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We have compiled the 10 best defenders in Bundesliga history
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Attacking full-backs, sweepers and central defensive stoppers are covered
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Do you agree with our selections?
There have been some great defenders in Bundesliga history. We’ve taken on the unenviable task of narrowing it down to the 10 best Bundesliga defenders of all-time.
We’ve got adventurous full backs, who were a threat for first goal scorer in Bundesliga betting. There are central defensive rocks and playmaking sweepers.
In compiling this list, the aim has been to mix longevity with peak performance and team success with individual displays.
10) Manfred Kaltz
Second all-time in Bundesliga appearances, Manfred Kaltz was surprisingly prolific, with 76 Bundesliga goals to his name. That’s what 53 penalties will do for your statistics.
Kaltz was as reliable as they come at right-back. He won three Bundesliga titles with Hamburg and a European Cup and starred for the successful West Germany side at the 1980 European Championships.
Alongside his penalty-taking skill, Kaltz was a gifted crosser. His whipped, swerving deliveries from his right foot earned the brilliant nickname of Bananenflanken.
Scoring and assisting plenty, Kaltz would have been a gem in today's Bundesliga.
9) Philipp Lahm
Understated and often underrated, Philipp Lahm’s name isn’t necessarily recognisable if you don’t often bet on football games. Lahm, though, made 385 Bundesliga appearances, and won the Bundesliga eight times with Bayern Munich.
Five times selected to the UEFA Team of the Year, Lahm was an elite player wherever he slotted into the team.
His peak years largely came at right-back, though he was just as comfortable on the left and spent some time in central midfield under Pep Guardiola.
Possessing a great engine, tactical nous and a knack for timing a tackle, Lahm was as good a two-way full-back as we’ve seen in the 21st century.
8) Berti Vogts
Spending his whole playing career with Borussia Monchengladbach, Berti Vogts is the club’s Bundesliga appearance leader. The former Scotland manager was an integral member of the side as Die Fohlen won five Bundesliga titles.
Alongside consistent play at Gladbach, Vogts amassed almost 100 caps for Germany and won both the European Championships and World Cup in the 1970s.
Twice named German Footballer of the Year, Vogts was also selected to nine Bundesliga Team of the Seasons by kicker.
7) Mats Hummels
The pre-eminent Bundesliga central defender of the last 15 years, Mats Hummels is a German sports betting star.
Initially at Bayern, Hummels joined Dortmund in 2008 and became a key member of Jurgen Klopp’s successful sides, winning two Bundesliga titles.
He rejoined Bayern in the mid-2010s, won three more Bundesligas, and then went back to Dortmund in 2019.
Physically imposing at 6’3 with broad shoulders, Hummels compensates for a lack of speed with great instincts, and he’s supremely comfortable in possession.
6) Jürgen Kohler
Prior to coming out on top in Bundesliga predictions under Jurgen Klopp, Borussia Dortmund hadn’t enjoyed success since the era of Jürgen Kohler.
Kohler started out at Waldhof Mannheim before joining Koln and then Bayern Munich. He won a Bundesliga with Bayern, and then set off for Turin and Juventus where more silverware followed.
Returning to Germany in 1995, Kohler’s superb reading of the game and no-nonsense defending formed the foundation of Dortmund’s triumphant teams in the late-1990s.
He won two Bundesliga titles and the Champions League at Dortmund and was named German Footballer of the Year in 1997.
5) Stefan Reuter
Just like Kohler, Stefan Reuter arrived at Borussia Dortmund via Bayern Munich and Juventus. Playing with Kohler and Sammer as Dortmund won the 1997 Champions League final, Reuter was a hard-working and fast right-back.
He earned 69 caps for Germany, earning World Cup and European Championship medals in 1990 and 1996 respectively.
The collection of five Bundesliga titles and playing in three continental finals is enough for a slot in the top 10.
4) Matthias Sammer
It took some time for Matthias Sammer to find his best position. Playing up front, on the left and in central midfield, it was at Borussia Dortmund that Sammer slotted into a defensive role that he ultimately became known for.
Sammer won a trio of Bundesligas – one with Stuttgart, two with Dortmund – and lifted the Champions League in 1996-97 alongside the aforementioned Kohler in a back five.
A Ballon d’Or winner in 1996 and two-time German Footballer of the Year, Sammer could easily be qualified as a midfielder given his versatility, but there’s no question his best football came from defence.
His career is sometimes overlooked because injuries forced an early retirement, yet Sammer’s peak performances are easily deserving of a place among the best Bundesliga defenders.
3) Andreas Brehme
A two-footed set-piece maestro, Andreas Brehme spent a few years in Italy and Spain with Inter and Zaragoza respectively. He still racked up over 300 Bundesliga appearances, though, making him an easy pick for this list.
The tally of two Bundesligas and one Team of the Season selection is overshadowed by some others here.
Still, Brehme was regarded by Lothar Matthäus as the best player he ever played with, and recorded a third-place Ballon d’Or finish. That’s more than enough for us.
2) Lúcio
Lúcio was still in the early years of his senior career when he joined Bayer Leverkusen. He didn’t win silverware at the club, but his performances were acknowledged with a string of the Team of the Season selections.
A move to Bayern came in 2004, and the Brazil international won three Bundesligas and three DFB-Pokals at the club.
Nicknamed O Cavalo – ‘The Horse’ in Portuguese – Lucio was a physically imposing defender with good technical skill.
He had the talent in possession to bring the ball out of defence when required, and his mix of mobility and strength made him nightmare opponent for strikers.
1) Franz Beckenbauer
The best defender in the history of the sport, Franz Beckenbauer was a master of his craft. Elegant, imposing and a talismanic leader, Beckenbauer is the only defender ever to win two Ballons d’Or.
He won five Bundesliga titles – four with Bayern, one with Hamburg – and lifted the European Cup thrice with Die Roten.
The 12 kicker Bundesliga Team of the Season selections and four German Footballer of the Year awards only tell part of the story.
Beckenbauer had an impact over individual matches and the sport as a whole that only a handful of players can rival.
