The 1996 European Champions: What Happened to the National Players? - The 1996 European Champions: What Happened to the National Players?
Germany’s Euro 1996 triumph remains their last major continental victory. The squad, led by captain Jürgen Klinsmann and coach Berti Vogts, defeated the Czech Republic in the final. Since then, the players and staff have taken very different paths after retiring from the game.
The final at Wembley ended with Oliver Bierhoff’s golden goal, securing Germany’s third European Championship. Klinsmann lifted the trophy in front of 73,000 fans, receiving it from Queen Elizabeth II. The victory cemented the team’s place in football history.
After hanging up their boots, many from that squad turned to media work. Goalkeeper Oliver Kahn and defender Matthias Sammer became well-known pundits on television. Midfielder Thomas Häßler, meanwhile, took a different route by appearing in a reality show. Coach Berti Vogts continued in football management, taking charge of national teams in Kuwait and Azerbaijan. Some players, like Steffen Freund, tried coaching but struggled to replicate their on-field success. Dieter Eilts, one of the tournament’s standout midfielders, left the sport entirely. He now works as an educator, focusing on teaching rather than football.
Nearly three decades later, the 1996 squad still holds the distinction of being Germany’s last European Championship winners. Their careers after football have varied widely, from media roles to coaching and even education. The legacy of that team, however, remains untouched by time.
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