[Oliver_Kahn]

More than 1,000 foreign players have graced the Bundesliga and delighted its fans over the years. Read some wonderful stories about the stars from all over the world.


In the beginning, when the Bundesliga started in 1963, there were just three "legionnaires”, as they were rather disrespectfully dubbed at the time.

Austria's Willy Huberts (Eintracht Frankfurt), Dutchman Jacobus "Co” Prins (1. FC Kaiserslautern) and Yugoslavia's Petar Radenkovic (TSV Munich 1860) were the only foreigners on the pitch on day 1 of the Bundesliga, but they were the first of the more than 1,000 foreign players who have graced the Bundesliga over the years. Many, like Kevin Keegan in Hamburg, proved to be hits, but many quickly faded away into obscurity.

The first Asian player

Germany did not have to wait long for its first Asian player. While holding a training course for Japanese players at the German sports academy in Cologne, Hennes Weisweiler promptly discovered Yasuhiko Okudera, who went on to play 234 Bundesliga matches for 1. FC Cologne and Werder Bremen between 1977 and 1986.

South Korea's Bum Kun Cha enjoyed even more success after switching to Eintracht Frankfurt and then Bayer 04 Leverkusen after just one match for Darmstadt 98.

Cha played 308 Bundesliga matches, scoring 98 goals and even was winning the UEFA Cup. His son, Du Ri Cha, played for Arminia Bielefeld for a season before also moving to Eintracht Frankfurt in 2003.

Scandinavians at Mönchengladbach

Borussia Mönchengladbach was the first club to sign Danish players on a regular basis. Allan Simonsen scored 76 goals for them between 1973 and 1975, while a Dane with a French-sounding name, Ulrik Le Fevre, once scored the "goal of the season” as voted for by viewers of terrestrial TV channel ARD. Le Fevre is now a player's agent.

Belgian winger Roger van Gool became the Bundesliga's first million deutschmark player when he moved from FC Bruges to 1. FC Cologne in 1976.

First black player

Peru's Julio Baylon was the first black player in German professional football when he moved to Fortuna Cologne in 1973, but he was the first of many, including Anthony Yeboah and Augustine "Jay-Jay” Okocha.

As the number of foreigners in the Bundesliga increased, the league stepped up its efforts to combat racism. On the last matchday before the winter break in the 1992/93 season, all 18 Bundesliga teams wore shirts bearing the "My friend is a foreigner” slogan.

Key role for Brazilians

Brazilians have obviously had a key role to play in the German league. They all play wonderful football, but not all have shown the same levels of discipline as Jorginho.

Ailton is renowned for suddenly deciding to extend his holidays as well as for his rodeo escapades back home in Brazil, but compared to Zeze, Ailton s actions pale into insignifcance. In 1964, Zeze walked out of 1. FC Cologne at the first sight of snow after just five matches and one goal.

Many Brazilians at Bayer

Bayer 04 Leverkusen have cleverly used their parent company s links and contacts in Brazil to bring more Brazilians to Germany than any other club, and they are known for looking after their foreign players in every respect.

Tita was the first Brazilian at Bayer, and he was not one to mince his words. Jorginho, Lucio, Paulo Sergio, Zé Roberto, Zé Elias and Emerson are just a few of the other Brazilians who have followed in Tita s footsteps.

Lizarazu most successful

Ever since their exploits at the 1994 World Cup, players from the USA have also been regular features in the Bundesliga, and current national team goalkeeper Kasey Keller plays for Borussia Mönchengladbach in the Bundesliga.

However, the most successful foreign import in terms of trophies is France s Bixente Lizarazu at Bayern Munich. Having won the World Cup, the European Championship, the Champions League, the German league and the German cup, Lizarazu has always had just one regret, and that is that Munich is not on the coast. After all, Lizarazu is a talented surfer.