” Bernd spent 3 seasons and won two Spanish cups of the seasons 1990/1991 and 1991/1992. And after the 1992/1993 season, Schuster decides to return to his homeland.
Homecoming and subsequent departure to Mexico
In 1993, Schuster crossed Leverkusen Bayer 04, where he spends almost 3 full seasons, entering the field 59 times and scoring 8 goals. In the middle of the 1996/1997 season, Schuster decides on yet another crazy act and leaves to play in Mexico for the UNAM Pumas club, where he ends the player’s career at the end of the season.
Bernd Schuster: statistics
Schuster, like any high-level player, has amazing statistics. On it you can track the entire career of a football player, his ups and downs.
Being initially a defender, and later a centerline player, Bernd Schuster cannot boast of hundreds of goals scored, like Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi.
For his first club, “Cologne,” Schuster entered the field 61 times and scored 10 goals. For Barcelona, he scored 63 times in 170 matches. In the composition of the worst enemy of the “blue garnet” - in Madrid “Real” - Bernd scored 13 times in 61 matches. For the enemies of Real Madrid - Madrid Atletico - Schuster scored 11 times in 85 games. After returning home, Schuster entered the field 59 times as part of Bayer 04 and scored 8 goals. The Mexican championship goalkeepers have never been hit by Schuster’s goals: 0 goals in 9 games for UNAM Pumas.
Total for his career - 445 games, 105 goals, which suggests that he scored in almost every 4 matches. An amazing result for the central midfielder. That was Bernd Schuster. The biography is full of goals, victories and a vibrant game.
Career in the national team
For the West German national team, Schuster made his debut in 1979 as a player at the Cologne football club. In 1980, he won the European Championship in the national team. The conquest of the European title was the impetus for his transition to Barcelona. In 1982, he was a participant in the World Cup, but practically did not play because of the injury. Schuster played for the national team for almost two years, until in 1983 he refused to join the national team in the qualifying matches for Euro 1984 against Albania and Northern Ireland. Schuster motivated this by the fact that he wants to be at home at the time of the birth of his daughter. Bernd Schuster played for the national team in friendly matches before Euro 1984, which caused dissatisfaction with the media and some players of the national team. And for this reason, the national team coach Jupp Derval decided to remove Schuster from the games. Ironically, the best midfielder of the 80s spent 21 matches for the national team and scored 4 goals. After moving to Bayer 04, Schuster was close to returning to the national team, but the coaching staff did not dare to do so.