The Germany team at this summer’s World Cup in South Africa surprised many people with its explosive attacking play, with its flair and Premiership-style lightning pace and tempo, handing out severe beatings to Australia, England and Argentina and only falling to the outstanding qualities of eventual champions Spain. One of the star men was playmaker Mesut Ozil, who earned a big money transfer abroad from Werder Bremen to Real Madrid, where he is further enhancing his reputation. Could Marko Marin be the next young German to depart the Weserstadion and try his luck outside the Bundesliga?
He has been dubbed ‘the German Messi’, although a more realistic comparison would be Aston Villa’s Marc Albrighton. Marin is a diminutive attacker, who can operate down both flanks, usually the left side, but he can also act as a playmaker in the hole behind the forwards or play as a centre forward. The 21 year-old measures an impish 1.70 m (5ft 7in) and weighs only 64kg (10st), but possesses lightning pace and acceleration, and is adept at slipping between and hurdling opponents. He delivers a wicked cross with his stronger right foot and isn’t bad with his left, and he often takes corners and free kicks, which contribute to an impressive amount of assists. His goal-scoring record isn’t great, but he is still learning the game, and who’s to say that he won’t start banging them in left, right and centre given the right coaching and stage?
Europe’s big clubs including Manchester United, AC Milan and Internazionale are sniffing around, but Bremen will be keen to hold on to the player they signed from Borussia Moenchengladbach for 8.5 million euros in June 2009. This may well be a struggle with Bremen already well out of contention for honours this season, despite his contract running until 2013 and Marin contributing 4 goals and 6 assists in 23 appearances.
Marin was born in Gradiska, Yugoslavia, or what is now Bosnia & Herzegovina on 13 March 1989, but moved to Frankfurt am Main, Germany as a 2 year old. He was a youth team player at Eintracht Frankfurt from 1996 to 2005, but was allowed to leave due to doubts about his strength and/or due to a greater financial offer and better first-team prospects in Moenchengladbach.
He spent the 2006/07 season in Gladbach’s second team, but managed a sub appearance in the top flight for the first team. Marin had to wait until next season to become a first team regular, and he helped Gladbach win promotion back to the 1. Bundesliga at the first attempt, finishing high up in the assists chart in the process. He repeated the following season in the top division, earning that move to current club Werder Bremen. Marko instantly earned a starting berth under coach Thomas Schaaf, and would have played more but for tiredness from a gruelling schedule that included being a key member of Germany’s European Under 21 Championship winning side in the summer of 2009, where they trounced England 4-0 in the final.
Despite his Bosnian Serb roots and being eligible for Bosnia, Marin opted to play for his adopted homeland and looked destined for a future in the full national team after progressing through all national team age groups to the Under 18s, before being fast-tracked into the Under 21s. He made his debut for the full national side in May 2008 against Belarus in Kaiserslautern in a pre-Euro 2008 friendly. Joachim Loew even called him into his provisional Euro 2008 squad, although he failed to make the final cut. August 2008 saw him net his first international goal in a friendly against Belgium, though it remains his only strike in 15 caps. After his great adaptation to life at Bremen, he made the grade for the World Cup squad in South Africa, although he didn’t pull up any trees in two substitute appearances against Australia and Serbia.
Anyone looking to sign Marin will probably be looking at a transfer fee of 14 million euros upwards. What they will be getting for their notes is by no means the finished article, but a player with bags of potential that can excite the fans and give defenders sleepless nights with his constant buzzing around. He may not have the same ability as Lionel Messi, but it will be interesting to see whether he can learn to play at the very top level.
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