Martin Max


Martin Max is a retired German footballer, who played as a striker.
One of the oldest winners of the Bundesliga's top scorer crown, at the age of 32 and 34, he represented four teams in his country of adoption.

Club career

Born in Tarnowskie Góry in Upper Silesia, Martin Max started to play football in the youth of Rodło Górniki Bytom and in 1982 he emigrated with his parents as ethnic Germans from Poland and went to Germany, where the family settled in Recklinghausen in the Ruhr region. In Recklinghausen, he joined the junior from Blau Weiß Post Recklinghausen and 1985 he transferred to the offspring of the 1. FC Recklinghausen.
At Schalke, Max revived his career, netting 23 goals in his first two seasons combined, adding three in the victorious UEFA Cup campaign, and his penalty shootout attempt in the final against Inter Milan.
He joined TSV 1860 Munich in 1999, and was crowned league topscorer in his first season, with 19; in 2001–02, he added 18 for a second individual accolade, tied with Márcio Amoroso.
Already at 35, Max moved to F.C. Hansa Rostock, and contributed massively to the former East Germany side's comfortable league position, as he netted 20 goals and ranked third in the goal charts, retiring at the season's end with a total of 396 matches, with 126 first division goals. After retiring, Max began running a soccer camp for youths.

International career

Courtesy of his stellar TSV performances, Max earned his only cap for Germany, on 17 April 2002, coming on as a substitute during the 84th minute in a 1–0 loss in a friendly in the Gottlieb-Daimler-Stadion in Stuttgart against Argentina. He was subsequently named on stand-by for that summer's 2002 FIFA World Cup.

Career statistics

Honours

Club

Borussia M'Gladbach
Schalke 04