"Give me the ball! I'll take care of this" Genius and insane - these descriptions fit Stefan Effenberg better than any one else in the world of German football. He was and still is not the easiest guy to be around, but his success is unquestionable. bundesliga.de takes a close look at the former player for Gladbach and Bayern.
Effenberg played in 370 Bundesliga matches for Borussia Mönchengladbach, FC Bayern München and VfL Wolfsburg. And he is a true elite in terms of his scoring potential. The "Tiger" found the back of the net 71times in the top flight.
Stefan Effenberg polarises football fans Stefan Effenberg has had many nicknames that have accompanied him during his impressive career. He earned the name "Tiger" in the beginning of the 90s when he dyed a tiger head in his hair.
"Effe" is what he's called for short and one hears it with the same regularity as the words continually used to describe him: controversial, impact player, enfant terrible. And the verdict among fans is split. For some he's a genius, for others, a loud mouth.
Leadership, charisma and personality One thing is unequivocal, however. Stefan Effenberg was the leader and most important player on the pitch for every team he played for. And he is clear in his belief that his self-confident personality is the reason for this: "You become the leader of a team when you have a certain charisma, a certain personality and presence."
He also took it upon himself to save the squad in critical situations. "My motto was always: give me the ball, I'll take care of this."
"My heart belongs to Gladbach" The blonde player was aware of his abilities early on. At age 20 in 1988, he scored his first goal for Borussia Mönchengladbach and established himself as the squad's playmaker the very same year.
Fans and club management saw him as the next Günther Netzer and gave him the responsibility that comes with such a role, a responsibility he didn't hesitate to accept. "Gladbach gave me the chance to become a Bundesliga player. I'll never forget that. My heart belongs to Gladbach, even though I had my greatest success at Bayern München", says Effe.
Transfer to Bayern In 1990, Effenberg transferred to long-time rival FC Bayern München. The change wasn't easy, because "if you have an image, then it's very difficult to change. The public has a fixed idea of who you are."
But it is precisely this image that makes Stefan Effenberg - not to mention his playing ability - an exception in German professional football. He transferred from Bayern through AC Florenz and then back to Gladbach. He prevented Borussia from being relegated. Four lears later, he returned to Bayern again.
The breakthrough came at Bayern Success came in every form during his second stint with Bayern. His team won the Bundesliga championship three times; they won the German Cup, Champions League and the World Cup. At age 30, he had achieved everything.
He was, as he had been everywhere else, the main man for Bayern, and Ottmar Hitzfeld saw in his player one of the best midfielders in the world.
It ends in 2003 At the end of his playing career in the Bundesliga, the "Tiger" transferred to VfL Wolfsburg, and after the 2002-03 seasson, he was done playing football.
"Previously, you had more space. You had the time to see, to take the ball and look at who you were playing against. Today, you don't have that time", says Effenberg.
The "Tiger" still present Although his playing career has come to an end, he remains a prominent figure in the Bundesliga and in the German media. Stefan Effenberg has written a book and is a football expert on German television.
But the image he earned as a player still dominates how the public perceives him. And he sees that as a positive. "There were times that weren't very pleasant to go through. But in the end, it boosted my level of play."
Effenberg is an original Effe was and remains known for having little patience in the face of opposition. On the other hand, malice is not one of his character attributes. Through almost 400 Bundesliga matches, the "Tiger" was only ejected seven times for showing his claws on the pitch.