Mario Basler on ‘How was it back then?’

Furthermore, ‘Super Mario’ draws a remarkable comparison with David Beckham, confidently assesses his own performance in the 1999 Champions League final, and looks back on his extraordinary career without any regrets. The episode is now available on all major podcast platforms: Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube.

In conversation with Pit Gottschalk and Christian Pfennig, Basler traces his journey from his early days in the Palatinate to the world’s biggest football stages. He reveals what he used to earn at Rot-Weiss Essen, recalls his time with the legendary ‘FC Hollywood’ and explains why Otto Rehhagel was a key figure in his career path. One of the most curious anecdotes is his account of how Rehhagel once tried to persuade him to make a transfer whilst they were in a toilet. Basler takes listeners behind the scenes at FC Bayern, talks about the daily competition with world-class stars and recalls a memorable conversation with Uli Hoeneß.

The former midfield star talks about his early goal in the 1999 Champions League final, the dramatic moments in extra time against Manchester United and what was probably the most bitter defeat of his career. He also looks back on milestones with the national team, discusses his expert opinions – and predictions for which, by his own admission, he was often ridiculed.

Basler also discusses formative experiences from his private life. For instance, he recalls moving out of his parents’ home briefly at the age of 17. Things get personal too when he reflects on his life today. Basler talks about his role as a grandfather of four, his attachment to the Palatinate region and how he deals with criticism on social media. He also reveals why he still cannot explain his reach on Instagram to this day. Basler also speaks openly about his last spell in Qatar and admits that it wasn’t the sporting aspect that appealed to him at the time.

The podcast “Wie war das damals?” from the German Football Museum is released monthly.

The episodes are recorded at the German Football Museum in Dortmund. Tickets for the live audience are available at www.fussballmuseum.de/...urprogramm