The German national football team has always been famous for its technical and disciplined players. But there are those who are called legends. One of these iconic personalities of German football is Lothar Matteus.
It is believed that the name of a person initially predicts his fate. In the case of Lothar, this assumption is more than true. His surname is translated as "long-liver", "conqueror". Whatever line of life he chooses, he will achieve success in it more than once. This is what happened in football, because Matteus played at a high level for decades, now and then setting world records.
This German defender in the national team won both the European Championships and Mundiali. He was repeatedly recognized as the best football player on the planet. Even after the player’s career ended, Lothar did not leave the sport. He actively began to attend coaching courses. As a result, over 10 years he achieved considerable heights, being a mentor of such teams as the Vienna Rapid, Partizan, and the Austrian Red Bull. He also managed to work with the national teams of Hungary and Bulgaria. In recent years, has been an expert on Sky Sport.
Star appearance
Lothar Matteus was born on March 21, 1961. The football player’s hometown is Erlangen. This region of Bavaria is known throughout the country for its many sports equipment companies. It was in this industry that parents and almost all of Matteus's relatives were engaged.
However, Lothar decided to take a different path. He was always keen on football, but his parents insisted on special education. As a result, the future captain of the national team learned to work as a decorator-interior designer.
Young Matteus began his career in sports in the section of the local Herzogenaurach club. From the first days the boy showed great hopes, but often did not get into the squad due to a violation of discipline. Lothar always had problems with this character trait, even in professional sports. Gradually, he began to be attracted to the children’s national teams and countries.
In his youth, Lothar was very worried because of his short stature. Despite numerous exercises, in the end he managed to grow to just 1.72 m. But in physical terms, Matteus always exceeded partners on the field.
Carier start
In 1979, a German footballer first appeared in the Bundesliga. At the age of 18, the Mönchengladbach Borussia signed a contract with him. A year later, the team managed to qualify for the UEFA Cup. In the decisive match, Lothar scored a goal, but in the end, the victory in the tournament went to Eintracht.
Despite the confident and reliable defense game, many fans and footballers of Borussia Matteus did not like. The reason was his bad character. He could be rude to partners and coaches, be late for training, get drunk behind the wheel.
However, all this did not stop him from getting into the application of the German national team for Euro 1980. That championship was remembered for a football player by a personal failure. In the only match in which he entered the field, Germany was one step away from losing. Thanks to the slurred game of Matteus, the Dutch almost passed the Germans in the group stage.
Going to Bavaria
After the European Championship, Lothar Matteus played a few more seasons with varying success for Borussia. In 1984, a turning point came in his career. For a small amount, Matteus moved from Mönchegladbach to Munich. The new team of the promising defender was the powerful Bayern. Such a chance should be enjoyed by any football player, and Lothar understood this very well.
At that time, the backbone of Bavaria was made up of players from the German national football team. Therefore, in the first couple the beginner had a hard time. Winning competition with German stars was not easy.
However, Lothar regularly appeared in the starting lineup. Experts noted the significant growth of the football player, but often criticized for the fact that in decisive matches he went into the shadows, becoming invisible.
In 1986, at the Mundial in Mexico, Matteus first showed his best side. He became the star of the national team in front of his eyes.
Beckenbauer School
At the 1986 World Cup, Germany was led by Kaiser Franz. It was he who discerned the defining link of the national team in Lotare. In the match with Argentina, Matteus had to neutralize Maradona himself. The defender coped with the task, but in the decisive episodes he was so carried away that because of his mistakes the Germans conceded two goals.
Despite such oversights, Beckenbauer continued to believe in Matteus. Kaiser Franz demanded full commitment from his ward in training. Beckenbayer wanted to make Lothar the leader of the national team, the main pillar of German football.
One day he invited a lawyer to his house for dinner. During a warm conversation, Kaiser Franz admitted to Matteus that he saw him as the captain of the national team. This conversation played a decisive role in the career of the defender.
Long wanderings
In 1988, Lothar Matteus decided to change the club. The new German team was the Italian Internationale. The deal at that time was incredibly huge - 5.5 million dollars.
The first season in the new team turned out to be extremely successful for Matteus. “Inter” secured an early championship, and Lothar was marked with a “golden” goal. Two years later, a German defender helped his club win the UEFA Cup. Matteus himself was repeatedly recognized as the best defensive football player of Series A.
In 1992, Lothar was seriously injured in a match with Pisa. Due to a rupture of ligaments, he remained out of football for six months.
At the end of the contract, the defender moved back to Bavaria. For a long time he was not able to get the desired shape, but thanks to the phenomenal physical component of the body, he was able to return to their previous positions in the club and team.
Relocation to the States
Initially, Matteus planned to end his career in Bavaria. However, the United States attracted him with impressive contracts. As a result, in 2000, after the disappointing failure of the Munich club in the Euroarena, Lothar decided to move to America.
The new German team was one of the leaders of the FC New York Metrostars championship. It is worth noting that Matteus himself requested a transfer to the United States. The management and fans of Bayern tried their best to dissuade their captain, but the decision remained unchanged.
The farewell exhibition match of Lothar was attended by stars from Germany and around the world. Even Maradona came to the benefit.
Football player career sunset
Lothar's last chance to revive the former status of the planet’s best defender was Euro 2000. In the qualifying round, the German national football team was ahead of all its competitors. However, Matteus left the starting lineup only a few times.
At the European championship itself, Germany could not even leave the group, gaining only 2 points. Matteus appeared on the field in all matches, but this could hardly serve as a consolation for him and the whole country.
As for his club career, it ended in New York. The defender played for Metrostars the entire season, but he never became the champion of America. Later, Lothar himself will say that in addition to him, there was no one else to defend in New York, and from this came constant defeat.
A heavy back injury at the end of the season forced him to hang his boots on Matteus' nail.
Bad character
Lothar always preferred conflicts to quiet conversation. If he did not find common ground or common views with partners or trainers, he could start a fight without hesitation.
Hot-tempered behavior has repeatedly affected the team. In the decisive matches of the season, Matteus often lost his nerve, for which he repeatedly received disqualifications. The clubs could not do anything about it, since the penalties for the Germans did not work, but only incited a conflict.
In mid-1996, the German national team nearly lost a mentor before the European Championships. The team rose against their coach. And the instigator was the very Lothar Matteus.
Personal life
The legendary defender of Bavaria from a young age was popular with girls. Because of his passion, he repeatedly violated the command regime.
Over the years of his professional career, the football player has been married three times. The first chosen one was the beautiful Sylvia. Lothar idolized her, bought her diamond necklaces and yachts. However, a few years later he began an affair with the model Lolita, who was one of the three winners of the Miss Universe contest.
It was not possible to keep treason secret for a long time. As a result, Lolita became the second wife of a star football player. The marriage with the model lasted about 10 years. The idyll ended after the German romance with Meller-Wolfart.
In November 2014, Lothar Matteus married a Russian 25-year-old model. The wedding took place in the Slovak castle "Chateau Bela". The guest of honor was
Franz Beckenbauer. Today, Lothar Matteus and Anastasia Klimko live in Germany with their young son.
Before marriage to the Russian model, the football player was in a marital relationship with the Ukrainian top diva Liliana Chudinova.