Ahead of the UEFA Euro 2024 final between Spain and England, involving Harry Kane and Dani Olmo, bundesliga.com looks at the best Euro final performances to date from Bundesliga players…
1980: Horst Hrubesch
The European Championship final of 1980 saw striker Horst Hrubesch become the hero for West Germany as they beat Belgium 2-1 in the final in Rome. Hrubesch, of Hamburg at the time, scored two goals either side of a René Vandereycken penalty to secure the victory. Hrubesch was no stranger to goals though, having scored 21 goals in 34 games in the 1979-80 Bundesliga season for Hamburg leading up to the tournament.
Hrubesch scored 96 Bundesliga goals in total for the club, in addition to a further 40 league goals scored for both Borussia Dortmund and Rot-Weiss Essen, taking his total league tally to 136. Hrubesch’s silverware collection only continued to grow after his international success too, as he won two consecutive league titles with Hamburg in the 1981-82 and 1982-83 seasons, to add to his Bundesliga winners medal from the 1978-79 season. The clinical Hrubesch also tasted European success with Hamburg winning the European Champion Clubs' Cup, today’s equivalent of the Champions League, in the 1982-83 season.
Hrubesch wasn’t the only Bundesliga legend to become a European Champion in 1980, however. His teammates on that night in Rome included Fortuna Düsseldorf’s Klaus Allofs, Bayern Munich’s Karl-Heinz Rummenigge and Stuttgart’s Hansi Müller to name a few.
Horst Hrubesch heading home against Belgium in the final. - IMAGO/SVEN SIMON
1992: Brian Laudrup
Euro 1992 saw Denmark shock the world as they took the trophy home having only qualified for the tournament ten days before the start, due to the elimination of Yugoslavia. Denmark beat Berti Vogt’s Germany side, which contained Jürgen Klinsmann, Andreas Brehme and Matthias Sammer, 2-0 thanks to goals from John Jensen and Kim Vilfort.
Also a part of this incredible Denmark team was Brian Laudrup, of Bayern Munich at the time. In his two years at Bayern, Laudrup made 54 Bundesliga appearances scoring 11 goals and recording 14 assists, in addition to picking up the European Super Cup trophy in the 1990-91 season. Laudrup also made a further 34 Bundesliga appearances for Bayer Uerdingen before joining Bayern. Outside of his time in the Bundesliga, Laudrup also played for European giants Ajax, AC Milan and Chelsea.
Brian Laudrup lifting the trophy after victory against Germany. - IMAGO/SVEN SIMON
1996: Matthias Sammer
1996 saw the European Championship trophy return to Germany, as two goals from Oliver Bierhoff saw them defeat the Czech Republic 2-1 after extra-time. Borussia Dortmund’s Patrik Berger scored Czech Republic’s only goal in this game, but it was teammate Matthias Sammer who stole the headlines throughout this tournament.
Sammer not only won the tournament with Germany, but he also took home the ‘Player of the Tournament’ award following his commanding performances at the back alongside the likes of Bayern’s defensive duo Markus Babbel and Thomas Helmer.
Sammer’s success at Euro ’96 followed a brilliant season at club level, where he had won his second consecutive Bundesliga title with Dortmund as well as the German Super Cup in the 1995-96 season. In the following season Sammer was in equally fine form, winning the Champions League with Dortmund as they defeated Juventus 3-1, whose side included Zinedine Zidane and Didier Deschamps. On a personal level, 1996 saw Sammer named German footballer of the year as well as being named the winner of the Ballon d’Or.
Sammer leading by example at Euro '96. - imago sportfotodienst
2000: Bixente Lizarazu and Youri Djorkaeff
Just like 1996, extra-time was needed to resolve the Euro 2000 final, this time between France and Italy. France were the eventual winners this year, as substitutes Sylvain Wiltord and David Trezeguet came on to save the day with their two goals meaning that France came from behind to win the final after Marco Delvecchio’s opener in the 55th minute.
There were two Bundesliga representatives that were a part of this triumphant French team, and they were Bayern’s Bixente Lizarazu and Youri Djorkaeff of Kaiserslautern, both of whom started the final in Rotterdam.
Lizarazu spent eight years at Bayern over two spells, where he made 183 Bundesliga appearances. The flying French full-back went into the tournament in fine form, having won a Bundesliga title, DFB Cup and German League Cup in the 1999-2000 season. During his time in Bavaria, Lizarazu picked up a total of 17 winners medals, which includes six Bundesliga titles, a Champions League trophy and five DFB cups.
On the right-wing for France was fellow Bundesliga player Djorkaeff, who spent three years at Kaiserslautern between 1999-2002. During this time he made 55 Bundesliga appearances, scoring 14 goals and played alongside a couple of bright young German stars named Miroslav Klose and Roman Weidenfeller.
Bixente Lizarazu (r.) in action during the Euro 2000 final. - IMAGO/PICS UNITED
On the rightwing for France was fellow Bundesliga player Djorkaeff, who spent three years at Kaiserslautern between 1999-2002. During this time he made 55 Bundesliga appearances, scoring 14 goals and played alongside a couple of bright young German stars named Miroslav Klose and Roman Weidenfeller.
France footballer Youri Djorkaeff celebrates with the trophy after late drama sees France beat Italy. - Bongarts
2004: Angelos Charisteas
The Euro 2004 final saw another surprise winner but unlike in 1992, Germany weren’t involved this time. A German was in the dugout, though, as Otto Rehhagel lead Greece to a historic victory, in Lisbon, over a Portugal side with an abundance of talent, such as Luis Figo and a young Cristiano Ronaldo.
The match-winner for Rehhagel’s eventual European champions was Werder Bremen’s Angelos Charisteas, who scored the only goal of the game as his country recorded their first ever major championship win and shocked the host nation at their home tournament.
Angelos Charisteas (r.) wheels away in celebration after scoring in the 2004 final. - Imago
Charisteas spent three years at Werder between 2002-2005, making 66 Bundesliga appearances and scoring 18 goals before moving to Ajax. During his time in the north of Germany, Charisteas won both a Bundesliga title and a DFB Cup as Werder completed the double in the 2003-2004 season, a season which ended spectacularly with Charisteas then also tasting, rather unexpectedly, success at international level too.