Euro ’96 Winners: Where Are They Now?

After Oliver Bierhoff’s golden goal, all dams burst. The striker only came on as a substitute in the 1996 European Championship final, then scored the equalizer against the Czech Republic and the goal in extra time that made Germany European champions for the third time. A few minutes later, Captain Jürgen Klinsmann was presented with the trophy by Queen Elizabeth II.

Bierhoff and Klinsmann – two figures who had a decisive influence on German football even after their active careers. That cannot be said of many of her teammates who won the European Championship at Wembley Stadium in London. In our photo series you can see what has become of the national players from back then.

Some of them tried coaching after their careers – most of them, if you look at it realistically, with little success. Some remained connected to football as officials. Like Stefan Kuntz, who most recently worked as sports director at Hamburger SV. He led the traditional club back into the Bundesliga, but then surprisingly resigned – as “Bild” reports, because of allegations of sexual harassment.

For many, the path led to television, where the demand for former stars as experts is high. Players like Steffen Freund, Oliver Kahn and Matthias Sammer are known to today’s fans primarily for this role.

Others chose unusual paths. Midfielder Dieter Eilts – one of the best players on the German team at the European Championships in England – has now said goodbye to professional football completely and works as a teacher. Thomas Häßler ended up in the jungle camp. National coach Berti Vogts also moved to more exotic regions, including as national coach in Kuwait and Azerbaijan.

However, they certainly have their place in German football history: to this day, the national players from 1996, including coach Vogts, are the last to bring Germany a European championship title.

Transparency note: The star belongs to RTL Deutschland.