BAYERN FAMILY February 2025
defeats“ in Barcelona against Manchester United heralded the birth of the immer weiter Bayern( the keep-going Bayern).
KING KUFFOUR
No Bayern fan will ever forget our Ghanaian defender. Here are the most important facts.
His honours
Bundesliga: 6
Champions League: 1
Olympic bronze medal 1992
His career
1993 – 2005 FC Bayern Munich 2005 – 2006 Roma 2006 – 2007 Livorno 2008 Ajax
1993
His legacy
2005
Kuffour‘ s career has also meant that Ghanaian n talents have consistently come to FC Bayern. These include Christian Saba( 1996-2011), Emanuel Bentil( 1995-1997) and Louis Ngwat-Mahop( 2006- 2007). Most recently, the German-Ghanaian Kwasi Okyere Wriedt( 2017-2020) played for FCB, mainly in the reserves.
DFB Cup: 4
Intercontinental Cup: 1
2006
U17 World Cup winner
2008
” This is your home, Sammy“
“ See that glass there,“ says Kuffour, pointing to one of the vessels used in Munich for the Meisterduschen( championship showers). The oversized weißbier glass doesn‘ t really fit into the African-style living room, and yet it perfectly suits Kuffour.“ FC Bayern is my first home.“ His business is what took him back to Ghana.“ I wanted to stay in Munich. But I had my family to think of.“ That‘ s the way it‘ s always been, even as a player.“ When I was young, I saw Lothar Matthäus and Oliver Kahn in the dressing room. They were so smartly dressed. I wanted that too, but I had to understand that I didn‘ t make that much, and needed money for home, for mama, grandma, my siblings.“ Hoeneß reminisces:“ Sammy came to us as a child. And he left as a man.“ He once had an offer from Barcelona. Hoeneß said to him,“ Sammy, you can‘ t go there. This is your home.“ He stayed. Kuffour still remembers exactly how Gerland approached him at the 1993 U20 World Cup in Australia after he‘ d scored a goal against Germany.“ You‘ re a good player – do you want to join us?“ the“ Tiger“ asked. Kuffour had moved to Torino when he was 15, he was homesick, and now he called his mama at home:“ FC Bayern want me. Should I do it?“ Of course! When he trained with the senior players for the first time the following summer, Rummenigge joined in. Kuffour ruthlessly tackled the boss, again and again, until in the end he said:“ We can use this lad.“ Matthäus had already said to Hoeneß beforehand that, if necessary, he would pay the 300,000 deutschmarks out of his own pocket. After training with Matthäus, Kuffour himself thought for the first time in his life that he could make it as a professional. He had watched the World Cup on TV in 1990:“ Lothar was the best in the tournament, the best in the world – and suddenly I was training with him. I said to myself, you can‘ t go looking back now! Only one thing matters now: Forwards!“ Kuffour quickly embraced the German mentality. Matthäus, Oliver Kahn and Stefan Effenberg exemplified it for him. To this day, Kuffour can imitate“ Effe“ very well, as the captain back then would visit him in his room so often during important games. Before the 2001 quarter- final against Manchester United for example, he said,“ Sammy, if you have Yorke and Cole in your pocket again, we‘ ll go through.“ Ahead of the 2001 final, Kuffour was sitting alone in his room after dinner, when Effenberg
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