I’m a Ballon d’Or winner who played for two different countries and was a member of the Stasi secret police
MATTHIAS SAMMER played for two different countries and was a member of the Stasi secret police during his career.
The former Germany midfielder helped his side win Euro 1996 in England and was awarded the Ballon d'Or that same year.
However, Sammer's unique playing career saw him feature for two separate national teams.
He was also part of the East German secret police whilst playing for Dynamo Dresden.
Sammer won 23 caps and scored six goals for East Germany prior to the German reunification in 1990.
Once the East German national team was dissolved, he scored eight goals in 51 caps for Germany and was twice named the country's footballer of the year.
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He would also beat Ronaldo and Alan Shearer to the Ballon d'Or in 1996 after powering his nation to victory at the Euros.
At club level, Sammer starred for Dresden, Stuttgart, Inter Milan and Borussia Dortmund, winning 10 major trophies including the Champions League.
It was during his time with Dresden, though, that he would become a member of the Stasi police.
The feared organisation spied on and repressed East German citizens from their formation in 1950 until they were dissolved in 1990.
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"It is important to remember that the club's head at that time was Erich Mielke, the minister for national security.
"So if you played for Dynamo at that time, you had to join the people's police.
"Then when conscription came along, you had to agree to join a similar type of organisation to the army if you wanted to continue playing football.
"At Dynamo it was the Feliks Dzierzynski guards regiment. Basically it was an alibi to avoid active military service.
"Had I refused them I would have been forced to go into the army. That would have meant me leaving Dynamo, and been the end of my football career.
"There were pressures placed on me that I simply could not escape.
"Of course it was sad, and it was part of a false system. But there was no alternative for me."
Sammer would continue playing until 1998, retiring aged just 30 to go into coaching.
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Following spells as manager of former clubs Dortmund and Stuttgart, he later worked as Bayern Munich's sporting CEO.
Now aged 56, he is currently an adviser for both Dortmund and the German national team.