[4] In the Bundesliga alone – where he represented Bayern Munich most notably, in six seasons and in two different spells – Effenberg collected 109 yellow cards, an all-time record at the time of his retirement.

In a career which was cut short after a run-in with the management, Effenberg played for Germany on more than 30 occasions, representing the nation in UEFA Euro 1992 and the 1994 FIFA World Cup.

Born and raised in Niendorf, Hamburg on 2 August 1968, Stefan Effenberg started his professional career with Borussia Mönchengladbach, where he became an undisputed first-choice by the age of 20.

This attracted the interest of Bundesliga giants FC Bayern Munich, where he scored 19 goals in his first two seasons after his transfer,[5] although the club failed to win any silverware with Effenberg in the lineup.

[7] After an unsuccessful spell at VfL Wolfsburg,[8] Effenberg ended his career in Qatar with Al-Arabi Sports Club, with Gabriel Batistuta as his teammate.

[2] Following a few troubled months which included the team briefly staying at an Italian hotel with no football pitch for a mid-season training camp,[11] he stepped back from this position prematurely in May 2020.

[12] German coach Berti Vogts was so outraged by this incident that he dropped Effenberg from the team on the spot, and declared that he was finished as an international player.

[18] Effenberg published a controversial autobiography, notorious for its blatant contents – which included lashing out at some other football professionals, namely club and national teammate Lothar Matthäus.