The German connection: Gosens becomes 9th player from Germany to play for Inter



Team

Jan 28th 2022

4 MIN READING

The new signing joins a list of top players who have been a key part of Nerazzurri history


MILAN – Robin Gosens, the club’s latest signing, has become the ninth German player to wear the Nerazzurri colours. Inter and Germany have a longstanding footballing connection. The calibre of the players is shown by the fact that three of the eight Germans to have played for the club won the Ballon d’Or, one lifted the European Cup during his time with the Nerazzurri and the most recent one before Gosens is currently the third top goalscorer in the all-time scoring ranks for Die Mannschaft.

Gosens, 27, made his senior international debut on 3 September 2020 in Stuttgart in the first round of the Nations League in a 1-1 stalemate with Spain. He now has 13 international caps and two goals to his name, one of which came at Euro 2020 when he started down the left flank in an enthralling 4-2 victory over Portugal. Besides the goal, Gosens provided an assist, was involved in a move that led to an own goal and was named man of the match that day.

Gosens now joins his fellow countrymen Horst Szymaniak, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, Hansi Muller, Lothar Matthaus, Andreas Brehme, Jurgen Klinsmann, Matthias Sammer and Lukas Podolski in the Inter history books.

PlayerPositionDate of birthAppearancesGoalsHorst SzymaniakMidfielder29/08/1934120Karl-Heinz RummeniggeForward25/09/195510742Hansi MullerMidfielder27/07/19576813Lothar MatthausMidfielder21/03/196115353Andreas BrehmeDefender09/11/196015412Jurgen KlinsmannForward30/07/196412340Matthias SammerMidfielder05/09/1967124Lukas PodolskiForward04/06/1985191

HORST SZYMANIAK  Horst Szymaniak was the third German player to ply his trade in Italy and the very first to do so for Inter. After joining from Catania, the midfielder made 12 appearances for the club, all of which came in 1963/64, the historic season in which Helenio Herrera led the Nerazzurri to European Cup glory for the first time.

HANSI MÜLLER Hans-Peter Hansi Muller joined the club in 1982 from Stuttgart. An attacking midfielder with a wonderful touch, Muller was unfortunate that his stint at Inter overlapped with Evaristo Beccalossi. His first season was tough, but his fortunes improved in the following campaign before he left the club in 1984 with 68 appearances and 13 goals to his name.

KARL-HEINZ RUMMENIGGE The German joined Inter in 1984 after winning the Ballon d’Or in 1980 and 1981, and finishing as runner-up in the 1982 World Cup, losing to an Italy side with Beppe Bergomi at the heart of the defence. Although Karl-Heinz didn’t win any trophies during his three seasons with Inter between 1984 and 1987, he left his mark in the Nerazzurri history books with his goals and moments of magic of a true champion, who had won absolutely everything with Bayern Munich.

LOTHAR MATTHAUS A few sentences are not enough to describe the magnificence of Lothar, who goes down as one of the greatest players in Inter’s history, and the first to win the Ballon d’Or while wearing the Nerazzurri shirt. He was a complete player and the driving force behind Inter’s success, which saw the German win the league, Super Cup and UEFA Cup during his spell. While the individual battle with Diego Maradona played a major part in Germany’s World Cup triumph in 1990. Matthaus was inducted into the Inter Hall of Fame in 2018.

ANDREAS BREHME Joining Inter at the same time as Lothar Matthaus, he destroyed every opponent he faced on the left flank due to his pace and ball control, which were second to none. His skills weren’t only recognised with his left foot, but also his right, which he used to score the winning penalty in the 1990 World Cup final in Rome.

JURGEN KLINSMANN The German replaced Ramon Diaz after Inter’s record-breaking season in 1988/89. He was unselfish and spectacular, and became a favourite among the Nerazzurri fans. Jurgen made 123 appearances, which saw him register 40 goals and win two trophies; the Super Cup and the UEFA Cup. The German also led the national team to glory, winning the 1990 World Cup and the 1996 European Championship.

MATTHIAS SAMMER Arriving from Stuttgart in 1991, the German only made his first appearance for Inter in 1992, due to rules limiting the number of foreign players allowed in each squad. After making his debut, he played a total of 12 games and scored four goals. However, he never quite settled at Inter, and had problems with the manager Osvaldo Bagnoli, which led to Sammer’s return to his home country. Despite this, his talent was never in doubt; he won the Champions League and Ballon d’Or at Dortmund, as well as the 1996 European Championship for Germany.

LUKAS PODOLSKI “Printz Poldi” has certainly always been popular among German supporters, spending six months in the Nerazzurri shirt, from January to June 2015. His arrival at Inter came after already hitting his peak at Bayern Munich, Cologne, and Arsenal. Lukas’ only goal for the Nerazzurri came against Juve, with a wonderful left footed strike. For the national team he made 130 appearances, racking up 49 goals, making him third highest goalscorer for Germany. 


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