Topic: Markus Babbel

[Medellin]

What a player.

Snippet..

"I won the Bundesliga four times and the UEFA Cup twice as a player, but my favourite memory is my first tackle at Anfield.

It was the first game of the 2000/01 Premier League season, and I was playing for Liverpool against Bradford. I went in hard and won the ball and the stadium erupted.

I was just doing my job, but that tackle was different to every other one I had made before. I could hear thousands of Liverpool fans on their feet, going wild. It made me fall in love with them straightaway because, with Bayern Munich, defenders were never the most popular players.

For Bayern, it was all about winning. And when you lost everything was shit. There would be booing and whistling because the title was all that mattered.

In Liverpool, it was totally different. It didn’t matter so much what the result was. All the supporters cared about was seeing the players give everything for the team."


Read more at https://www.playersvoice.com.au/markus-babbel-my-first-tackle-at-anfield/#fXVyvr7iuoimLVhK.99

[Alf]

Markus Babbel was an outstanding right back, he'd turned down a move to Real Madrid who were Champions of Europe at the time to come to us. He was excellent defensively and years ahead of his time in what he offered offensively. It was a great shame that Guillain–Barré syndrome cut short his spell at Anfield because he could have held down that spot for years otherwise.

[Crosby Nick]

One of those signings that made you double take. He’d been a stalwart for Germany and Bayern and he chose to sign for us at a time when we weren’t at the top table. Great signing. I thought he’d a lot in alongside Sami but he was brilliant at right back, up and down the touch line all game and completely dependable at the back.

Great Derby goal, scored in a European final and only went down as the second best free transfer that summer.

[Bread]

Great Derby goal, scored in a European final and only went down as the second best free transfer that summer.

Our bargain-hunting that season was sensational. McAllister and Litmanen on frees too.

2000-2001 was the first season I started watching football, so I didn't know anything about Babbel's pedigree. Still managed to fall in love with him based on nothing but what he did in a Liverpool shirt. Great player.