Ex-second division cult professional in an interview
© Imago
Marcus Feinbier won the UEFA Cup in 1988 as a teenager with Bayer 04 Leverkusen, but afterwards he made a name for himself as one of the cult players in the 2nd Bundesliga. In a total of 274 games in the German football sub-house for six different clubs, the former center forward scored 90 goals. At the transfer market, he looks back on his moving career.
Marcus Feinbier cannot hide the fact that many emotions come up every time he meets his former teammates from UEFA Cup winner squad. Not only because he won the title at the age of just 18, but also because he was still in puberty and was at the beginning of his career.
“I couldn’t realize a lot at the time because it was so surreal for me. Yesterday I was still a youth player and felt like a day later I was allowed to call myself the UEFA Cup winner. Of course, the final games against Espanyol Barcelona remembered. There was an explosive atmosphere in the first leg in Barcelona, which is why we lost 0: 3. But what we delivered in the second leg was phenomenal. Nobody believed in us unless we ourselves, ”he recalls.
Almost two years earlier, he had moved from Berlin from Hertha Zehlendorf to Leverkusen at just 16 years. “Today it is normal when a player debut at 16, 17, 18 years. At that time it was like a big headline. That is why I am still to Erich Ribbeck to be committed to great thanks, who gave me the chance against the trend. The then captain Wolfgang Rolff also looked after me very much and took me under his wing. I still know that at the beginning I was in a room with him at the beginning, he explained all the processes to me and at the end of the day I also had the television program selected, ”said the 55-year-old with a smile.
With Ullrich & Antwerp
All transfer market interviews
This way!
He also praised himself about the former Leverkusen manager Reiner Calmund. “I signed my first professional contract under Calmund. At that time I signed a basic contract with DM 4000. I bought a music system from the salary. Calli did everything for the players. He took care of apartments, he got us cars. Calli was an absolute star in Leverkusen and the surrounding area. I still know how we went out to eat together for the first time. We drove to a steakhouse in Cologne. Instead of through the front door, we went through the back entrance, got a place directly and three waiters took care of us. At that moment I just thought: ‘Wow, Calli did it, he got at the top,’ ‘, says Feinbier with a laugh.
Fine beer about the most annoying opponent & missed breakthrough at Bayer
He also has to laugh when asked about the most unpleasant opponent. “It was by far Jürgen Kohler and Ansgar Brinkmann. I got to know Kohler in the derby in a rough way. Immediately after my substitution, he gave me a blow to my chest, after that I had problems breathing. He played with full physical effort. In fact, I was happy in the end when the referee whistled the game. And Brinkmann dominated almost every trick. What annoyed me was the sneering laugh when he passed you. ”
The former attacker completed a total of 82 games for the Werkself. But the breakthrough should be denied him due to his lean quota of only three goals. He managed one of them against FC Bayern. “I have to honestly say I was too spoiled at that time. I had the skills for the Bundesliga, but I thought everything would be true. In the end, of course, that wasn’t that way. But the goal against Bayern Munich was of course an absolute highlight in my career. I still know my jubilation made it into the annual calendar from the kicker. ”
Feinbier moves on-Pagelsdorf wanted to bring ex-turfers to HSV
In order to create the breakthrough in professional football, he moved back to Hertha BSC in Berlin. However, this commitment should not be successful, also because he was in the shadow of Theo Gries and Sven Demandt. “The move to Hertha was created for several reasons. On the one hand, I wanted to go back to my family and on the other hand Hertha had the claim to play above. At that time I changed as a hopeful wearer, but I quickly found that the then coach Günter Sebert did not rely on me. While I was celebrated by the media in Leverkusen, I experienced in Berlin what negative reporting is. The media have written the kuli hot. As a young player, I didn’t really know how to deal with it and sometimes went into play with abdominal pain. This year I was extremely shaped by human and I was able to learn a lot about football, ”says Feinbier.
After only one year he moved to the Wuppertaler SV, in which he experienced another unfortunate season and relegated from the 2nd Bundesliga. Feinbier then found a way out at Alemannia Aachen. “During my time in Wuppertal, I broke my collarbone several times and was therefore out for months. The then Alemannia coach Gerd vom Break tried very hard. I was also matured through my experience. I knew that if I didn’t pack it here, I can end my career. From then on I trained even harder and never satisfied myself. ” With success: Feinbier posted 39 hits in 62 games for Aachen.
As a result, Wattenscheid 09 also made use of these skills – a connection that immediately bore fruit. With 14 goals in the second half of the 1996/97 season, Feinbier was significantly involved in the fact that the club returned to the 2nd Bundesliga. “Wattenscheid had a president with Klaus Steilmann who looked after his club very much. The conditions were ready for the Bundesliga at the time. With Franz-Josef Tenhagen and Hannes Bongartz, two football legends were also in the responsible positions that also shaped the club. For me, the club had charm and charisma, ”Feinbier looks back and remembers an offer from the Bundesliga. “Frank Pagelsdorf was at home and really wanted to bring me to the HSV. At that time Wattenscheid called up the utopian sum of DM 3 million as a transfer fee. So the transfer was off the table. “
The ex-professional also likes to think back to the bratwurst fragrance on match days in Wattenscheid. “The call that there was the best stadium sausage on the Lohrheide in Germany was no accident. We players liked them after the game. As a Berliner, of course, I also needed my currywurst once a week. Otherwise, I fed very diligently and did not use unhealthy food. ”
Fine beer about ward at LR Ahlen: There you could “earn good money”
After two years in Wattenscheid, Feinbier moved on again. This was followed by a rather unsuccessful and short stop at the 1st FC Nürnberg, before switching to the LR Ahlen at the time in 2000-the club that was supported by the cosmetics entrepreneur Helmut Spikker as a patron. Spikker originally took over the financially stricken TuS Ahlen in 1992, who later merged together with Blau-Weiß Ahlen to the LR Ahlen. Although the LR was in the club name for athletics lawn sports, it was also a reference to the company’s company, the “LR International”, which also acted as the main sponsor of the association.
In Ahlen, fine beer experienced the most successful time of his career from the goals: he marked 43 goals in 90 games. “For Christmas there were always LR products for women, and we could always use the products. Everyone knew when you switched to Ahlen, then not because of the beautiful city center, but because you could earn good money. We did not have any hostility that the players of Leipzig or Hoffenheim are exposed today. It was then more said: ‘Oh look, the millionaires come from Ahlen.’ In the meantime we also had a top coach with Peter Neururer. Thanks to his tour, we played up at times. On the one hand he was a professional through and through, on the other side an absolutely funny guy. We regularly made slatters with him. Once he even won and then said to us: ‘I was just a circular player, but it seems to be enough for you,’ “recalls Feinbier.
The most successful second division season for him was that 2001/02. In the end there were 19 goals – one more and he could have called himself top scorer. The race was very scarce: On the last day of the game, Bielefeld’s direct duel hit Artur Wichniarek, while it was only enough for Feinbians to go to a goal. So the crown went to Wichniarek. “Of course I was disappointed at the moment, but I was much more disappointed that Helmut Spikker then denied me my move to Gladbach. Rainer Bonhof and Christian Hochstätter absolutely wanted to sign me, but Helmut Spikker didn’t care about the transfer. ”
Feinbier missed Bundesliga promotion with Greuther Fürth
In the summer of 2003 he said goodbye to Ahlen, but not to the foals, but to Greuther Fürth. Due to his club past, the transfer went with some criticism. Feinbier let them fall silent with performance. Together with Sascha Rösler, he formed a congenial striker duo, although it shouldn’t work with the promotion to the Bundesliga. “We had a really cool team together. With Benno Möhlmann also a fantastic trainer who really saw every player and thus created a form of mutual respect. For me he was a gentleman trainer. The reasons for non-promotion were obvious. Helmut Hack, whom I think is an absolute man, did not want to invest. He always said: ‘Before we go into the minus, I prefer to do without the climb.’ I think if we had invested more in the team, we would have risen, ”says Feinbier.
When the 55-year-old looks at football today, he misses a lot. “A lot has started with the crazy transfer fees. This creates inhumane pressure on the players that none of them can operate. At that time it was really about football, but today the money is in the foreground. Of course I would like more real types, but then the media would also have to play along and not put every sentence said on the gold scales. Unfortunately, every interview sounds right away. If I’m honest: I lack the heart of football. “
Interview: Henrik Stadderko