Ralf Minge
Encyclopedia
Ralf Minge is a German
former footballer
, later a coach
, who currently works as head coach of the Germany national under-20 football team.
He was an international for East Germany
, and spent his entire professional career with Dynamo Dresden
.
, Minge joined Dynamo Dresden in 1980, signing from TSG Gröditz, and spent the next eleven years with the club, winning two East German titles and four cups
. He scored 103 league goals for the club, and ranks as the club's third top scorer, behind Hans-Jürgen Kreische
and Torsten Gütschow
. He retired in 1991, at the end of the last ever DDR-Oberliga
season. At international level, Minge won 36 caps between 1983 and 1989, scoring eight times.
Minge then left Dynamo, and in July 1995 took up the post as manager of Erzgebirge Aue, where he served for ten months. His next job came in 1998, assisting Toni Schumacher
at Fortuna Köln. In December 1999, Schumacher was sacked, and Minge briefly stepped in as manager, but left by the end of the month, out of loyalty to his former colleague.
In 2000, he made the shot trip to Leverkusen
, taking over the reserve team of Bayer 04, before the appointment of Klaus Toppmöller
saw Minge promoted to the role of assistant manager. The club were almost hugely successful in 2001/02, reaching the finals of the DFB-Pokal
and the UEFA Champions League
, and finishing second in the Bundesliga. The success could not last, however, and many of the star players left, ultimately leading to Toppmöller losing his job. Minge eventually dropped back to managing Bayer Leverkusen II, before resigning at the end of the 2004/05 season.
He returned to Dresden
to study psychology, but his break from football was to be short-lived, as in January 2006 he reunited with Klaus Toppmöller, this time as assistant coach of the Georgia national team
, also managing the under-21s
. In September 2006, he rejoined the Dynamo Dresden board, and in January 2008, took up the role as Sporting Director, ending his spell in Georgia
. In March 2009, he resigned from the board. After one year without an job signed on 22 February 2010 an contract as head coach of the Germany national under-20 football team, he will begin with his new job on 01 March 2010.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
former footballer
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
, later a coach
Coach (sport)
In sports, a coach is an individual involved in the direction, instruction and training of the operations of a sports team or of individual sportspeople.-Staff:...
, who currently works as head coach of the Germany national under-20 football team.
He was an international for East Germany
East Germany national football team
The East Germany national football team was from 1952 to 1990 the football team of East Germany, playing as one of three post-war German teams, along with Saarland and West Germany....
, and spent his entire professional career with Dynamo Dresden
Dynamo Dresden
SG Dynamo Dresden are a German association football club, based in Dresden, Saxony. They were founded in 1950, as a club affiliated with the East German police, and became one of the most popular and successful clubs in East German football, winning eight league titles...
.
Playing career
A strikerStriker
Forwards, also known as strikers, are the players on a team in association football who play nearest to the opposing team's goal, and are therefore principally responsible for scoring goals...
, Minge joined Dynamo Dresden in 1980, signing from TSG Gröditz, and spent the next eleven years with the club, winning two East German titles and four cups
FDGB Pokal
The FDGB-Pokal was an elimination football tournament held annually in the former East Germany. It was the second most important national title in East German football after the DDR-Oberliga championship...
. He scored 103 league goals for the club, and ranks as the club's third top scorer, behind Hans-Jürgen Kreische
Hans-Jürgen Kreische
Hans-Jürgen Kreische is a former East German footballer. Kreische spent his entire career with his hometown club, Dynamo Dresden, scoring 127 goals in 234 DDR-Oberliga games between 1964 and 1978...
and Torsten Gütschow
Torsten Gütschow
Torsten Gütschow is a German former footballer who played as a striker. He is most associated with Dynamo Dresden, with whom he had two successful spells, playing top level football in East Germany and after reunification. In between these he played for three other German clubs, and spent six...
. He retired in 1991, at the end of the last ever DDR-Oberliga
DDR-Oberliga
The DDR-Oberliga was, prior to German reunification in 1990, the elite level of football competition in the DDR , being roughly equivalent to the Oberliga or Bundesliga in West Germany.-Overview:Following World...
season. At international level, Minge won 36 caps between 1983 and 1989, scoring eight times.
Coaching career
After retiring from the game, Minge had a brief spell on the board at Dynamo, before serving on the coaching staff for three years, during which he had two brief spells as manager, in 1993 and 1995, the last of which saw Dynamo's relegation from the Bundesliga, a relegation that was doubled due to financial misdealings.Minge then left Dynamo, and in July 1995 took up the post as manager of Erzgebirge Aue, where he served for ten months. His next job came in 1998, assisting Toni Schumacher
Harald Schumacher
Harald Anton Schumacher , commonly known as Toni Schumacher, is a German former football goalkeeper, and a member of the West German national team. He won the 1980 European Championship and lost two World Cup finals, in 1982 and 1986...
at Fortuna Köln. In December 1999, Schumacher was sacked, and Minge briefly stepped in as manager, but left by the end of the month, out of loyalty to his former colleague.
In 2000, he made the shot trip to Leverkusen
Leverkusen
Leverkusen is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany on the eastern bank of the Rhine. To the South, Leverkusen borders the city of Cologne and to the North is the state capital Düsseldorf....
, taking over the reserve team of Bayer 04, before the appointment of Klaus Toppmöller
Klaus Toppmöller
Klaus Toppmöller is a former football player and the coach of Georgia national football team from 2006 to April 1, 2008.He earned 3 caps and scored 1 goal during his international career for Germany.-Coaching career:...
saw Minge promoted to the role of assistant manager. The club were almost hugely successful in 2001/02, reaching the finals of the DFB-Pokal
DFB-Pokal
The DFB-Pokal or DFB Cup is a German knockout football cup competition held annually. 64 teams participate in the competition, including all clubs from the Bundesliga and the 2nd Bundesliga. It is considered the second most important national title in German football after the Bundesliga...
and the UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
, and finishing second in the Bundesliga. The success could not last, however, and many of the star players left, ultimately leading to Toppmöller losing his job. Minge eventually dropped back to managing Bayer Leverkusen II, before resigning at the end of the 2004/05 season.
He returned to Dresden
Dresden
Dresden is the capital city of the Free State of Saxony in Germany. It is situated in a valley on the River Elbe, near the Czech border. The Dresden conurbation is part of the Saxon Triangle metropolitan area....
to study psychology, but his break from football was to be short-lived, as in January 2006 he reunited with Klaus Toppmöller, this time as assistant coach of the Georgia national team
Georgia national football team
The Georgia national football team is the national association football team of Georgia and is controlled by the Georgian Football Federation. The Georgian team's first match took place in 1990, while Georgia was still part of the Soviet Union. The team have attempted to qualify for each major...
, also managing the under-21s
Georgia national under-21 football team
The Georgian U-21 national football team is the football team representing Georgia in competitions for under-21 year old players.-Current squad :The following players were called up for the European Under-21 Football Championship...
. In September 2006, he rejoined the Dynamo Dresden board, and in January 2008, took up the role as Sporting Director, ending his spell in Georgia
Georgia (country)
Georgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the southwest by Turkey, to the south by Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of...
. In March 2009, he resigned from the board. After one year without an job signed on 22 February 2010 an contract as head coach of the Germany national under-20 football team, he will begin with his new job on 01 March 2010.
Honours
- East German CupFDGB PokalThe FDGB-Pokal was an elimination football tournament held annually in the former East Germany. It was the second most important national title in East German football after the DDR-Oberliga championship...
(4): 1982, 1984, 1985, 1990 - East German ChampionDDR-OberligaThe DDR-Oberliga was, prior to German reunification in 1990, the elite level of football competition in the DDR , being roughly equivalent to the Oberliga or Bundesliga in West Germany.-Overview:Following World...
(2): 1989, 1990