Dynamo legend Ralf Minge celebrates 65 years of football history!

Dynamo legend Ralf Minge celebrates 65 years of football history!

On Wednesday Ralf Minge, a true veteran of German football and a legend at Dynamo Dresden, celebrates his 65th birthday. Minge, who was born on October 8, 1960, can look back on an extremely successful career that not only includes positions as a player and coach, but also as a sports director. Despite his special day, he remains humble and considers it a “side note” compared to the full life he enjoys with his family and grandchildren. He's not planning a big celebration; Instead, it will be a quiet get-together with the closest family circle. As [Bild](https://www.bild.de/sport/fussball/dynamo-dresden-legende-wird-65-was-minge- aktuell-gluecklich-macht-68e4a7aa89973cba61e83e36) reports, Minge is healthy and fulfilled, likes to reflect on his experiences and says that he always has a “great family” by his side.

Minge's love for football accompanied him from a young age. After starting at TSG Gröditz as a teenager, he enjoyed a remarkable career at Dynamo Dresden. From 1980 to 1991 he played 222 games for the Saxons and scored an impressive 103 goals. This makes him one of the third highest goalscorers in the club's history. The highlights of his career include the exciting cup finals against BFC Dynamo and the international matches in the European Cup against Viktoria Bucharest. Looking back, he values ​​these experiences the most, even though the relegation from the Bundesliga in 1995 affected him deeply as a coach. But when asked about his most formative experiences, Minge doesn't even mention it in the first breath, but instead clings to the positive memories. Wikipedia adds that Minge won two titles in the GDR Oberliga and four cups and never represented another club in his professional career.

Entry into the coaching world

After his playing career, Minge not only worked as a coach in the Bundesliga, but also internationally. In addition to his time on the board of Dynamo, he took on responsibility at various clubs and had several successful positions, even at Bayer Leverkusen, where he reached the finals of the DFB Cup and the UEFA Champions League in the 2001/02 season. Minge didn't miss the final high phase and proved that he has a good hand as a coach.

His time out due to burnout in 2018 took him out of the game, but after that he was powerfully responsible. Minge returned as an assistant coach in 2006 and later became sports director of Dynamo Dresden. The latter position brought the club a return to the 2nd Bundesliga in 2016, which was celebrated as a huge success for many fans. Minge appreciates the developments around the club and would like to continue to fulfill his duties at the Ostra sports park. He doesn't see a comeback in a bigger role than necessary and enjoys spending time with his family, especially his grandson Mateo, who actively plays in Dynamo's youth team.

Football in Germany – A success story

Football is the most popular sport in Germany, and Minge's career can be seen as an example of the Germans' enthusiasm for football. Over 6.5 million members are registered in more than 27,000 clubs, and the German league system with the Bundesliga and the 2nd Bundesliga attracts both fans and players. It is a passionate culture that has developed over many years and Minge is an integral part of this success story. Playing football came to Germany in 1873, and since then it has become a distinctive part of German society. In addition, the DFB is responsible for organizing numerous competitions, which underlines the importance of football in the country.

As beneficial as it is to look back on such an eventful career, it is also important to keep the present and future in focus. With his humble nature and his family ties, Ralf Minge shows that football goes far beyond the boundaries of the field and is anchored in people's hearts.