209: Andreas Möller, Deutschland, Panini England European Football Championship ’96

The European Championship is back in Germany for the first time since 1988 and if that tournament was anything to go by we might be in for a fun few weeks. Those present and watching along at home didn’t see a single red card and no game went beyond ninety minutes sparing all involved the ennui of extra-time. The Netherlands finally overcame their major final demons thanks to Ruud Gullit’s header and Marco van Basten’s iconic volley against the Soviet Union. Jack Charlton’s Republic of Ireland reached their first international finals and earned a cathartic win over an England side who flew home following subsequent defeats to both finalists. 

Gareth Southgate’s men have a kinder group than Bobby Robson’s but they are also long overdue a humiliating exit with Serbia and Slovenia providing potential banana skins. Meanwhile the hosts are looking to go ahead of Spain as the competition’s most successful team with a fourth win and begin their campaign against Scotland tonight. Their last triumph came in 1996 when, despite what nostalgia seems to suggest, Germany overcame England thanks to Andreas Köpke’s penalty shootout heroics in the semi-finals and the Czech Republic thanks to Petr Kouba’s paper hands in extra-time in the final. At the centre of this side was a brash, confident and creative midfielder who endeared himself to the host nation with his semi-final celebrations.

Andreas Möller had helped kickstart Die Mannschaft’s Euro 96 with a goal against the Czech Republic in the group stage and featured in every game en route to the final. He was given the captaincy for the semi-final against England and successfully rallied his troops to respond from Alan Shearer’s early goal. As I recall, albeit swept up in football fever and up past my bedtime, Möller’s main method for this was relentless shithousery and his yellow card late in the second half ruled him out of the final. Darren Anderton hit the post for England in extra-time and Paul Gascoigne’s tired stretch to reach Shearer’s cross gave Germany a scare. The tension was ramped up further as all five of the sides’ initial penalty takers found the back of the net and, once Southgate had seen his penalty saved, Möller stepped up for Germany. His excellent penalty broke English hearts while his slightly camp strutting about afterwards boiled their piss perhaps only marginally less than his side’s pastiche of tournament anthem ‘Three Lions’ during their victory parade in Berlin.

Möller’s propensity for the dark arts had gained him infamy in Germany as he was retrospectively banned for diving to earn Borussia Dortmund a vital penalty against Karlsruhe in 1995. Video evidence revealed that he was nowhere near any opponents when he hit the deck and the match winning goal proved to be decisive in snatching the title away from Werder Bremen. It’s unfair, however, to dwell too long on this and Möller himself has been keen to distance himself from the event stating "I had an 18-year-long career, won so many trophies. A tiny part of it was that dive. I made so many great games, but this, it's no longer in memory.” The man known as ‘Turbo Möller’ was widely regarded as one of the most talented players of his generation and this was reflected when he encountered Gazza shortly after his post-penalty posturing while out shopping. Instead of causing a scene on the high street the two men chatted with Möller noting “He was a nice guy. He congratulated me. He wasn't angry at all but instead took the blame because they had so many chances in the first 30 minutes to win it. He said they could have decided the match in the first half.”

Germany’s victory in Euro 96 provided Möller with his second major international trophy, having been part of the victorious West German squad at Italia 90, to go alongside the domestic honours he had accumulated during two spells with Borussia Dortmund and the UEFA Cup he won with Juventus. Having won the Bundesliga with Dortmund just before the Euros he pulled the strings in midfield as his side won the 1996/97 Champions League thanks to a 3-1 victory over his former Italian employers. Two further trophies followed at Schalke 04 before a third and final spell with his boyhood club Eintracht Frankfurt brought his career to a close in 2004. He scored 170 goals in his club career with a further 29 for Die Mannschaft across 85 caps. Should Germany wish to emulate the successes of his era they will need a strong performance against Scotland to set things off. Then again there’ll be plenty of neutrals, and perhaps those still resenting Möller’s moves, rooting for the Tartan Army.