Thomas Linke

German association football player

Thomas Linke (born 26 December 1969 in Sömmerda, then German Democratic Republic) is a former German football player for the German national team. He played as central defender for Schalke 04 and Bayern Muinich in the German Bundesliga and for Red Bull Salzburg in the Austrian Bundesliga.

Thomas Linke
Personal information
Full name Thomas Linke
Date of birth (1969-12-26) 26 December 1969 (age 54)
Place of birth Sömmerda, East Germany
Height 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Position(s) Defender (retired)
Youth career
1977–1983 Robotron Sömmerda
1983–1988 Rot-Weiß Erfurt
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1988–1992 Rot-Weiß Erfurt 85 (2)
1992–1998 Schalke 04 175 (13)
1998–2005 Bayern Munich 165 (2)
2005–2007 Red Bull Salzburg 51 (3)
2007–2008 Bayern Munich II 27 (1)
Total 502 (21)
National team
1997–2004 Germany 43 (1)
Honours
Men's football
Representing  Germany
FIFA World Cup
Runner-up 2002 Korea/Japan
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only
Thomas Linke 2010

Career change

He started with his local club BSG Robotron Sömmerda and went to FC Rot-Weiß Erfurt, where he played 84 games in the East German First Division. After the reunification of Germany he went to Schalke 04. In 1998 he came to Bayern Muinich. The time with this team was his most successful. With Bayern, Linke won five leagues, three German Cups and four league cups and the 2001Champions League and the Intercontinental Cup.

At the age of 35 he went to the newly formed FC Red Bull Salzburg in the Austrian Bundesliga. Soon he became team captain. In his second season with Salzburg he won the Austrian championship. 2007 he was told, that his contract would not be extended. His last year as player he spent with the second team of Bayern München. Then he became assistant to the director of football Heinz Hochhauser for Red BUll Salzburg. Later he became director of football with RB Leipzig. Soon he left for personal reasons.

Linke's international debut with the Germany national team took place in a 3–0 victory over South Africa, on 15 November 1997. He represented Germany at UEFA Euro 2000 and the 2002 FIFA World Cup. From 1997 till 2004 he played 43 international matches and scored one goal.

Honours change

Club change

Country change

Career statistics change

Club change

[1]

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National Cup League Cup Europe Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Rot-Weiß Erfurt 1988–89 DDR-Oberliga 5 0 0 0 5 0
1989–90 22 0 1 0 23 0
1990–91 25 1 4 0 29 1
1991–92 2. Bundesliga 27 1 2 0 4[a] 0 33 1
Total 79 2 7 0 4 0 90 2
Schalke 04 1992–93 Bundesliga 25 0 1 0 2[b] 0 28 0
1993–94 31 4 1 0 32 4
1994–95 31 2 4 0 5 2
1995–96 27 3 2 0 29 3
1996–97 30 1 2 1 11[a] 2 43 4
1997–98 31 3 2 0 7[a] 0 40 3
Total 175 13 12 1 20 2 207 16
Bayern Munich 1998–99 Bundesliga 27 1 5 1 1 0 9[c] 0 42 2
1999–2000 27 1 1 0 2 0 11[c] 1 41 2
2000–01 28 0 0 0 1 0 15[c] 1 44 1
2001–02 20 0 5 0 1 0 6[d] 0 32 0
2002–03 32 0 6 0 0 0 6[c] 1 44 1
2003–04 21 0 2 0 1 0 4[c] 0 28 0
2004–05 11 0 1 0 2 0 4[c] 0 18 0
Total 165 2 20 1 8 0 55 3 249 6
Red Bull Salzburg 2005–06 Austrian Bundesliga 24 3 1 0 25 3
2006–07 27 0 2 0 6[e] 0 35 0
Total 51 3 3 0 6 0 60 3
Bayern Munich II 2007–08 Regionalliga Süd 33 1 33 1
Total 504 21 42 2 8 0 85 5 639 28
  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 Appearances in the UEFA Cup
  2. Appearances in the UEFA Intertoto Cup
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 Appearances in the UEFA Champions League
  4. One appearance in the UEFA Super Cup, five appearances in the UEFA Champions League
  5. Four appearances in the UEFA Champions League, two appearances in the UEFA Cup

International change

[2]

Germany
Year Apps Goals
1997 1 0
1998 2 0
1999 7 0
2000 11 0
2001 7 0
2002 14 1
2003 0 0
2004 1 0
Total 43 1
Scores and results table. Germany's goal tally first:
# Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1. 1 June 2002 Sapporo Dome, Sapporo, Japan   Saudi Arabia 6–0 8–0 2002 World Cup

Honours change

Schalke 04

Bayern Munich

Red Bull Salzburg

Germany

References change

  1. "Thomas Linke". Footballdatabase. Retrieved 20 January 2016.
  2. "Thomas Linke". EU-Football.info. Retrieved 20 January 2016.