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{{Short description|German footballer (born 1966)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2013}}
{{for|the Norwegian real estate developer|Olav Thon}}
{{for|the Norwegian real estate developer|Olav Thon}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2021}}
{{Infobox football biography
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Olaf Thon
| name = Olaf Thon
| image = Olaf Thon.jpeg
| image = Olaf Thon – Tag der Legenden 2016 02.jpg
| image_size = 200px
| image_size =
| caption =
| caption = Thon in 2016
| fullname = Olaf Thon
| full_name = Olaf Thon
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1966|05|01|df=yes}}
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1966|05|01|df=yes}}
| birth_place = [[Gelsenkirchen]], [[West Germany]]
| birth_place = [[Gelsenkirchen]], [[West Germany]]
| height = {{convert|1.70|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
| height = 1.70 m
| position = [[Midfielder]] / [[Defender (association football)|Defender]]
| position = [[Midfielder]], [[Defender (association football)|defender]]
| currentclub =
| currentclub =
| youthyears1 = 1972–1980 | youthclubs1 = [[STV Horst-Emscher]]
| youthyears1 = 1972–1980 | youthclubs1 = [[STV Horst-Emscher]]
| youthyears2 = 1980–1983 | youthclubs2 = [[FC Schalke 04|Schalke 04]]
| youthyears2 = 1980–1983 | youthclubs2 = [[FC Schalke 04|Schalke 04]]
| years1 = 1983–1988 | clubs1 = [[FC Schalke 04|Schalke 04]] | caps1 = 157 | goals1 = 56
| years1 = 1983–1988 | clubs1 = [[FC Schalke 04|Schalke 04]] | caps1 = 167 | goals1 = 56
| years2 = 1988–1994 | clubs2 = [[FC Bayern Munich|Bayern Munich]] | caps2 = 148 | goals2 = 30
| years2 = 1988–1994 | clubs2 = [[FC Bayern Munich|Bayern Munich]] | caps2 = 148 | goals2 = 30
| years3 = 1994–2002 | clubs3 = [[FC Schalke 04|Schalke 04]] | caps3 = 166 | goals3 = 10
| years3 = 1994–2002 | clubs3 = [[FC Schalke 04|Schalke 04]] | caps3 = 166 | goals3 = 10
| totalcaps = 471 | totalgoals = 96
| totalcaps = 481 | totalgoals = 96
| nationalyears1 = 1983–1984 | nationalteam1 = [[Germany national youth football team|West Germany U18]] | nationalcaps1 = 10 | nationalgoals1 = 4
| nationalyears1 = 1983–1984 | nationalteam1 = [[Germany national youth football team|West Germany U18]] | nationalcaps1 = 10 | nationalgoals1 = 4
| nationalyears2 = 1984–1985 | nationalteam2 = [[Germany national under-21 football team|West Germany U21]] | nationalcaps2 = 3 | nationalgoals2 = 2
| nationalyears2 = 1984–1985 | nationalteam2 = [[Germany national under-21 football team|West Germany U21]] | nationalcaps2 = 3 | nationalgoals2 = 2
Line 23: Line 24:
| manageryears1 = 2010–2011 | managerclubs1 = [[VfB Hüls]]
| manageryears1 = 2010–2011 | managerclubs1 = [[VfB Hüls]]
}}
}}
'''Olaf Thon''' (born 1 May 1966) is a German retired [[Association football|footballer]], and a current coach.
'''Olaf Thon''' (born 1 May 1966) is a German former professional [[association football|football]] player and coach.


Mainly a [[Midfielder#Central midfielder|central midfielder]], his 19-year professional career was solely associated to [[FC Schalke 04|Schalke 04]] and [[FC Bayern Munich|Bayern Munich]], having amassed more than 500 official games and 100 goals for both combined. Nicknamed ''The Professor'',<ref name="FIFA">[https://www.fifa.com/classicfootball/stories/doyouremember/news/newsid=1040390.html#thon+german+great Thon, a German great]; [[FIFA]].com</ref> he also collected more than 50 caps for the [[Germany national football team|German national team]]. Later in his career he played as a sweeper.
Mainly a [[central midfielder]], Thon's 19-year professional career was solely associated to [[FC Schalke 04|Schalke 04]] and [[FC Bayern Munich|Bayern Munich]], having amassed more than 500 official games and 100 goals for both combined. Later in his career, Thon played as a [[Sweeper (association football)|sweeper]]. Nicknamed ''The Professor'',<ref name="FIFA">[https://web.archive.org/web/20090728031729/http://www.fifa.com/classicfootball/stories/doyouremember/news/newsid=1040390.html#thon+german+great Thon, a German great]; [[FIFA]].com</ref> he also collected more than 50 [[Cap (sport)|caps]] for the [[Germany national football team|Germany national team]].


==Club career==
==Club career==
[[file:Olaf Thon (1987).jpg|thumb|upright=0.6|left|Thon in 1987]]
Thon made his professional debuts at the age of only 17, with local powerhouse [[FC Schalke 04]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.reviersport.de/103235---kfc-uerdingen-nachgefragt-bei-olaf-thon.html|title=Nachgefragt bei Olaf Thon|publisher=Reviersport|date=17 December 2009|accessdate=1 February 2010|language=German}}</ref> His impact was immediate, as he scored 14 goals in 38 games to help the [[Gelsenkirchen]] side [[1983–84 2. Bundesliga|return]] to the [[Bundesliga]] in 1984, as runners-up. Also during that season, he scored a [[hat-trick]] against [[FC Bayern Munich]] in the [[DFB-Pokal|domestic cup]], in a 6–6 home [[Thriller (genre)|thriller]] in [[1983–84 DFB-Pokal|the semifinal stage]]; the [[Bavaria]]ns eventually won the replay and the tournament.<ref name="FIFA"/>
[[file:Bundesarchiv Bild 183-1990-1126-024, Fußball-Deutschland-Cup, 1. FC Dynamo Dresden - FC Bayern München 1-0.jpg|thumb|upright=0.6|left|Thon with Bayern Munich in 1990]]
Thon made his professional debuts at the age of only 17, with local powerhouse [[FC Schalke 04]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.reviersport.de/103235---kfc-uerdingen-nachgefragt-bei-olaf-thon.html|title=Nachgefragt bei Olaf Thon|publisher=Reviersport|date=17 December 2009|access-date=1 February 2010|language=de}}</ref> His impact was immediate, as he scored 14 goals in 38 games to help the [[Gelsenkirchen]] side [[1983–84 2. Bundesliga|return]] to the [[Bundesliga]] in 1984, as runners-up. Also during that season, he scored a [[hat-trick]] against [[FC Bayern Munich|Bayern Munich]] in the [[DFB-Pokal]], in a 6–6 home thriller in the [[1984 DFB-Pokal semi-finals|semi-final stage]]; the [[Bavaria]]ns eventually won the replay and the tournament.<ref name="FIFA"/>


On 24 August 1984, Thon made his first appearance in the German top level, a 1–3 loss at [[Borussia Mönchengladbach]]. During [[1984–85 Bundesliga|that]] and the following three seasons, he only scored once in single digits, rarely missing a match for the team.
On 24 August 1984, Thon made his first appearance in the German top level, a 3–1 loss at [[Borussia Mönchengladbach]]. During [[1984–85 Bundesliga|that]] and the following three seasons, he only scored once in single digits, rarely missing a match for the team.


In the summer of 1988, Thon signed with national giants [[FC Bayern Munich]], as a replacement for [[F.C. Internazionale Milano]]-bound [[Lothar Matthäus]]. He scored eight in 32 games in [[1988–89 Bundesliga|his first season]], helping the side to the league conquest, which also befell [[1989–90 Bundesliga|the following year]], with the player posting an equal scoring record.
In the summer of 1988, Thon signed with national giants [[FC Bayern Munich]], as a replacement for [[Inter Milan]]-bound [[Lothar Matthäus]]. He scored eight in 32 games in [[1988–89 Bundesliga|his first season]], helping the side to the league conquest, which also befell [[1989–90 Bundesliga|the following year]], with the player posting an equal scoring record.


Thon returned to his first club Schalke in 1994, at the age of 28, after [[1993–94 Bundesliga|winning another league title]], although he spent most of the season injured and Matthäus had already returned to Bayern. During his second spell, he played almost exclusively as a [[Defender (association football)#Sweeper (libero)|sweeper]] and, in [[1996–97 Bundesliga|his third year]], played in a total of 46 official games, helping his club to [[1996–97 UEFA Cup|the season]]'s [[UEFA Europa League|UEFA Cup]] [[1997 UEFA Cup Final|final]], where he scored his attempt in the [[Penalty shootout (association football)|penalty shootout]] win against Inter (1–1 on aggregate); Schalke could only finish 12th in the domestic league, however.
Thon returned to his first club Schalke in 1994, at the age of 28, after [[1993–94 Bundesliga|winning another league title]], although he spent most of the season injured and Matthäus had already returned to Bayern. During his second spell, he played almost exclusively as a [[sweeper (association football)|sweeper]] and, in [[1996–97 Bundesliga|his third year]], played in a total of 46 official games, helping his club to [[1996–97 UEFA Cup|the season]]'s [[UEFA Europa League|UEFA Cup]] [[1997 UEFA Cup Final|final]], where he scored his attempt in the [[Penalty shootout (association football)|penalty shootout]] win against Inter (1–1 on aggregate); Schalke could only finish 12th in the domestic league, however.


In his later years, Thon suffered extensively with injuries, only appearing in nine matches in his last two seasons combined. He retired in June 2002 at the age of 36, with Bundesliga totals of 443 games and 82 goals. Subsequently, he worked as marketing manager for the club, until August 2009.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kicker.de/news/fussball/amateure/520414/artikel_Thon-wird-Trainer-in-Huels.html|title=Thon wird Trainer in Hüls|trans_title=Thon to become Hüls manager|publisher=[[Kicker (sports magazine)|Kicker]]|date=1 February 2010|accessdate=1 February 2010|language=German}}</ref>
In his later years, Thon suffered extensively with injuries, only appearing in nine matches in his last two seasons combined. He retired in June 2002 at the age of 36, with Bundesliga totals of 443 games and 82 goals. Subsequently, he worked as marketing manager for the club, until August 2009.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kicker.de/news/fussball/amateure/520414/artikel_Thon-wird-Trainer-in-Huels.html|title=Thon wird Trainer in Hüls|trans-title=Thon to become Hüls manager|publisher=[[Kicker (sports magazine)|Kicker]]|date=1 February 2010|access-date=1 February 2010|language=de}}</ref>

On 1 February 2010, Thon was appointed head coach of [[VfB Hüls]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.reviersport.de/107448---huels-olaf-thon-uebernimmt-trainerposten.html|title=Thon übernimmt in Hüls – Weltmeister von 1990 folgt auf "Boxer" Täuber|trans_title=Thon takes over at Hüls – 1990 World Champion succeeds "Boxer" Täuber|publisher=Reviersport|date=1 February 2010|accessdate=1 February 2010|language=German}}</ref> beginning to work on 3 April.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.welt.de/die-welt/sport/article7034813/Thon-trainiert-Fuenftligisten.html|title=Thon trainiert Fünftligisten| trans_title=Thon coaches fifth-tier club|publisher=[[Die Welt]]|date=3 April 2010|accessdate=3 April 2010|language=German}}</ref>


==International career==
==International career==
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Subsequently, he was selected for the squads at three [[FIFA World Cup]]s, helping the nation win the tournament in the [[1990 FIFA World Cup|1990 edition]] in Italy: after only six minutes against [[Colombia national football team|Colombia]] in the group stage (1–1), he played the entire semifinal against [[England national football team|England]], also scoring in his [[Penalty shootout (association football)|penalty shootout]] attempt (1–1 after 120 minutes).
Subsequently, he was selected for the squads at three [[FIFA World Cup]]s, helping the nation win the tournament in the [[1990 FIFA World Cup|1990 edition]] in Italy: after only six minutes against [[Colombia national football team|Colombia]] in the group stage (1–1), he played the entire semifinal against [[England national football team|England]], also scoring in his [[Penalty shootout (association football)|penalty shootout]] attempt (1–1 after 120 minutes).


Thon also represented Germany at the [[UEFA Euro 1988]] played on home soil, scoring through a rare header against [[Denmark national football team|Denmark]] (2–0 group stage win), and playing all the matches and minutes for the eventual semifinalists. Due to either injuries or run-ins with national team manager [[Berti Vogts]], the player missed the [[1994 FIFA World Cup|1994 World Cup]] and the [[UEFA Euro 1992|Euro 1992]] and [[UEFA Euro 1996|1996]] tournaments, ending his 14-year international career with 52 [[Cap (sports)|caps]] (three goals). His last international match came against [[Iran national football team|Iran]] in Germany's last group stage game during the [[1998 FIFA World Cup]].
Thon also represented Germany at the [[UEFA Euro 1988]] played on home soil, scoring through a rare header against [[Denmark national football team|Denmark]] (2–0 group stage win), and playing all the matches and minutes for the eventual semifinalists. Due to either injuries or run-ins with national team manager [[Berti Vogts]], the player missed the [[1994 FIFA World Cup|1994 World Cup]] and the [[UEFA Euro 1992|Euro 1992]] and [[UEFA Euro 1996|1996]] tournaments, ending his 14-year international career with 52 [[cap (sport)|caps]] (three goals). His last international match came against [[Iran national football team|Iran]] in Germany's last group stage game during the [[1998 FIFA World Cup]].

==Managerial career==
On 1 February 2010, Thon was appointed head coach of [[VfB Hüls]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.reviersport.de/107448---huels-olaf-thon-uebernimmt-trainerposten.html|title=Thon übernimmt in Hüls – Weltmeister von 1990 folgt auf "Boxer" Täuber|trans-title=Thon takes over at Hüls – 1990 World Champion succeeds "Boxer" Täuber|publisher=Reviersport|date=1 February 2010|access-date=1 February 2010|language=de}}</ref> beginning to work on 3 April.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.welt.de/die-welt/sport/article7034813/Thon-trainiert-Fuenftligisten.html|title=Thon trainiert Fünftligisten|trans-title=Thon coaches fifth-tier club|publisher=[[Die Welt]]|date=3 April 2010|access-date=3 April 2010|language=de}}</ref>

==Career statistics==


==Honours==
===Club===
===Club===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
;[[Schalke 04]]
|+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition<ref>{{cite web|title=Olaf Thon » Club matches|url=https://www.worldfootball.net/player_summary/olaf-thon/2/|website=worldfootball.net}}</ref>
!rowspan="2"|Club
!rowspan="2"|Season
!colspan="3"|League
!colspan="2"|Cup
!colspan="2"|Europe
!colspan="2"|Other
!colspan="2"|Total
|-
!Division!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals
|-
|rowspan="6"|[[FC Schalke 04|Schalke 04]]
|[[1983–84 2. Bundesliga|1983–84]]||[[2. Bundesliga]]
|38||14||7||4||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||45||18
|-
|[[1984–85 Bundesliga|1984–85]]||[[Bundesliga]]
|34||10||4||2||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||38||12
|-
|[[1985–86 Bundesliga|1985–86]]||Bundesliga
|34||10||4||0||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||38||10
|-
|[[1986–87 Bundesliga|1986–87]]||Bundesliga
|33||8||1||0||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||34||8
|-
|[[1987–88 Bundesliga|1987–88]]||Bundesliga
|28||14||1||2||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||29||16
|-
!colspan="2"|Total
!167!!56!!17!!8!!colspan="2"|—!!colspan="2"|—!!184!!64
|-
|rowspan="7"|[[FC Bayern Munich|Bayern Munich]]
|[[1988–89 Bundesliga|1988–89]]||Bundesliga
|32||8||2||5||8||5||colspan="2"|—||42||18
|-
|[[1989–90 Bundesliga|1989–90]]||Bundesliga
|20||8||2||0||4||1||1{{efn|Appearance in [[DFL-Supercup|DFB Supercup]]}}||0||27||9
|-
|[[1990–91 Bundesliga|1990–91]]||Bundesliga
|25||6||0||0||6||0||colspan="2"|—||31||6
|-
|[[1991–92 Bundesliga|1991–92]]||Bundesliga
|24||2||0||0||2||0||colspan="2"|—||26||2
|-
|[[1992–93 Bundesliga|1992–93]]||Bundesliga
|32||5||2||1||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||34||6
|-
|[[1993–94 Bundesliga|1993–94]]||Bundesliga
|15||1||2||0||0||0||colspan="2"|—||17||1
|-
!colspan="2"|Total
!148!!30!!8!!6!!20!!6!!1!!0!!177!!42
|-
|rowspan="9"|Schalke 04
|[[1994–95 Bundesliga|1994–95]]||Bundesliga
|26||1||3||0||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||29||1
|-
|[[1995–96 Bundesliga|1995–96]]||Bundesliga
|30||3||3||0||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||33||3
|-
|[[1996–97 Bundesliga|1996–97]]||Bundesliga
|33||2||1||0||12||0||colspan="2"|—||46||2
|-
|[[1997–98 Bundesliga|1997–98]]||Bundesliga
|29||1||0||0||6||1||colspan="2"|—||35||2
|-
|[[1998–99 Bundesliga|1998–99]]||Bundesliga
|16||2||2||0||1||0||colspan="2"|—||19||2
|-
|[[1999–2000 Bundesliga|1999–2000]]||Bundesliga
|23||1||2||0||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||25||1
|-
|[[2000–01 Bundesliga|2000–01]]||Bundesliga
|4||0||1||0||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||5||0
|-
|[[2001–02 Bundesliga|2001–02]]||Bundesliga
|5||0||0||0||3||0||colspan="2"|—||8||0
|-
!colspan="2"|Total
!166!!10!!12!!0!!22!!1!!colspan="2"|—!!200!!11
|-
!colspan="3"|Career total
!481!!96!!37!!14!!42!!7!!1!!0!!561!!117
|}
{{notelist}}

==Managerial statistics==
{{Updated|21 June 2021}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center"
|-
!rowspan="2"|Team
!rowspan="2"|From
!rowspan="2"|To
!colspan="5"|Record
|-
!G!!W!!D!!L!!Win %
|-
|align=left|[[VfB Hüls]]
|align=left|3 April 2010
|align=left|15 September 2011
{{WDL|49|16|9|24}}
|-
!colspan="3"|Total
{{WDLtot|49|16|9|24}}
|}

==Honours==
'''Schalke 04'''
*[[UEFA Europa League|UEFA Cup]]: [[1996–97 UEFA Cup|1996–97]]
*[[UEFA Europa League|UEFA Cup]]: [[1996–97 UEFA Cup|1996–97]]
*[[DFB-Pokal]]: [[2000–01 DFB-Pokal|2000–01]], [[2001–02 DFB-Pokal|2001–02]]
*[[DFB-Pokal]]: [[2000–01 DFB-Pokal|2000–01]], [[2001–02 DFB-Pokal|2001–02]]
*[[DFB-Ligapokal]]: Runner-up 2001


;[[Bayern Munich]]
'''Bayern Munich'''
*[[Bundesliga]]: [[1988–89 Bundesliga|1988–89]], [[1989–90 Bundesliga|1989–90]], [[1993–94 Bundesliga|1993–94]]
*[[Bundesliga]]: [[1988–89 Bundesliga|1988–89]], [[1989–90 Bundesliga|1989–90]], [[1993–94 Bundesliga|1993–94]]
*[[DFL-Supercup|DFB-Supercup]]: [[1990 DFB-Supercup|1990]]
*[[DFL-Supercup|DFB-Supercup]]: [[1990 DFB-Supercup|1990]]


'''Germany'''
===International===
*[[FIFA World Cup]]: [[1990 FIFA World Cup|1990]]; runner-up: [[1986 FIFA World Cup|1986]]
;[[Germany national football team|Germany]]
*[[FIFA World Cup]]: [[1990 FIFA World Cup|1990]]; Runner-up [[1986 FIFA World Cup|1986]]
* [[U.S. Cup]]: [[1993 U.S. Cup|1993]]


==References==
==References==
Line 66: Line 178:


==External links==
==External links==
{{Commons category}}
*{{Fussballdaten|thonolaf|Olaf Thon}}
*{{Fussballdaten|thonolaf|Olaf Thon}}
*{{NFT player|pid=14142}}
*{{NFT player|pid=14142}}
*{{FIFA player|44688}}
*{{FIFA player|44688}}


{{1987–88 kicker Bundesliga Team of the Season}}
{{West Germany Squad 1986 FIFA World Cup}}
{{1992–93 kicker Bundesliga Team of the Season}}
{{West Germany Squad 1988 UEFA Euro}}
{{1996–97 kicker Bundesliga Team of the Season}}
{{West Germany Squad 1990 FIFA World Cup}}
{{UEFA Europa League winning captains}}
{{Germany Squad 1998 World Cup}}
{{West Germany squad 1986 FIFA World Cup}}
{{West Germany squad UEFA Euro 1988}}
{{West Germany squad 1990 FIFA World Cup}}
{{Germany squad 1998 FIFA World Cup}}


{{Authority control}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Thon, Olaf}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:Thon, Olaf}}
[[Category:1966 births]]
[[Category:1966 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Gelsenkirchen]]
[[Category:Footballers from Gelsenkirchen]]
[[Category:German footballers]]
[[Category:German men's footballers]]
[[Category:Association football defenders]]
[[Category:Men's association football defenders]]
[[Category:Association football midfielders]]
[[Category:Men's association football midfielders]]
[[Category:Association football utility players]]
[[Category:Men's association football utility players]]
[[Category:Bundesliga players]]
[[Category:Bundesliga players]]
[[Category:2. Bundesliga players]]
[[Category:2. Bundesliga players]]
[[Category:FC Schalke 04 players]]
[[Category:FC Schalke 04 players]]
[[Category:FC Bayern Munich footballers]]
[[Category:FC Bayern Munich footballers]]
[[Category:Germany international footballers]]
[[Category:Germany men's international footballers]]
[[Category:Germany under-21 international footballers]]
[[Category:Germany men's under-21 international footballers]]
[[Category:Germany youth international footballers]]
[[Category:Germany men's youth international footballers]]
[[Category:1986 FIFA World Cup players]]
[[Category:1986 FIFA World Cup players]]
[[Category:UEFA Euro 1988 players]]
[[Category:UEFA Euro 1988 players]]
Line 97: Line 214:
[[Category:1998 FIFA World Cup players]]
[[Category:1998 FIFA World Cup players]]
[[Category:FIFA World Cup-winning players]]
[[Category:FIFA World Cup-winning players]]
[[Category:UEFA Cup winning players]]
[[Category:UEFA Europa League winning players]]
[[Category:VfB Hüls managers]]
[[Category:German football managers]]
[[Category:STV Horst-Emscher players]]
[[Category:West German men's footballers]]
[[Category:FC Schalke 04 non-playing staff]]

Latest revision as of 16:36, 9 March 2024

For the Norwegian real estate developer, see Olav Thon.

Olaf Thon
Thon in 2016
Personal information
Full name Olaf Thon
Date of birth (1966-05-01) 1 May 1966 (age 58)
Place of birth Gelsenkirchen, West Germany
Height 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)
Position(s) Midfielder, defender
Youth career
1972–1980 STV Horst-Emscher
1980–1983 Schalke 04
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1983–1988 Schalke 04 167 (56)
1988–1994 Bayern Munich 148 (30)
1994–2002 Schalke 04 166 (10)
Total 481 (96)
International career
1983–1984 West Germany U18 10 (4)
1984–1985 West Germany U21 3 (2)
1984–1998 Germany 52 (3)
Managerial career
2010–2011 VfB Hüls
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Olaf Thon (born 1 May 1966) is a German former professional football player and coach.

Mainly a central midfielder, Thon's 19-year professional career was solely associated to Schalke 04 and Bayern Munich, having amassed more than 500 official games and 100 goals for both combined. Later in his career, Thon played as a sweeper. Nicknamed The Professor,[1] he also collected more than 50 caps for the Germany national team.

Club career

[edit]
Thon in 1987
Thon with Bayern Munich in 1990

Thon made his professional debuts at the age of only 17, with local powerhouse FC Schalke 04.[2] His impact was immediate, as he scored 14 goals in 38 games to help the Gelsenkirchen side return to the Bundesliga in 1984, as runners-up. Also during that season, he scored a hat-trick against Bayern Munich in the DFB-Pokal, in a 6–6 home thriller in the semi-final stage; the Bavarians eventually won the replay and the tournament.[1]

On 24 August 1984, Thon made his first appearance in the German top level, a 3–1 loss at Borussia Mönchengladbach. During that and the following three seasons, he only scored once in single digits, rarely missing a match for the team.

In the summer of 1988, Thon signed with national giants FC Bayern Munich, as a replacement for Inter Milan-bound Lothar Matthäus. He scored eight in 32 games in his first season, helping the side to the league conquest, which also befell the following year, with the player posting an equal scoring record.

Thon returned to his first club Schalke in 1994, at the age of 28, after winning another league title, although he spent most of the season injured and Matthäus had already returned to Bayern. During his second spell, he played almost exclusively as a sweeper and, in his third year, played in a total of 46 official games, helping his club to the season's UEFA Cup final, where he scored his attempt in the penalty shootout win against Inter (1–1 on aggregate); Schalke could only finish 12th in the domestic league, however.

In his later years, Thon suffered extensively with injuries, only appearing in nine matches in his last two seasons combined. He retired in June 2002 at the age of 36, with Bundesliga totals of 443 games and 82 goals. Subsequently, he worked as marketing manager for the club, until August 2009.[3]

International career

[edit]

Thon made his debut for Germany (then West Germany) on 16 December 1984, playing the second half of a 3–2 win in Malta for the 1986 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.

Subsequently, he was selected for the squads at three FIFA World Cups, helping the nation win the tournament in the 1990 edition in Italy: after only six minutes against Colombia in the group stage (1–1), he played the entire semifinal against England, also scoring in his penalty shootout attempt (1–1 after 120 minutes).

Thon also represented Germany at the UEFA Euro 1988 played on home soil, scoring through a rare header against Denmark (2–0 group stage win), and playing all the matches and minutes for the eventual semifinalists. Due to either injuries or run-ins with national team manager Berti Vogts, the player missed the 1994 World Cup and the Euro 1992 and 1996 tournaments, ending his 14-year international career with 52 caps (three goals). His last international match came against Iran in Germany's last group stage game during the 1998 FIFA World Cup.

Managerial career

[edit]

On 1 February 2010, Thon was appointed head coach of VfB Hüls,[4] beginning to work on 3 April.[5]

Career statistics

[edit]

Club

[edit]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition[6]
Club Season League Cup Europe Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Schalke 04 1983–84 2. Bundesliga 38 14 7 4 — — 45 18
1984–85 Bundesliga 34 10 4 2 — — 38 12
1985–86 Bundesliga 34 10 4 0 — — 38 10
1986–87 Bundesliga 33 8 1 0 — — 34 8
1987–88 Bundesliga 28 14 1 2 — — 29 16
Total 167 56 17 8 — — 184 64
Bayern Munich 1988–89 Bundesliga 32 8 2 5 8 5 — 42 18
1989–90 Bundesliga 20 8 2 0 4 1 1[a] 0 27 9
1990–91 Bundesliga 25 6 0 0 6 0 — 31 6
1991–92 Bundesliga 24 2 0 0 2 0 — 26 2
1992–93 Bundesliga 32 5 2 1 — — 34 6
1993–94 Bundesliga 15 1 2 0 0 0 — 17 1
Total 148 30 8 6 20 6 1 0 177 42
Schalke 04 1994–95 Bundesliga 26 1 3 0 — — 29 1
1995–96 Bundesliga 30 3 3 0 — — 33 3
1996–97 Bundesliga 33 2 1 0 12 0 — 46 2
1997–98 Bundesliga 29 1 0 0 6 1 — 35 2
1998–99 Bundesliga 16 2 2 0 1 0 — 19 2
1999–2000 Bundesliga 23 1 2 0 — — 25 1
2000–01 Bundesliga 4 0 1 0 — — 5 0
2001–02 Bundesliga 5 0 0 0 3 0 — 8 0
Total 166 10 12 0 22 1 — 200 11
Career total 481 96 37 14 42 7 1 0 561 117
  1. ^ Appearance in DFB Supercup

Managerial statistics

[edit]
As of 21 June 2021
Team From To Record
G W D L Win %
VfB Hüls 3 April 2010 15 September 2011 49 16 9 24 032.65
Total 49 16 9 24 032.65

Honours

[edit]

Schalke 04

Bayern Munich

Germany

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b Thon, a German great; FIFA.com
  2. ^ "Nachgefragt bei Olaf Thon" (in German). Reviersport. 17 December 2009. Retrieved 1 February 2010.
  3. ^ "Thon wird Trainer in Hüls" [Thon to become Hüls manager] (in German). Kicker. 1 February 2010. Retrieved 1 February 2010.
  4. ^ "Thon übernimmt in Hüls – Weltmeister von 1990 folgt auf "Boxer" Täuber" [Thon takes over at Hüls – 1990 World Champion succeeds "Boxer" Täuber] (in German). Reviersport. 1 February 2010. Retrieved 1 February 2010.
  5. ^ "Thon trainiert Fünftligisten" [Thon coaches fifth-tier club] (in German). Die Welt. 3 April 2010. Retrieved 3 April 2010.
  6. ^ "Olaf Thon » Club matches". worldfootball.net.
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