Oliver Bierhoff

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Oliver Bierhoff
Personal information
Full name	Oliver Bierhoff
Date of birth	May 1, 1968 (1968-05-01) (age 40)
Place of birth	Essen, West Germany
Height	1.91 m (6 ft 3 in)
Playing position	Striker
Club information
Current club	Retired
Senior clubs1
Years	Club	App (Gls)*
1986–1988 1988–1990 1990 1990–1991 1991–1995 1995–1998 1998–2001 2001–2002 2002–2003 1986-2003	Bayer Uerdingen Hamburger SV Borussia Mönchengladbach Austria Salzburg Ascoli Calcio Udinese Calcio AC Milan AS Monaco Chievo Verona Total	031 00(4) 034 00(6) 008 00(0) 032 0(23) 117 0(48) 086 0(57) 091 0(38) 018 00(5) 026 00(7) 443 (188)
National team
1996–2002	Germany	070 0(37)
1 Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. * Appearances (Goals)

Oliver Bierhoff (born May 1, 1968) is a retired German former football striker, who scored the first golden goal in the history of major international football, for Germany in the Euro 96 final.

The son of a German utility magnate, Bierhoff was born in Karlsruhe. In his club career from 1985 to 2003, he played for nine different clubs, in four different leagues. He scored a total of 103 goals in Serie A, one of the best totals for a non-Italian in the league's history. In 1997-98 season, he led Serie A in goals with 27.

Bierhoff, however, was never a success in the Bundesliga. After failing to shine in Germany, he got his chance in the Austrian Bundesliga. That gave him the chance at Ascoli Calcio in Italy. But it was at Udinese, under Alberto Zaccheroni, that Bierhoff found success and won his place in fame and in the German national team. He never returned to prove himself in his home country, like, for example, Jürgen Klinsmann did when he joined Bayern Munich in 1995.

For Germany, Bierhoff scored 37 goals in 70 caps, including both goals in the 2-1 win over the Czech Republic in the Euro 1996 final after having come on as a substitute. He also played in Euro 2000, and both the 1998 and 2002 World Cups.

Bierhoff's current involvement with football is as the manager of the German national team, a new position created as part of Jürgen Klinsmann's acceptance of the coaching job. Essentially the duties revolve around the public relations aspect of the team as opposed to the coaching responsibilities.

Bierhoff was known for his remarkable heading skill, and he was often regarded as one of the best headers in the game. It was said that Bierhoff's heading might be more powerful than his shot.

v • d • e Germany squad - UEFA Euro 1996 Winners (3rd title) 1 Köpke • 2 Reuter • 3 Bode • 4 Freund • 5 Helmer • 6 Sammer • 7 Möller • 8 Scholl • 9 Bobic • 10 Häßler • 11 Kuntz • 12 Kahn • 13 Basler • 14 Babbel • 15 Kohler • 16 Schneider • 17 Ziege • 18 Klinsmann • 19 Strunz • 20 Bierhoff • 21 Eilts • 22 Reck • Coach: Vogts

v • d • e Germany squad - 1998 FIFA World Cup 1 Köpke • 2 Wörns • 3 Heinrich • 4 Kohler • 5 Helmer • 6 Thon • 7 Möller • 8 Matthäus • 9 Kirsten • 10 Häßler • 11 Marschall • 12 Kahn • 13 Jeremies • 14 Babbel • 15 Freund • 16 Hamann • 17 Ziege • 18 Klinsmann • 19 Reuter • 20 Bierhoff • 21 Tarnat • 22 Lehmann • Coach: Vogts

v • d • e Germany squad - UEFA Euro 2000 1 Kahn • 2 Babbel • 3 Rehmer • 4 Linke • 5 Bode • 6 Nowotny • 7 Scholl • 8 Häßler • 9 Kirsten • 10 Matthäus • 11 Rink • 12 Lehmann • 13 Ballack • 14 Hamann • 15 Wosz • 16 Jeremies • 17 Ziege • 18 Deisler • 19 Jancker • 20 Bierhoff • 21 Ramelow • 22 Butt • Coach: Ribbeck

v • d • e Germany squad - 2002 FIFA World Cup Runners-up 1 Kahn • 2 Linke • 3 Rehmer • 4 Baumann • 5 Ramelow • 6 Ziege • 7 Neuville • 8 Hamann • 9 Jancker • 10 Ricken • 11 Klose • 12 Lehmann • 13 Ballack • 14 Asamoah • 15 Kehl • 16 Jeremies • 17 Bode • 18 Böhme • 19 Schneider • 20 Bierhoff • 21 Metzelder • 22 Frings • 23 Butt • Coach: Völler

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