Markus Babbel (pronounced [ˈmaʁkʊs ˈbabl̩]; born 8 September 1972) is a German professional football coach[3][4] and former player who most recently managed Western Sydney Wanderers FC.

Progressing from the youth squad to the first team, he became a regular contributor, starting in eight league matches and appearing as a substitute in four others.

He transferred to Hamburger SV in August 1992, where he became a regular in the first team and scored his first league goal in Germany's top flight.

[7] Returning to Bayern Munich in 1994, Babbel made 167 starts and caught the attention of Manchester United following UEFA Euro 1996.

Babbel was a key figure in Liverpool's lineup, known for his trademark surging runs down the right flank, which contributed to several goals, including one in the UEFA Cup final.

[10] He joined Blackburn Rovers on loan in August 2003[11] after recovering from Guillain–Barré syndrome, making regular first-team appearances in the league and scoring three goals.

Babbel's final club was VfB Stuttgart, which he joined on a free transfer in July 2004.

Following his retirement from football, Babbel remained with his last club, VfB Stuttgart, as an assistant manager.

[29] Babbel became the new head coach of Luzern on 12 October 2014,[36] following the dismissal of Carlos Bernegger[36] who had failed to win a single league game during the 2014–15 season.

The 2018–19 A-League season saw the Wanderers finish eighth out of ten teams, winning only six games, drawing six, and losing 15.

Babbel was dismissed by the Wanderers on Monday, 20 January 2020, with his assistant coach appointed as interim replacement.