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Defender: Matthias Sammer
Another defensive midfielder who was converted into a sweeper was Germany's Matthias Sammer. Born in Dresden, he initially played for East Germany before reunification in 1990.
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In the mid-90s, Sammer played for Borussia Dortmund and that was when he was at his peak. He made more than 150 appearances for Dortmund before injuries cut short his career.
It was Dortmund coach Ottmar Hitzfeld who had the brainwave of converting him into a libero and it saw the club win back-to-back Bundesliga titles which was quickly followed by their sole Champions League triumph.
Sammer's role was a lot similar to that of Beckenbauer. He was quick with the ball, lethal in the tackle, and even made runs forward to get attacks going.
A winner of the German Footballer of the Year award in 1995 and 1996, the domestic double and Euro '96 triumph went a long way in him lifting the Ballon d'Or.
