Top facts about Markus Babbel, former Liverpool legend

(born September 8, 1972) is a former player and German professional football coach. He most recently coached the Western Sydney Wanderers FC. He played for teams in Germany and England as a defender.

Babbel won the UEFA Cup twice, with Bayern Munich in 1996 and

in 2001, and was a member of the Germany squad that won Euro 96.

Markus Babbel’s age

is 49. Here you can find out the most important facts about Markus Babbel, Former Liverpool defender.

On September 6, 1995, he scored his sole international goal as Germany defeated Georgia 4-1 at the Frankenstadion in Nuremberg. Babbel represented Germany in the 1996 European Championship, the 1998 World Cup, and the 2000 European Championship (winning the final against the Czech Republic).

An important fact about Markus Babbel is that he retired from the field and embarked on a new mission: coaching. His first position was at Stuttgart, where the previous coach, Armin Veh, had been dismissed and the team was on the verge of relegation. The choice of the former defender to stay in command paid dividends.

In the summer of 2004, Babbel returned to the Bundesliga, joining VfB Stuttgart as a center defender to replace Marcelo Bordon. Babbel was scarcely regarded in coach Giovanni Trapattoni's system during the 2005/06 season, although he eventually became a regular player again.

Unfortunately, under Trapattoni's replacement, Armin Veh, he was hardly employed. To cap off his playing career, he won the German Bundesliga title with VfB Stuttgart in the summer of 2007. He did, however, lose the 2007 DFB Cup final against 1. FC Nürnberg.

Markus Babbel scored 18 goals in 355 games for the top levels in Germany (Bundesliga) and England (English Premier League). In the UEFA Champions League, he played in 77 games.

Top facts about Markus Babbel:

Babbel made his national team debut in a 3-0 win against Portugal for the U-20 squad at Maspalomas on January 29, 1991. On the 1st of February, they were defeated 2-1 by Spain at Las Palmas. He earned his U-21 debut against the Czech Republic in a 1-1 draw at Pilsen on April 21, 1992.

His last game was a 3-1 loss to Spain at Córdoba on December 14, 1993. Babbel also competed in the 1993 Military World Cup in Morocco, finishing third with the German Armed Forces national team.

Markus Babbel early life

TSV Gilching-Argelsried was where Markus Babbel began his football career. Following that, he was a member of FC Bayern Munich's youth teams and was also active on an international level with the DFB (German Football Association) national team's young selection.

Speaking about

Markus Babbel’s childhood

, it should be mentioned that he signed a professional contract with Bayern Munich in 1991 and went on to play as a defender for the club in the Bundesliga.

In 1992, he was loaned to Hamburger SV and played for them for two years. When he returned to Bayern Munich in 1994, he had an immediate impact, winning the German Bundesliga four times, the DFB Cup twice, and the UEFA Cup once.

Babbel departed the Bundesliga in 2000 to join Liverpool FC in the Premier League, where he won the UEFA Cup the following year. Guillain-Barré syndrome, a nerve condition, forced Babbel's career to halt for a while. In 2003, Liverpool loaned him to Blackburn Rovers once he recovered.

Markus Babbel personal life

Babbel's first wife, Sandra, a childhood love, divorced him while he was in the worst of health. "It was love at first sight," Babbel recounts of meeting his second wife on the penultimate evening of his treatment stay in Regensburg.

Silke, a theology student, "restored his zest of life" to him. As a result, every disadvantage has a gain. Babbel believes in retributive justice.

While in charge of the Swiss team FC Luzern, Babbel married his third wife, TV personality Tina Ries, in Bad Türkheim in August 2017. Babbel and his childhood love, Sandra, have two children.

After that, he had two additional children with Silke Bieselt from his second marriage. Babbel and his new wife Tina have a kid, who was born last year.

Markus Babbel has always been involved in charity efforts throughout his football career, both as a player and as a coach, and we have seen him participate in several charity games.

He was, for example, a member of the Bayern Munich legends squad that faced Manchester United legends in a repeat of the iconic 1999 UEFA Champions League final game in 2019.

Markus Babbel professional career

Markus Babbel was an imposing figure on the pitch, making his name as a defender that could play at both right and center back. Transitioning from Bayern Munich's youth set-up to the senior side, the German spent two seasons honing his craft with Hamburger before returning to Bayern and establishing himself as a regular starter.

After 170 games and picking up a number of trophies for the German giants, Babbel attracted interest from

but would be poached instead by Liverpool.

Babbel settled well at Anfield and scored the first goal in the Reds 2001 UEFA Cup final win over Alaves before being cruelly struck down by Guillain-Barre Syndrome.

A rare virus that attacks the nervous system, the illness not only cut short his Liverpool career but also nearly left him in a wheelchair with the virus known for paralyzing its victims.

"It was bad. I couldn't feel anything below the knees or my hands, and even one side of my face.

"But there were other people worse off than me at the hospital, linked up to respirators and unable to walk. They were confined long-term to wheelchairs; I only spent a while in one," Babbel said about contracted GBS in 2001.

Overcoming that frightening roadblock, Babbel finished his playing career with Stuttgart and bowed out as a player with 51 caps for the German national team and a very noticeable amount of silverware.

Markus Babbel club career

Babbel's first professional club was Bayern Munich, where he was born. He progressed from the youth group to the first team, where he started eight games and made four league replacement appearances.

Bayern Munich and return to Hamburger SV

In August 1992, he joined Hamburger SV and quickly established himself in the first squad, scoring his first league goal in Germany's top division.

Following UEFA Euro 1996, he returned to Bayern Munich and started 167 games, attracting the eye of Manchester United. A £5 million contract for the German full back was put in place, but it never materialized.

In June 2000, Liverpool F.C. manager

signed him on a Bosman, and he played in the back four for the Reds throughout their victorious 2000–01 season.

Liverpool

An important

fact about Markus Babbel

is that he was a key player for Liverpool, and his trademark raiding runs down the right flank resulted in a number of goals, including one in the UEFA Cup final itself.

When he was diagnosed with the Guillain–Barré syndrome and was unable to play for a year, his Liverpool career came to an abrupt stop.

Rovers Blackburn

After recovering from Guillain–Barré syndrome, he moved on loan to Blackburn Rovers in August 2003, making regular first-team appearances in the league and scoring three goals.

Stuttgart VfB

VfB Stuttgart was Babbel's final club, which he joined on a free transfer in July 2004. Babbel announced his retirement at the conclusion of the 2006–07 season in January 2007.

Markus Babbel international career

A notable fact about Markus Babbel is that he made his debut in the national jersey on January 29, 1991 in the U-20s in a 3-0 win over Portugal in Maspalomas.

On February 1st they lost 2-1 to Spain in Las Palmas. On April 21, 1992, he debuted in the U-21, which came to a 1-1 draw against the Czech team in Pilsen.

He played his last game on December 14, 1993 in Córdoba in the 1-3 defeat by Spain. In 1993, Babbel also took part in the military world championships in Morocco with the Bundeswehr national team and took third place.

For the senior national team, he played 51 games in which he scored one goal (on September 6, 1995 in a 4-1 win over Georgia). He made his debut on February 22, 1995 in Jerez de la Frontera in a 0-0 draw against Spain.

An important

fact about Markus Babbel

is that he took part in the 1996 European Championships, replaced the injured Jürgen Kohler as central defender at this tournament and was in the eleven that defeated the Czech Republic in the final with 2-1 goals after extra time.

In 1996, Federal President Roman Herzog awarded him the Silver Laurel Leaf for winning the European Football Championship.

He also took part in the 1998 World Cup in France. After the 1-0 defeat against

on June 17, 2000 in the group match of the European Championships in Belgium and the Netherlands, in which the German team was eliminated in the preliminary round, Babbel resigned as a national player.

Markus Babbel coaching career

From 2007 to 2012, I was in the early stages of my career. Babbel continued on as an assistant manager at his final club, VfB Stuttgart, after retiring from playing.

VfB Stuttgart

An important

fact about Markus Babbel

is that he was named head coach of VfB Stuttgart on November 24, 2008. VfB Stuttgart was 11th in the standings after 14 games when Babbel arrived.

On November 27, 2008, Babbel's debut match was a 1–1 draw against Sampdoria. They finished third in the league, five points behind league champions

, and qualified for the Champions League.

Babbel's contract at VfB Stuttgart was extended until the summer of 2011, however the club and Babbel parted ways on December 6, 2009. On December 5, 2009, he played his farewell match, a 1–1 tie against VfL Bochum.

VfB Stuttgart was 16th in the Bundesliga after 15 games when Babbel was fired. Babbel concluded with a 21-win, 15-draw, and 14-loss record.

finished second in their Champions League group and qualified for the round of 16 under Babbel's guidance.

Hertha BSC

In July 2010, Babbel took over Hertha BSC in the second tier. His debut match was a 2–0 victory in the German Cup. After winning the 2. Bundesliga in 2010–11, he was able to restore them to the Bundesliga in his first season. Babbel was fired as Hertha BSC coach on December 18, 2011.

He had already said that he intended to quit the club at the conclusion of the season. On December 17, 2011, he played his farewell match, a 1–1 tie against 1899 Hoffenheim. At the time of the dismissal, Hertha BSC was in 11th position. Babbel concluded with a 30-win, 13-draw, and 12-loss record.

1899 Hoffenheim

Babbel takes over as manager of 1899 Hoffenheim on February 10, 2012. When Babbel took charge in 1899, Hoffenheim was in seventh position.

His debut ended in a 1–1 tie with

. 1899 Hoffenheim came in 11th position at the end of the season. He was fired on December 3, 2012, due to poor performances, with the squad in 16th position in the Bundesliga. Babbel's last match ended in a 4–1 defeat against Werder Bremen. Babbel completed with a seven-win, eight-draw, and fifteen-loss record.

FC Luzern

Following the termination of Carlos Bernegger, who failed to win a single league game in the 2014–15 season, Babbel was named the new head coach of Luzern on October 12, 2014.

On October 19, 2014, he played his debut match, a 0–0 tie against Vaduz. Luzern finished sixth in the 2014–15 season. On July 18, 2015, the 2015–16 season began with a 2–2 tie against Sion.

Luzern reached the semi-finals of the Swiss Cup in 2015–16 and finished third in the league. Between July 23 and August 7, 2016, the 2016–17 season begins with six matches. On July 23, 2016, Luzern defeated Lugano 2–1 in the season's first match.

Western Sydney Wanderers FC

A notable fact about Markus Babbel is that he was named manager of Western Sydney Wanderers FC in the A-League on May 19, 2018. The Wanderers finished eighth out of 10 clubs in the 2018–19 A-League season, winning just six games, drawing six, and losing 15.

After a strong start in the 2019-20 season, which included a 1-0 victory against Sydney FC in the inaugural Sydney Derby at the new Western Sydney Stadium, the club sank to ninth position (out of 11) after 11 games, slipping from first place after three rounds to ninth place (out of 11).

On Monday, January 20, 2020, Babbel was fired by the Wanderers, and his assistant coach was selected as his temporary successor.

Markus Babbel legacy

A charge leveled often at the current Liverpool defense is that they lack bravery and leadership, as seen by their regular outmusclement by hungrier opponents who are more determined than they are.

Markus Babbel, a former Reds defender who had to overcome worries that much beyond the set piece shortcomings of Dejan Lovren or Joel Matip, clearly had the character trait of bravery.

Because Babbel was born and raised in Munich, it should come as no surprise that he began his footballing career with Bayern Munich.

He joined the Bavarians' premier league club when he was nine years old and progressed through the ranks until he was promoted to the first team, making his debut in 1991 while still a teenager.

Babbel found it tough to break through Bayern's seasoned defense and thus relocated to Hamburg for the 1992/93 season in quest of more regular playing time in the Bundesliga.

It was during his time with the northern club that he established himself as a player of great potential, and two seasons after being released by them, Bayern returned him to the Olympiastadion as a considerably more experienced player.

Babbel would go on to become a fixture of Bayern's defense over the following six seasons, lining up alongside the likes of Samuel Kuffour and Thomas Linke, with the quirky but talented

in goal behind him.

In the aftermath of his Euro '96 performance, he was heavily associated with a move to Manchester United, and a transfer agreement was even in place, but the transfer never materialized.

Ironically, Babbel would subsequently be a member of the Bayern Munich side that was defeated by Manchester United in the Champions League final in sad circumstances.

By 2000, he had achieved the pinnacle of his professional career, and Gerard Houllier brought him to Liverpool, where he soon gained the respect of the Anfield supporters.

For the Reds, Babbel raided down the right side to great success long before the notion of full-backs continuously storming upfield became a hallmark of football hipsterism, laying the foundation for a number of crucial goals during the treble-winning 2000/01 season.

After winning the UEFA Cup with

in 1996, he went on to win it again with Liverpool five years later, scoring the winning goal in the memorable 5-4 triumph against Alaves in Dortmund.

2001, on the other hand, would be a very gloomy year for the enormously popular Babbel. Later in the year, he was stricken with Guillain-Barre disease, which required him to miss many months of action in the league.

After the game, his teammates expressed their displeasure at seeing the German, who had suddenly developed sallow complexion and was confined to a wheelchair, with some of his friends and family truly concerned that the sickness might prove deadly.

In spite of the discomfort, the valiant defender fought his way through the sickness, gradually but steadily conquering it to return to the field at the start of the 2002/03 season.

Understandably, he found it impossible to perform at the same level or with the same consistency as he had before being diagnosed with Guillain-Barre syndrome.

As a result, he was loaned out to Blackburn for the 2003/04 season, when he made a lasting impact on the Rovers' fans. As a result of the season's conclusion, Babbel returned to Germany, signing with Stuttgart on a free transfer and spending the last three years of his playing career with the Bundesliga team in the south.

Babbel's playing career, which had been plagued by terrifying lows, came to a magnificent conclusion with Stuttgart, where he won the Bundesliga championship in his last season as a player.

He moved directly from the field to the coaching staff, eventually becoming Stuttgart's assistant manager in the summer of 2007. Babbel was elevated as first-team manager of the club three months into the 2008/09 season, during which time the squad improved from 11th to third place and qualified for the Champions League for the first time.

While they advanced to the quarterfinals in 2010, Babbel was fired after a dismal first half of the season. His next stop was the Bundesliga, when he took over at Hertha Berlin, guiding them to promotion in 2011 before being fired halfway through the following season with the team sitting in mid-table.

When Babbel left Hertha for Hoffenheim, the club was only three places higher than Hertha at the time of his appointment. After guiding the club to mid-table in his first few months, he was once again the victim of a pre-Christmas P45 in late 2012, this time as Hoffenheim struggled to avoid relegation to the Bundesliga's second division.

He stepped away from the game for the better part of two years before returning to it in fall 2014 as head coach of Swiss club Luzern, who had been in serious difficulties when he took over but had qualified for Europe less than two years after he returned.

The club's troubles this season led to Babbel being dismissed of his responsibilities at the beginning of January, despite the fact that Luzern had previously been in the top five (although in a 10-team league). Luzern is now narrowly outside the relegation zone in the Swiss first division.

The German's coaching career may not be turning out nearly as well as his playing days, but the prospect of being fired is not something that would scare him too much considering what he has gone through in terms of health.

Because of Babbel's strong character and bravery, he was back playing top-flight football in England and Germany within a year of contracting Guillain-Barre disease. This achievement, combined with his impressive playing abilities, has ensured that he will continue to enjoy widespread support among Liverpool fans for the foreseeable future.

Markus Babbel quotes:

About Anfield's huge European nights, he has said, “Anfield is different at night. The league games are played in the afternoon, while the European games are played in the evening; it's a different kind of football because the fans are different, and the mood in the stadium is different. Liverpool has a good chance of winning the first game [against Bayern Munich at home].”

“It's a huge opportunity, and with the fans on their side, everything is conceivable. They need support from the fans, and my desire for all Liverpool fans is that if you go to the stadium, you give everything because the guys need you right now.”

About Liverpool’s growth with Klopp, he has said, “Jürgen Klopp, in my opinion, is doing an incredible job. People trust him, which is the most important thing you can have. And the guys have faith in him. He is one of Liverpool FC's most well-known players. He rekindled the club's spirit, and I have nothing but praise for Jürgen, who is a terrific person.”

“He's not an actor, and he's not playing a game; he's a one-of-a-kind. He was like this for seven years at Borussia Dortmund, and now he's taken his confidence and brilliance to Liverpool, to the delight of the fans.

“He attracts talented players to the club, and the level of play they produce is exceptional. I am a fan, and if I had an Anfield ticket, I would attend every home game since it is a dream to see them play. Whether they win or lose, the style of play is wonderful in my opinion.”

Markus Babbel style of play

He was mostly a center defender, but he could also play fullback if necessary, which he did on occasion for Bayern Munich and then for Liverpool under Gérard Houllier. He also played right back for the German national team on a few occasions.

He was a terrific zone player and scored several nice goals throughout his time as a defender. His speed, anticipation, leadership, and precise sliding tackles were his best attributes; his header was also impressive, owing in part to his height.

Some quick facts about Markus Babbel:

A notable fact about Markus Babbel is that he appeared in 51 games for the senior national team, scoring one goal (in a 4-1 victory over Georgia on September 6, 1995) and making his debut in a 0-0 draw with Spain at Jerez de la Frontera on February 22, 1995. Babbel competed in the 1996 European Championship as a center-back, replacing the injured Jürgen Kohler, and was part of the team that beat the

2-1 in extra time in the final.

For winning the European Football Championship with the rest of the national team in 1996, German President Roman Herzog presented him with the Silver Laurel Leaf.

He also took part in the 1998 World Cup in France, where he played in two games. Babbel stood down as a national player after Germany's 1-0 loss against England in the group stage of the European Championship in Belgium and the Netherlands on June 17, 2000, when the German squad was eliminated in the preliminary round.

Markus Babbel became an assistant coach at VfB Stuttgart after finishing his playing career. He was Armin Veh's assistant coach from July 1, 2007 until November 22, 2008. He was elevated to the post of team manager at VfB Stuttgart on November 23, 2008.

Babbel would have only been allowed to coach the VfB with a special permit that was only valid until 30 June 2009 due to a reform of the coaching course by the German Football Association (DFB), but due to a reform of the coaching course by the DFB, Babbel was allowed to coach the VfB beyond that date.

An important fact about Markus Babbel is that he officially signed a deal with VfB Stuttgart on May 6, 2009, which lasted through the end of June 2011.

VfB had the second-best second half of the 2008/09 season of any club under Babbel's leadership, and was in contention to win the league until the last matchday. At the conclusion of the season, the team finished third in the standings, qualifying them for the 2009/10 UEFA Champions League qualifiers.

Babbel was fired from Stuttgart on December 6, 2009, following just two victories in the first 15 games of the 2009/10 season, including one win in five Champions League games.

Christian Gross, a former FC Basel coach, was named as his successor. Babbel's critical contemplation on the business of football during his leave of absence was largely regarded as accurate and precise by analysts.

Markus Babbel may have facilitated his departure from VfB Stuttgart as a coach. After all, the supporters' rage the day before his dismissal was not aimed at him specifically.

They had mostly targeted the team in the post-match protests and the bus roadblock before to kick-off. He did not, however, remain silent about it, instead standing in front of his team, who did not deserve the fans' wrath.

However, certain supporters' self-empowerment to intensify the pressure on the players to an intolerable degree was just one part of the situation that led to Babbel's resignation and Christian Gross's replacement.

The coach has been in a no-win scenario for a long time. At the start of the season, he was the only Bundesliga coach without a football teaching license, which is required for this position.

As a result, in the middle of the year, he began taking the required course in Cologne. However, the Stuttgart team's extra Champions League matches nearly totally used the number of allowable absences.

A notable fact about Markus Babbel is that he was with his squad even more often during the crisis of his final few weeks on the job, and if he had continued coach in Stuttgart, he would not have been able to finish the course, and the club would have had to replace him at the conclusion of the season.

As a result, Babbel will very certainly be the final Bundesliga coach without a coaching license. From his perspective, it may be a difficult pill to swallow that he was forced to choose between a comprehensive education at a sports institution and a rigorous profession in the Bundesliga.

Babbel earned his football coaching accreditation at the German Sport University Cologne's Hennes Weisweiler Academy in April 2010, after which he could only formally sign on as a head coach with a coaching license with professional teams.

Babbel was named head coach of Hertha BSC in the 2nd Bundesliga for the first time in the 2010-11 season. In accordance with a condition, his contract was extended until 2012 on April 25, 2011 as a consequence of the club's elevation to the Bundesliga.

Hertha could no longer be knocked out of a straight promotion slot with a twelve-point advantage over third place in the standings with three matchdays to play before the conclusion of the season.

During the first half of the 2011/12 season, the team was in mid-table under Babbel. Markus Babbel was planned to depart Hertha BSC at the conclusion of the season. He told manager Michael Preetz about it at the beginning of November, according to his own account.

Preetz, on the other hand, said that he had never had such a talk with Babbel and that Babbel's account was "completely incorrect." Then Hertha president Werner Gegenbauer accused Babbel of lying, alleging that they had only known since December 13 (quote: "You shouldn't come up with Baron Münchhausen things now").

Babbel was fired the following day with immediate effect. The disagreement with Babbel was resolved on December 22, 2011, according to Hertha BSC.

On February 10, 2012, Babbel was named the new head coach of TSG 1899 Hoffenheim. His contract was set to end in 2014.

He was the club's manager from March until September 2012. Babbel was removed of his responsibilities as head coach at Hoffenheim on December 3, 2012, after the team, which had begun the season with ambitions of qualifying for international tournaments, found itself in the relegation zone after 15 matchdays, with nine losses to three victories.

In October 2014, Babbel took over FC Luzern, a relegation-threatened Swiss Superliga club, to replace Carlos Bernegger. On October 19, 2014 (matchday 12), he made his Super League debut against FC Vaduz, which finished in a 0-0 draw.

Despite winning two games and drawing two others, Babbel's club finished the season in tenth place, two points behind FC Sion. With ten victories, four draws, and four losses in the second half of the season, the squad finished fifth in the final standings. On February 12, 2016, Markus Babbel's contract was extended for another two years, until the end of June 2018.

Markus Babbel stepped down on 3 January 2018, with effect from the conclusion of the 2017/18 season, due to disputes with the club administration. Markus Babbel was promptly released from his contract by the club board two days later.

Babbel was then named the new head coach of the Australian club Western Sydney Wanderers in May 2018. In January 2020, he was fired after three straight losses. He has been without a club since then.

Markus Babbel social media

Regarding

Markus Babbel social media

, it should be mentioned that he has an Instagram page (

) with more than10k followers. In the page we can see various pictures of him with the fans and his family.

Markus Babbel body measurements

Speaking about

Markus Babbel body measurements

, it should be mentioned that the coach is 191 cm and 89 kg.

Markus Babbel net worth and salary

Markus Babbel’s net worth

is believed to be from $7 million to $8 million USD. From his major profession as a soccer player and then as a coach, he has amassed a substantial fortune.

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