I'll remember the name for that goal he scored against us in Champions league final.
But was he actually any good?
But was he actually any good?
How good was Mario Basler?
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He was Super.
Heh
A gangly yet technically good number 10 from what I remember.
worse than Thomas Hassler, but better than Karimi.
I think he was great, loved his free-kicks and direct corner kicks 
Basler, Andreas Moller, Mehmet Scholl, Ballack, Toni Kroos, Gotze, Ozil, and these days Wirtz and Musiala.
German football had produced some wonderful attacking midfielders / no.10’s.
I don’t remember if Lars Ricken was more of a wide player but he probably fits the bill as well.
German football had produced some wonderful attacking midfielders / no.10’s.
I don’t remember if Lars Ricken was more of a wide player but he probably fits the bill as well.
I agree, I especially enjoyed the ending of a specific game in which he scored an early free kick.I think he was great, loved his free-kicks and direct corner kicks
I've always thought the same thing. One of my first memories as a United fan. Always wondered how good him and Mehmet Scholl were
Scholl was very good.
The odd one out of that Bayern side, for me at least, was Jancker.
Id
I’d add Thomas Hassler and Effenberg to that list although the later did move backwards into central midfield more.
Jancker had his uses, though they were few.
Basler was a good player but one for grandiose self-projection. He was blowing kisses to the Bayern fans when 1-0 up, waving and getting them excited. Jaap Stam later said he was going to hit him!
Needless to say, after justice was exacted, Basler spat out his dummy big time. He lost his place in Bayern's team soon after.
Probably more talented than what his career delivered. Wonder if he should have played more of a role for Germany in the mid-to-late 1990s, although perhaps for Vogts it was him or Hassler / Moller, and Basler fell short on overall graft and team ethic. Possibly he could have done a job at RWB in Germany's 352.
Give him his dues at Bayern though, especially in 98/99, scoring in the QF, SF and Final of the Champions League. Scored a screamer against Kyiv in the semi-final that was very much against the run of play.
Give him his dues at Bayern though, especially in 98/99, scoring in the QF, SF and Final of the Champions League. Scored a screamer against Kyiv in the semi-final that was very much against the run of play.
Who wasn't?! Legendary player
I remember Effenberg as a central midfielder, I actually didn’t know he played further up at some point.
Interesting but makes sense, Kroos and Ballack both moved further back from more attacking roles.
He was very good with excellent set pieces.
In today's time, I think he wouldn't be a professional player for the big clubs because of his lifestyle. He loves his cigarettes and booze.
In today's time, I think he wouldn't be a professional player for the big clubs because of his lifestyle. He loves his cigarettes and booze.
That chap was a clown. No idea how he played at such a high level, for Germany too.
He had/still has the brains of a squirrel, drinking and smoking habits to rival Gascoigne, and hated to run or work on his fitness. Accordignly, his pro career ended after a drunken bar brawl.
He also was possibly one of the best natural talents the german football has ever seen. I don't know how many direct freekicks and corners (3 in his first Werder Bremen season) he scored in his career...
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If I remember correctly he played 10 for Fiorentina in Serie A. It could be more the tactics at the time but he definitely supported the number 9.
Didn’t Deisler also move deeper too? Great players.
Yeah, that's how i remember him being considered on the early football message boards back then by Bayern fans : a great talent, but also a bit of an idiot without much dedication. Didn't Beckenbauer say he could have been one of the greatest German players if he'd possessed a work ethic to match his skill?.
I noticed for the Werder Bremen 94/95 season he scored 20 goals (only one penalty) and had 12 assists in 33 league games. That must be really high up as far as single-season scoring/ goal +assist ratio accomplishments for non-forwards goes.
I think he has great talent. He is proficient in both types of set pieces, whether taking free kicks himself or delivering crosses. His passing is highly creative, especially his long balls. He shoots with immense power. I believe his off-the-ball work rate is underrated; he covers the flanks effectively. He could have gone further if he didn’t have issues with attitude or discipline.
He scored two goals from corner kicks, which is fascinating a lot.
He scored two goals from corner kicks, which is fascinating a lot.
He was good enough to score against the greatest team of all time.
He was technically like a Soith American or Spanish. He proved that with close control you can be tall and still can dribble on any stage.
Effenberg was also the best of the lot.
Can't really say too much about Basler the player but I can confirm that he's an idiot. In terms of stupidity, he's second only to Thorsten Legat amongst German ex-footballers, probably. He has this "uncle gets drunk on family party and rages about Greta Thunberg" energy.
Add Thomas Berthold to that elusive list.
From an era of angry midfielders with a rocket shot. Top class.
Jancker? Underrated player. 48 in 143 for Bayern ain't that shabby because it was that era when scoring ~ 20 a year pretty much guaranteed the Bundesliga "golden cannon" trophy. Not that Germany was blessed with world class strikers in these days - Max, Preetz, even Basler won that. But then, Yeboah won it with 18, Amoroso too.
Also Jancker did 10 in 33 for Germany. i'd say he wasn't a world beater but he wasn't awful. Looked clumsy because of his size, true. And never scored many headers.
Contrary to his visual appearance, a very gentle and nice guy, too, according to my then 12 year old nephew who often hung out on the Bayern training grounds. As opposed to others of that generation he would mention, who never had time for a chat with, or even acknowledge the presence of the young fans *cough* Kahn *cough* Effe
Best heavy smoking player probably
Short update:
he is part of the ZDF "FC Hollywood" miniseries.
He spent the night before the 1999 final at the hotel bar, drinking and smoking. In ihis own words, Hoeneß found him there. "Mario, you're way past curfew" - i know boss, i'll just finish my beer". But the beer was tasty, so i had another one, and another. Then, very late, Hitzfeld found me. "Mario, you're up drinking and smoking, you know that means you wont play tomorrow". So i figured what the hell, if i don't play, i can keep drinking. which i did, until 3:30am."
He still played that match...
he is part of the ZDF "FC Hollywood" miniseries.
He spent the night before the 1999 final at the hotel bar, drinking and smoking. In ihis own words, Hoeneß found him there. "Mario, you're way past curfew" - i know boss, i'll just finish my beer". But the beer was tasty, so i had another one, and another. Then, very late, Hitzfeld found me. "Mario, you're up drinking and smoking, you know that means you wont play tomorrow". So i figured what the hell, if i don't play, i can keep drinking. which i did, until 3:30am."
He still played that match...
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oh man that gives me flashbacks to my childhood and being mario and having to rescue the princess peaches from basler’s castle. apparently in the newer mario games there is a baby basler too, but i stopped playing long before then.
And indeed scored the opener
I wouldn‘t believe half the stories he tells
He’s no Sebastian Deisler.
That was something about that Bayern team from that era. And the odd kits they used to play in, grey and purple?!
Can still practically name all of them....Kahn, Kuffour, Linke, Fink, Matthaus, Jens Jeremies, Salihamidzic, Basler, Zickler, Jancker and then Elber. If Elber had been fit then Bayern would've won the 1999 final comfortably but then of course that was levelled out by Keane and Scholes being suspended I guess.
Can't remember if Markus Babbel was still there or had gone to Liverpool at that point.
Can still practically name all of them....Kahn, Kuffour, Linke, Fink, Matthaus, Jens Jeremies, Salihamidzic, Basler, Zickler, Jancker and then Elber. If Elber had been fit then Bayern would've won the 1999 final comfortably but then of course that was levelled out by Keane and Scholes being suspended I guess.
Can't remember if Markus Babbel was still there or had gone to Liverpool at that point.
Good team player. Unfortunately for him in German national team he was in era of moller hassler towards their end and when they stopping ballack etc didn’t have their talent
In United terms (not in style etc) I’d say fletcherish, always part of the bigger games bust his balls but maybe lacked the talent the rest had.
In United terms (not in style etc) I’d say fletcherish, always part of the bigger games bust his balls but maybe lacked the talent the rest had.