In football, there are only a very select few who went on to win it all in the game. Some of the most legendary players the game has seen have failed to win one major trophy or the other. The likes of Ronaldo R9, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, and Gigi Buffon missing out on the Champions League, or Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, and Luka Modric missing out on the World Cup are prime examples of this.
This article will be about former midfielder Thomas Häßler, who was one of the best German players of the 1990's. We will be looking back at his time in the Bundesliga, and why he can be seen as one of the most unluckiest footballers ever.
Early Bundesliga years
Thomas Häßler began his professional football career with German club FC Köln. He spent 6 years at the club, and was instrumental in helping them become league runners-up for 2 consecutive seasons (1989, 1990). FC Köln and Häßler were also on the brink of European glory during the 1985–86 campaign, but ended up losing the UEFA Cup final against Real Madrid.
A trip to Italy
It was in the year of 1990 that Häßler jumped ship to Italy, as he joined Italian giants Juventus. His time at the club was quite short then though, as he only spent a year with the Bianconeri. This was followed by a switch to Roma, where he made over 88 appearances and stayed for 3 years.
Heartbreak and bad luck followed him in Italy as well, with Häßler losing finals with both Juventus and Roma as well. Thus, his trophyless journey in club football continued
Back to the Bundesliga
Häßler returned to the Bundesliga in 1994, as he joined Karlsruher SC. It was quite a bold decision from the German, as he rejected some of Germany's biggest clubs to join Karlsruher. The next 3 years that followed was a great period for the club, as Häßler and his teammates significantly improved their League standings to the upper third of the table. This also resulted in 2 consecutive UEFA Cup qualifications for the club. They were able to win a silverware during this time as well, with Häßler finally lifting his first major club trophy by winning the UEFA Intertoto Cup in 1996 with Karlsruher.
It was after their historic title triumph that Häßler suffered a broken leg during a league match. The absence of their star player severely affected Karlsruher in their consequent UEFA Cup matches, which eventually led to their exit from the tournament after a 5-0 thrashing.
By the 1997–98 season, the club's financial condition was at its worst point ever, and Karlsruher were on the verge of relegation as well. Häßler was in tremendous form for the last few league games, but a lose on the final match day saw the club get relegated.
Final years in Germany
Karlsruhe's relegation meant that Häßler could leave the club on a free transfer due to a contract clause. He went on to join Borussia Dortmund, who had just won the 1997 Champions League. His time at the club was however overshadowed with disputes between him and the coach Michael Skibbe. This meant that his stay with the club was quite short, and only lasted a year.
Häßler spent the next 4 years of his career at 1860 Munich, where he became an important part of the team. It was also his final Bundesliga side as well.
This was followed by a one year stint at Austrian club SV Salzburg, before eventually retiring from the game.
Conclusion
Thomas Häßler's career was one of immense heartbreak and bad luck, as the German became runners-up in 7 major competitions. A bit of luck in finals would've meant a lot more trophies in his cabinet.
Despite the heartbreak at club level, it was a completely different story with Germany. Häßler had won the 1996 European Championship with the German side, and also won a bronze medal for West Germany at the 1988 Summer Olympics. In addition to this, he can seek eternal solace in the fact that he won the 1990 World Cup with Germany, the biggest prize in football history.
