View source for Thomas Linke

{{short description|German footballer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2022}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Thomas Linke
| image = Thomas Linke.JPG
| upright = 1.1
| caption = Linke playing for [[FC Red Bull Salzburg|RB Salzburg]] in a 2009 charity match
| fullname = 
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1969|12|26|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Sömmerda]], [[East Germany]] 
| height = 1.83 m
| position = [[Centre back]]
| currentclub = 
| youthyears1 = 1977–1983 | youthclubs1 = Robotron Sömmerda
| youthyears2 = 1983–1988 | youthclubs2 = [[FC Rot-Weiß Erfurt|Rot-Weiß Erfurt]]
| years1 = 1988–1992 | clubs1 = [[FC Rot-Weiß Erfurt|Rot-Weiß Erfurt]] | caps1 = 85 | goals1 = 2
| years2 = 1992–1998 | clubs2 = [[FC Schalke 04|Schalke 04]] | caps2 = 175 | goals2 = 13
| years3 = 1998–2005 | clubs3 = [[FC Bayern Munich|Bayern Munich]] | caps3 = 165 | goals3 = 2
| years4 = 2005–2007 | clubs4 = [[FC Red Bull Salzburg|Red Bull Salzburg]] | caps4 = 51 | goals4 = 3
| years5 = 2007–2008 | clubs5 = [[FC Bayern Munich II|Bayern Munich II]] | caps5 = 27 | goals5 = 1
| totalcaps = 502 | totalgoals = 21
| nationalyears1 = 1997–2004 | nationalteam1 = [[Germany national football team|Germany]] | nationalcaps1 = 43 | nationalgoals1 = 1
| medaltemplates = 
{{MedalSport|Men's [[Association football|football]]}} 
{{MedalCountry|{{fb|GER}}}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[FIFA World Cup]]}}
{{Medal|RU|[[2002 FIFA World Cup|2002 Korea/Japan]]|}}
}}
'''Thomas Linke''' (born 26 December 1969) is a retired German professional [[association football|footballer]]. He played as a [[central defender]] and last worked as the [[director of football]] of [[FC Ingolstadt 04]]. 

Linke was remembered as a hard-nosed tackler with tremendous heading ability, and played in 13 [[Bundesliga]] seasons in representation of [[FC Schalke 04|Schalke 04]] and [[FC Bayern Munich|Bayern Munich]], totalling 340 games. Having gained his first [[Cap (sport)|cap]] for [[Germany national football team|Germany]] in his late 20s, Linke went on to represent the nation in one [[FIFA World Cup|World Cup]] and one [[UEFA European Championship|European Championship]].

==Club career==
===Early years / Schalke===
[[File:Bundesarchiv Bild 183-1989-0812-010, BFC Dynamo - FC Rot-Weiß Erfurt 2-2.jpg|thumb|right|Linke (left) playing in 1989]]

Born in [[Sömmerda]], [[Bezirk Erfurt]], [[East Germany]], Linke began playing football in 1977 with local BSG Robotron Sömmerda. In 1983, he transferred to [[FC Rot-Weiß Erfurt]], eventually making the breakthrough into the first team in 1989; with the latter, he had the opportunity to gain experience by playing in the [[DDR-Oberliga]].

After finishing third in the last year of the competition, the club was placed into the newly consolidated [[2. Bundesliga]] in 1991, as part of the [[German reunification]] process. Linke was a starter throughout [[1991–92 2. Bundesliga|the season]] but was ultimately unable to prevent it from being relegated, while also appearing in four [[1991–92 UEFA Cup|games]] in the [[UEFA Europa League|UEFA Cup]].

During Rot-Weiß Erfurt's [[DFB-Pokal|German Cup]] win over [[FC Schalke 04]], the latter team's management took notice of Linke and signed him for [[1992–93 Bundesliga|the following campaign]]. He quickly earned his way into the starting line-up and, from 1992 until 1998, appeared in a total of 175 [[Bundesliga]] games for the ''Royal Blues'', his debut coming on 1 September 1992 in a 0–0 home draw against [[SV Werder Bremen]].

Linke's crowning achievement during his tenure with Schalke was the [[Penalty shoot-out (association football)|penalty shootout]] win over [[Inter Milan]], in the [[1996–97 UEFA Cup]]. He appeared in 11 matches during the victorious run, scoring twice.<ref>{{Cite web | url = https://www.rsssf.org/players/tlinke-in-ec.html | title = Thomas Linke – Matches in European Cups | first = Marcel | last = Haisma | date = 1 October 2015 | website = [[RSSSF]] | access-date = 9 October 2015}}</ref>

===Bayern Munich===
In 1998, Linke joined national giants [[FC Bayern Munich]], where he would go on to experience the most successful chapter of his professional career. In [[1998–99 Bundesliga|his first season]], he scored his first goal for the [[Bavaria]]ns in a 3–1 [[Local derby|derby]] home win over [[TSV 1860 München]] on 7 November, but would also start in [[1999 UEFA Champions League Final|the notorious]] [[UEFA Champions League]] final against [[Manchester United F.C.|Manchester United]].<ref>{{Cite web | url = https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/01e8-0e6a21aa8a51-871133889c58-1000--1998-99-manchester-united-fc-2-1-fc-bayern-munchen-report/ | title = United super subs floor Bayern at the death | publisher = UEFA | date = 27 May 1999 | access-date = 20 January 2016}}</ref>

With Bayern, Linke won five leagues, three German Cups and four [[DFB-Ligapokal|league cups]], in addition to the 2001 editions of the [[2000–01 UEFA Champions League|Champions League]] and the [[Intercontinental Cup (1960–2004)|Intercontinental Cup]]. In [[2001 UEFA Champions League Final|the final]] of the former, he scored the final penalty to give his team the victory in the shootout against [[Valencia CF]].<ref>{{cite web | url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/champions_league/1346307.stm | title = Bayern crowned European champions | publisher = [[BBC Sport]] | date = 23 May 2001 | access-date = 1 December 2012}}</ref>

Since first joining Bayern, numerous critics prophesied that Linke would never be able to hold on to his starting spot in the center of defense. The player made it a point to prove his critics wrong by continually impressing with solid, if unspectacular, performances. Not until [[2004–05 Bundesliga|his last year]], under coach [[Felix Magath]], did he end up losing his starting role to [[Croatia]]n [[Robert Kovač]], appearing in only 11 games but helping in another league conquest.<ref>{{Cite web | url = https://www.rsssf.org/players/tlinkedata.html | title = Thomas Linke – Matches and Goals in Bundesliga | first = Matthias | last = Arnhold | date = 1 October 2015 | website = [[RSSSF]] | access-date = 9 October 2015}}</ref>

===Red Bull Salzburg===
[[File:Rote Karte-RB Salzburg crop.png|thumb|Linke receives a Red Card from referee [[Gerald Lehner (referee)|Gerald Lehner]] during the game against [[FK Austria Wien|FKA Vienna]], 18 September 2005]]
At the beginning of [[2005–06 Austrian Football Bundesliga|2005–06]], 35-year-old Linke made the decision to extend his playing career by transferring to the [[Austrian Football Bundesliga|Austrian Bundesliga]], linking up with newly re-tooled [[FC Red Bull Salzburg]] alongside former Bayern teammate [[Alexander Zickler]].<ref>{{Cite web | url = http://www.spiegel.de/sport/fussball/trikotstreit-in-salzburg-die-groesste-bauerndisco-der-welt-a-371537.html | title = Trikotstreit in Salzburg: "Die größte Bauerndisco der Welt" |trans-title=Jersey quarrel in Salzburg: "The world's biggest hillbilly disco" | newspaper = [[Der Spiegel]] | language = de | date = 26 August 2005 | access-date = 21 January 2016}}</ref> Soon after arriving, he was appointed [[Captain (association football)|team captain]], and became a regular fixture. During [[2006–07 Austrian Football Bundesliga|his second season]], he added one last piece of silverware to his extensive collection by winning the league; on 3 May 2007, the club informed him that his initial two-year contract would not be extended.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.uefa.com/news-media/news/01c1-0f8eaad80226-17a075567df1-1000--linke-to-leave-salzburg/ | title = Linke to leave Salzburg | publisher = UEFA | date = 3 July 2007 | access-date = 21 October 2011}}</ref>

On 13 June 2007, aged almost 38, Linke agreed to a Bayern return, linking with the club's [[FC Bayern Munich II|amateur side]] in the [[Regionalliga Süd (1994–2012)|third division]]. In early 2008, he re-joined Salzburg, serving as assistant to [[director of football]] Heinz Hochhauser and subsequently retiring from playing.<ref>{{Cite web | url = https://de.uefa.com/uefaeuropaleague/news/01c5-0ea92347da39-5acc6f45283e-1000--salzburg-entlasst-kreuzer/ | title = Salzburg entlässt Kreuzer |trans-title=Salzburg sack Kreuzer | publisher = UEFA | language = de | date = 12 September 2007 | access-date = 21 January 2016}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web | url = http://www.rp-online.de/sport/fussball/international/linke-lockt-stevens-nach-salzburg-aid-1.1635451 | title = Linke lockt Stevens nach Salzburg |trans-title=Linke lures Stevens to Salzburg | newspaper = [[Rheinische Post]] | language = de | date = 1 April 2009 | access-date = 21 January 2016}}</ref>

==International career==
Linke's debut with the [[Germany national football team|Germany national side]] took place in a 3–0 victory over [[South Africa national football team|South Africa]], on 15 November 1997. He represented the nation at [[UEFA Euro 2000]] and the [[2002 FIFA World Cup]].

In the latter competition, Linke played a key role in the team that would eventually finish runner-up after a 0–2 loss in [[2002 FIFA World Cup Final|the final]] to [[Brazil national football team|Brazil]]. Additionally, he scored his only international goal during the group stage match against [[Saudi Arabia national football team|Saudi Arabia]], an 8–0 routing.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport3/worldcup2002/hi/matches_wallchart/germany_v_saudi_arabia/newsid_1925000/1925372.stm | title = Germany savage Saudis | publisher = BBC Sport | date = 1 June 2002 | access-date =21 October 2011}}</ref>

Linke announced his international retirement after that tournament, but was called up for national duty once more in 2004. After numerous injuries to the defensive line, national coach [[Jürgen Klinsmann]] personally called the player on the telephone and asked him to temporarily come out of retirement.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.rp-online.de/sport/fussball/nationalelf/thomas-linke-ist-ein-echter-kerl-aid-1.1563564 | title = "Thomas Linke ist ein echter Kerl" |trans-title=Thomas Linke is the real deal | newspaper = Rheinische Post | language = de | date = 17 August 2004 | access-date = 20 January 2016}}</ref> He appeared, being [[Penalty card#Yellow card|booked]], in a 3–1 [[Exhibition game|friendly]] win in [[Austria national football team|Austria]] on 18 August 2004,<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.kicker.de/oesterreich-gegen-deutschland-2004-nationalteams-freundschaftsspiele-624989/analyse | title = Kuranyi im Alleingang |trans-title=Kuranyi going solo | publisher = [[Kicker (sports magazine)|kicker]] | language = de | date = 18 August 2004 | access-date = 20 January 2016}}</ref> and retired immediately after, with 43 caps to his name.<ref name=RSSSF>{{Cite web | url = https://www.rsssf.org/miscellaneous/linke-intl.html | title = Thomas Linke – International Appearances | first = Matthias | last = Arnhold | date = 1 October 2015 | website = [[RSSSF]] | access-date = 9 October 2015}}</ref>

==Career statistics==
===Club===
{| class=wikitable style=text-align:center
|+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
|-
!rowspan=2|Club
!rowspan=2|Season
!colspan=3|League
!colspan=2|National cup
!colspan=2|League cup
!colspan=2|Europe
!colspan=2|Total
|-
!Division!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals
|-
|rowspan="5"|[[FC Rot-Weiß Erfurt|Rot-Weiß Erfurt]]
|[[1988–89 DDR-Oberliga|1988–89]]<ref name="wf">{{cite web |title=Thomas Linke » Club matches |url=https://www.worldfootball.net/player_summary/thomas-linke/2/ |website=worldfootball.net |access-date=5 July 2024}}</ref>
|rowspan="3"|[[DDR-Oberliga]]
|5||0||0||0||colspan="2"|–||colspan="2"|–||5||0
|-
|[[1989–90 DDR-Oberliga|1989–90]]<ref name="wf"/>
|22||0||1||0||colspan="2"|–||colspan="2"|–||23||0
|-
|[[1990–91 NOFV-Oberliga|1990–91]]<ref name="wf"/>
|25||1||4||0||colspan="2"|–||colspan="2"|–||29||1
|-
|[[1991–92 2. Bundesliga|1991–92]]<ref name="wf"/>
|[[2. Bundesliga]]
|27||1||2||0||colspan="2"|–||4{{efn|name=UC|Appearances in the [[UEFA Europa League|UEFA Cup]]}}||0||33||1
|-
!colspan="2"|Total
!79!!2!!7!!0!!colspan="2"|–!!4!!0!!90!!2
|-
|rowspan="7"|[[FC Schalke 04|Schalke 04]]
|[[1992–93 Bundesliga|1992–93]]
|rowspan="6"|[[Bundesliga]]
|25||0||1||0||colspan="2"|–||2{{efn|Appearances in the [[UEFA Intertoto Cup]]}}||0||28||0
|-
|[[1993–94 Bundesliga|1993–94]]<ref name="wf"/>
|31||4||1||0||colspan="2"|–||colspan="2"|–||32||4
|-
|[[1994–95 Bundesliga|1994–95]]<ref name="wf"/>
|31||2||4||0||colspan="2"|–||colspan="2"|–||5||2
|-
|[[1995–96 Bundesliga|1995–96]]<ref name="wf"/>
|27||3||2||0||colspan="2"|–||colspan="2"|–||29||3
|-
|[[1996–97 FC Schalke 04 season|1996–97]]<ref name="wf"/>
|30||1||2||1||colspan="2"|–||11{{efn|name=UC}}||2||43||4
|-
|[[1997–98 Bundesliga|1997–98]]<ref name="wf"/>
|31||3||2||0||colspan="2"|–||7{{efn|name=UC}}||0||40||3
|-
!colspan="2"|Total
!175!!13!!12!!1!!colspan="2"|–!!20!!2!!207!!16
|-
|rowspan="8"|[[FC Bayern Munich|Bayern Munich]]
|[[1998–99 FC Bayern Munich season|1998–99]]<ref name="wf"/>
|rowspan="7"|Bundesliga
|27||1||5||1||1||0||9{{efn|name=UCL|Appearances in the [[UEFA Champions League]]}}||0||42||2
|-
|[[1999–2000 FC Bayern Munich season|1999–2000]]<ref name="wf"/>
|27||1||1||0||2||0||11{{efn|name=UCL}}||1||41||2
|-
|[[2000–01 FC Bayern Munich season|2000–01]]<ref name="wf"/>
|28||0||0||0||1||0||15{{efn|name=UCL}}||1||44||1
|-
|[[2001–02 FC Bayern Munich season|2001–02]]<ref name="wf"/>
|20||0||5||0||1||0||6{{efn|One appearance in the [[UEFA Super Cup]], five appearances in the UEFA Champions League}}||0||32||0
|-
|[[2002–03 FC Bayern Munich season|2002–03]]<ref name="wf"/>
|32||0||6||0||0||0||6{{efn|name=UCL}}||1||44||1
|-
|[[2003–04 FC Bayern Munich season|2003–04]]<ref name="wf"/>
|21||0||2||0||1||0||4{{efn|name=UCL}}||0||28||0
|-
|[[2004–05 FC Bayern Munich season|2004–05]]<ref name="wf"/>
|11||0||1||0||2||0||4{{efn|name=UCL}}||0||18||0
|-
!colspan="2"|Total
!165!!2!!20!!1!!8!!0!!55!!3!!249!!6
|-
|[[FC Bayern Munich II|Bayern Munich II]]
|2004–05<ref name="wf"/>
|
|0||0||1||0||colspan="2"|–||colspan="2"|–||1||0
|-
|rowspan="3"|[[FC Red Bull Salzburg|Red Bull Salzburg]]
|[[2005–06 Austrian Football Bundesliga|2005–06]]
|rowspan="2"|[[Austrian Football Bundesliga|Austrian Bundesliga]]
|24||3||1||0||colspan="2"|–||colspan="2"|–||25||3
|-
|[[2006–07 Austrian Football Bundesliga|2006–07]]
|27||0||2||0||colspan="2"|–||6{{efn|Four appearances in the UEFA Champions League, two appearances in the UEFA Cup}}||0||35||0
|-
!colspan="2"|Total
!51!!3!!3!!0!!colspan="2"|–!!6!!0!!60!!3
|-
|Bayern Munich II
|[[2007–08 Regionalliga|2007–08]]<ref name="wf"/>
|[[Regionalliga Süd (1994–2012)|Regionalliga Süd]]
|33||1||colspan="2"|–||colspan="2"|–||colspan="2"|–||33||1
|-
!colspan="3"|Career total
!504!!21!!43!!2!!8!!0!!85!!5!!640!!28
|}
{{noteslist}}

===International===
<ref name=RSSSF/><ref>{{Cite news | url = http://eu-football.info/_player.php?id=12276 | title = Thomas Linke | website = EU-Football.info | access-date = 20 January 2016}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
| colspan=3 | [[Germany national football team|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:''
{| class="wikitable" align=center
! # !! Date !! Venue !! Opponent !! Score !! Result !! Competition
|-
| 1. || 1 June 2002 || [[Sapporo Dome]], [[Sapporo]], Japan || {{fb|Saudi Arabia}} || '''6'''–0 || 8–0 || [[2002 FIFA World Cup|2002 World Cup]]
|}

==Honours==
'''Schalke 04'''
*[[UEFA Europa League|UEFA Cup]]: [[1996–97 UEFA Cup|1996–97]]

'''Bayern Munich'''
*[[Bundesliga]]: [[1998–99 Bundesliga|1998–99]], [[1999–2000 Bundesliga|1999–2000]], [[2000–01 Bundesliga|2000–01]], [[2002–03 Bundesliga|2002–03]], [[2004–05 Bundesliga|2004–05]]
*[[DFB-Pokal]]: [[1999–2000 DFB-Pokal|1999–2000]], [[2002–03 DFB-Pokal|2002–03]], [[2004–05 DFB-Pokal|2004–05]]; runner-up: [[1998–99 DFB-Pokal|1998–99]]
*[[DFB-Ligapokal]]: [[1998 DFB-Ligapokal|1998]], [[1999 DFB-Ligapokal|1999]], [[2000 DFB-Ligapokal|2000]], [[2004 DFB-Ligapokal|2004]]
*[[UEFA Champions League]]: [[2000–01 UEFA Champions League|2000–01]]; runner-up: [[1998–99 UEFA Champions League|1998–99]]
*[[Intercontinental Cup (1960–2004)|Intercontinental Cup]]: [[2001 Intercontinental Cup|2001]]

'''Red Bull Salzburg'''
*[[Austrian Football Bundesliga|Austrian Bundesliga]]: [[2006–07 Austrian Football Bundesliga|2006–07]]

'''Germany'''
*[[FIFA World Cup]] runner-up: [[2002 FIFA World Cup|2002]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
*{{Fussballdaten|linkethomas}}
*{{NFT|8299}}
*{{FIFA|155354}}
*{{WorldFootball.net|thomas-linke}}

{{Germany Squad 1999 FIFA Confederations Cup}}
{{Germany squad UEFA Euro 2000}}
{{Germany squad 2002 FIFA World Cup}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Linke, Tomas}}
[[Category:1969 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:People from Sömmerda]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Bezirk Erfurt]]
[[Category:German men's footballers]]
[[Category:East German men's footballers]]
[[Category:Footballers from Thuringia]]
[[Category:Men's association football defenders]]
[[Category:Bundesliga players]]
[[Category:2. Bundesliga players]]
[[Category:Regionalliga players]]
[[Category:FC Rot-Weiß Erfurt players]]
[[Category:FC Schalke 04 players]]
[[Category:FC Bayern Munich footballers]]
[[Category:FC Bayern Munich II players]]
[[Category:Austrian Football Bundesliga players]]
[[Category:FC Red Bull Salzburg players]]
[[Category:Germany men's international footballers]]
[[Category:1999 FIFA Confederations Cup players]]
[[Category:UEFA Euro 2000 players]]
[[Category:2002 FIFA World Cup players]]
[[Category:German expatriate men's footballers]]
[[Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Austria]]
[[Category:German expatriate sportspeople in Austria]]
[[Category:UEFA Champions League–winning players]]
[[Category:UEFA Europa League–winning players]]