Thomas Linke

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

Thomas Linke

Linke in 2010
Personal information
Full name	Thomas Linke
Date of birth	(1969-12-26) 26 December 1969 (age 55)
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)
International career
1997–2004	Germany	43	(1)
Medal record Men's football Representing  Germany FIFA World Cup Runner-up 2002 Korea/Japan
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Career

Linke (left) in 1989

Linke 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 Munich. 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

Club

• Schalke 04:
  • UEFA Cup: 1996–97

• Bayern Munich:
  • German League: 1998–99, 1999–2000, 2000–01, 2002–03, 2004–05
  • German Cup: 1999–2000, 2002–03, 2004–05; runner-up 1998–99
  • German League Cup: 1998, 1999, 2000, 2004
  • UEFA Champions League: 2000–01; Runner-up 1998–99
  • Intercontinental Cup: 2001
  • UEFA Super Cup: Runner-up 2001

• Red Bull:
  • Austrian League: 2006–07

Country

• FIFA World Cup: runner-up 2002

Career statistics

Club

^[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. Appearances in the UEFA Cup
2. Appearances in the UEFA Intertoto Cup
3. 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

^[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

Schalke 04

• UEFA Cup: 1996–97

Bayern Munich

• Bundesliga: 1998–99, 1999–2000, 2000–01, 2002–03, 2004–05
• DFB-Pokal: 1999–2000, 2002–03, 2004–05; runner-up: 1998–99
• DFB-Ligapokal: 1998, 1999, 2000, 2004
• UEFA Champions League: 2000–01; runner-up: 1998–99
• Intercontinental Cup: 2001
• UEFA Super Cup runner-up: 2001

Red Bull Salzburg

• Austrian Bundesliga: 2006–07

Germany

• FIFA World Cup: runner-up 2002