Langbahn Team – Weltmeisterschaft

Norbert Nachtweih

Norbert Nachtweih
Personal information
Date of birth (1957-06-04) 4 June 1957 (age 67)
Place of birth Sangerhausen, East Germany
Height 1.74 m (5 ft 9 in)
Position(s) Midfielder
Youth career
1963–1967 Motor Sangerhausen
1967–1969 Traktor Polleben
1969–1971 MK Eisleben
1971–1974 Chemie Halle
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1974–1976 Chemie Halle 35 (2)
1976–1982 Eintracht Frankfurt 120 (26)
1982–1989 Bayern Munich 202 (20)
1989–1991 Cannes 43 (2)
1991 Eintracht Frankfurt 3 (0)
1991–1995 Waldhof Mannheim 127 (11)
1997 SV Bernbach
1998–1999 FC Schwalbach
International career
East Germany U21
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Norbert Nachtweih (born 4 June 1957) is a German former professional footballer who played as a midfielder.

He played in 325 Bundesliga games over the course of 13 seasons (46 goals), playing for Eintracht Frankfurt and Bayern Munich and winning eight major titles combined, including four national championships with the latter.

Career

Born in Sangerhausen, East Germany, Nachtweih moved to West Germany in 1976, signing with Eintracht Frankfurt, for which he appeared as a midfielder over the course of five Bundesliga seasons,[1] scoring 25 goals in his last three years combined and winning the 1979–80 UEFA Cup (11 appearances, one goal) against fellow league side Borussia Mönchengladbach.

In the 1982 summer, Nachtweih joined FC Bayern Munich, contributing with 85 games and ten goals as the Bavarians won three consecutive national championships from 1985 to 1987 (of the four he conquered with the team during his spell), and also being regularly played as a defender. In 1989, the 32-year-old moved to France and signed for AS Cannes, partnering a young Zinedine Zidane in two Ligue 1 seasons,[2][3] and helping the club qualify to the UEFA Cup in his first.

After a brief spell with Eintracht, Nachtweih signed with second division's SV Waldhof Mannheim in December 1991. He retired from professional football after five seasons at the age of 39, but still competed a few years at the amateur level.

After his active career, Nachtweih managed SV Bernbach and FK Pirmasens (first as a youth coach). Subsequently, he returned to Eintracht Frankfurt, working in the club's football academy.[3]

Defection

In October 1976, following an under-21 international game, Nachtweih fled to West Germany via Turkey alongside Jürgen Pahl, being suspended one year by FIFA. Even though he was one of the best German men's footballers in the 1980s, FIFA formalities forbade a career in the West German national team, as he had previously appeared with East Germany.[2]

Honours

Eintracht Frankfurt

Bayern Munich

See also

References

  1. ^ "Mannschaftskader" [Teams] (in German). Eintracht Frankfurt. Retrieved 26 January 2010.
  2. ^ a b "Nachtweih: "Ich wollte in die beste Liga der Welt"" [Nachtweih: "I wanted to play in the best league in the world"] (in German). Spox. 4 October 2010. Retrieved 13 December 2011.
  3. ^ a b "Man hat Zidanes Talent schon gesehen" [You could see Zidane's talent right away] (in German). Spox. 26 May 2011. Retrieved 13 December 2011.
  4. ^ "Deutscher Supercup, 1987, Finale". dfb.de. Retrieved 10 November 2020.