Torsten Gütschow (born 28 July 1962) is a German football manager and former player who played as a striker.[2] He is most associated with Dynamo Dresden, with whom he had two successful spells, playing top level football in East Germany and after reunification.[3] In between these he played for three other German clubs, and spent six months with Galatasaray of the Turkish Süper Lig.[3] A strong and instinctive goalscorer, Gütschow was top scorer in each of the last three seasons of the DDR-Oberliga,[4] and was the last East German Footballer of the Year.[5] He won three international caps for East Germany, scoring two goals between 1984 and 1989.[6] Since retiring he has taken up coaching, and has been manager of TuS Heeslingen.

Torsten Gütschow
Gütschow taking a shot in 1990
Personal information
Full name Torsten Jens Gütschow[1]
Date of birth (1962-07-28) 28 July 1962 (age 62)
Place of birth Görlitz, East Germany
Height 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
Position(s) Striker
Youth career
1968–1973 Traktor Zodel
1973–1976 Dynamo Görlitz
1976–1980 Dynamo Dresden
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1980–1992 Dynamo Dresden 247 (116)
1992–1993 Galatasaray 15 (10)
1993–1994 Carl Zeiss Jena 9 (0)
1994–1995 Hannover 96 33 (16)
1995–1996 Chemnitzer FC 34 (15)
1996–1999 Dynamo Dresden 82 (33)
Total 420 (190)
International career
1979 East Germany U-18 4 (3)
1981–1983 East Germany U-21 16 (4)
East Germany Olympic 3 (2)
1984–1989 East Germany 3 (2)
Managerial career
2003–2004 FC Oberneuland
2006–2013 TuS Heeslingen
2014 TSG Neustrelitz
2017–2019 FSV Budissa Bautzen
2022–2023 Bremer SV
2023 SG Dynamo Schwerin
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Playing career

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In East Germany

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Gütschow played as a youth for Traktor Zodel and Dynamo Görlitz,[3] before joining Dynamo Dresden in 1976.[7] After four years in their youth setup, he was promoted to the first-team, making his DDR-Oberliga debut in 1980.[3] He established himself as a consistent goalscorer, and scored 17 goals in the 1984–85 season.[3] The next two seasons were blighted by injury, but he returned to form, partnering Ulf Kirsten up front, and was the league's top scorer in its last three seasons.[4] His seven goals in the 1988-89 UEFA Cup made him the competition's top scorer and in 1991 he was named as the last East German Footballer of the Year.[5]

During much of Gütschow's time with Dynamo Dresden, the league was dominated by BFC Dynamo, who won ten consecutive league titles from 1979 to 1988.[8] Dresden broke this run by winning the championship in 1989 and 1990,[8][9] adding a cup win in the latter season to complete the double. They had also won the cup in 1982, 1984 and 1985.[9]

After reunification

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The last season of the DDR-Oberliga (now renamed the NOFV-Oberliga) saw Dynamo Dresden finish second, behind Hansa Rostock,[10] and with German reunification they qualified for the Bundesliga.[10] In their first season they finished in 14th place,[11] and Gütschow was the team's top scorer, with 10 goals from 31 appearances.[12][13] The following season, he played eight matches, scoring twice,[14] before leaving in December 1992, joining Galatasaray of the Turkish Süper Lig.[1] Gütschow's 12 Bundesliga goals are still the most of any Dynamo Dresden player.

Galatasaray had a German coach, Karl-Heinz Feldkamp, and two other German players in Falko Götz and Reinhard Stumpf. Gütschow settled in immediately, and scored 10 goals in 15 league appearances,[1][3] as the club won a league and cup double.[15] Gütschow only spent six months in Turkey, returning to Germany in summer 1993[3] but remains a popular figure with Galatasaray fans.

Gütschow returned to Germany with Carl Zeiss Jena of the 2. Bundesliga,[3] but had a singularly unsuccessful season, making only nine league appearances and failing to score.[16] He left Jena after one year, and followed this with single-year spells at two other 2. Liga clubs – Hannover 96 and Chemnitzer FC.[3] He had more personal success in both these seasons, scoring 16 and 15 goals respectively,[17][18] but the latter ended in relegation for Chemnitz.[19]

In 1996, Gütschow returned to Dynamo Dresden, now in the third-tier Regionalliga Nordost.[3] He spent three years with the club as they tried unsuccessfully to get promoted to the second division,[20] before retiring in 1999.[3] In total, he had made 329 league appearances for Dynamo, scoring 149 goals, across two spells.[3]

International career

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Gütschow was called up to the East Germany national team in February 1984, making his debut in a 3–1 away win against Greece.[6] His second cap came later in the same year, also against Greece – this time he scored again in a 1–0 home win.[6] His third and final cap didn't come until 1989, in a 1–1 draw with Finland at his home stadium in Dresden.[6] He was also capped at under-21 level and made three appearances for the DDR Olympic team.[7]

Coaching career

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After ending his playing career, Gütschow took up coaching. He worked with VfL Bochum's reserve team, and was manager of FC Oberneuland from 2003 to 2004. In 2006, he was appointed as manager of TuS 1906 Heeslingen, and won promotion to the Oberliga Nord in his first season.[21] Gütchow remained at the club at seven years, leaving in at the end of the 2012–13 season when the club withdrew from the Oberliga for financial reasons. He took over at Regionalliga Norodost side TSG Neustrelitz a year later.

Stasi

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Gütschow worked as an Inoffizieller Mitarbeiter (paid informant) for the Stasi.[22] He admitted to spying on around 60 players and staff between 1981 and 1989.[23] Gütschow was approached by the authorities at the age of 18, and feared that he would be prevented from playing football and separated from his fiancee if he refused to co-operate.[22]

Career statistics

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Club

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Appearances and goals by club, season and competition[3]
Club Season League Cup[a] Continental[b] Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Dynamo Dresden[24] 1980–81 DDR-Oberliga 14 3 0 0 0 0 14 3
1981–82 15 4 5 2 3 0 23 6
1982–83 25 9 4 1 2 0 31 10
1983–84 20 7 3 2 23 9
1984–85 26 17 8 3 6 1 40 21
1985–86 9 0 3 0 2 0 14 0
1986–87 2 0 1 0 0 0 3 0
1987–88 20 9 4 2 2 0 26 11
1988–89 26 17 3 2 9 7 38 26
1989–90 25 18 6 10 1 1 32 29
1990–91 NOFV-Oberliga 26 20 3 1 6 5 35 26
1991–92 Bundesliga 31 10 3 1 34 11
1992–93 8 2 0 0 8 2
Total 247 116 43 24 31 14 321 154
Galatasaray[1] 1992–93 1. Lig 15 10 4 2 19 12
Carl Zeiss Jena 1993–94 2. Bundesliga 9 0 2 0 11 0
Hannover 96 1994–95 2. Bundesliga 33 16 2 1 35 17
Chemnitzer FC 1995–96 2. Bundesliga 34 15 2 2 36 17
Dynamo Dresden[25] 1996–97 Regionalliga Nordost 30 12 0 0 30 12
1997–98 32 16 4 2 36 18
1998–99 20 5 3 0 23 5
Total 82 33 7 2 0 0 89 35
Career total 420 190 60 31 31 14 511 235

International goals

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Scores and results list East Germany's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Gütschow goal.[6]
List of international goals scored by Torsten Gütschow
No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1 15 February 1984 Olympic Stadium, Athens, Greece   Greece 3–1 Friendly
2 12 September 1984 Georgi-Dimitroff-Stadion, Zwickau, East Germany   Greece 1–0 Friendly

Honours

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Dynamo Dresden

Galatasaray

References

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  1. ^ a b c d "Player Details TFF:Torsten Jens Gütschow". Turkish Football Federation. Retrieved 16 October 2010.
  2. ^ "Torsten Gütschow". Fussballdaten (in German). Retrieved 14 October 2010.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m "Torsten Gütschow – Matches and Goals in Oberliga". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 14 October 2010.
  4. ^ a b "East Germany – Topscorers". RSSSF. Retrieved 14 October 2010.
  5. ^ a b "DDR-Fußballer des Jahres". hansanews.de (in German). Retrieved 14 October 2010.
  6. ^ a b c d e "Torsten Gütschow – International Appearances". RSSSF. Retrieved 14 October 2010.
  7. ^ a b "Germany – Player Data – G". RSSSF. Retrieved 16 October 2010.
  8. ^ a b "East Germany – List of Champions". RSSSF. Retrieved 14 October 2010.
  9. ^ a b "SG Dynamo Dresden – Offizielle Homepage: Erfolge". Dynamo Dresden (in German). Archived from the original on 10 November 2010. Retrieved 14 October 2010.
  10. ^ a b "East Germany (Germany – RL Nordost) 1990/91". RSSSF. Retrieved 15 October 2010.
  11. ^ "Die Bundesliga 1991/1992 – Abschlusstabelle". Fussballdaten (in German). Retrieved 15 October 2010.
  12. ^ "Dynamo Dresden 1991/1992 – Der Kader". Fussballdaten (in German). Retrieved 15 October 2010.
  13. ^ "Spiele von Torsten Gütschow 1991/1992". fussballdaten. Retrieved 15 October 2010.
  14. ^ "Spiele von Torsten Gütschow 1992/1993". fussballdaten. Retrieved 15 October 2010.
  15. ^ "Turkey – Final Tables". RSSSF. Retrieved 15 October 2010.
  16. ^ "Spiele von Torsten Gütschow 1993/1994". Fussballdaten. Retrieved 15 October 2010.
  17. ^ "Spiele von Torsten Gütschow 1994/1995". Fussballdaten. Retrieved 15 October 2010.
  18. ^ "Spiele von Torsten Gütschow 1995/1996". Fussballdaten. Retrieved 15 October 2010.
  19. ^ "Die 2. Bundesliga 1995/1996 – Abschlusstabelle". Fussballdaten (in German). Retrieved 15 October 2010.
  20. ^ "SG Dynamo Dresden – Offizielle Homepage: Spielzeiten". Dynamo Dresden (in German). Archived from the original on 23 October 2010. Retrieved 15 October 2010.
  21. ^ "Niedersachsenliga: Spielpaarungen, Tabelle und Ergebnisse der Saison 2010/11 am 11. Spieltag". Kicker sportmagazin (in German). Retrieved 16 October 2010.
  22. ^ a b Kinzer, Stephen (12 April 1994). "East Germans Face Their Accusers". New York Times. Retrieved 17 December 2008.
  23. ^ "Stasi auf Torjagd". Die Tageszeitung (in German). 27 January 1992.
  24. ^ "Germany – Player Data – 1. FC Dynamo Dresden". RSSSF. Retrieved 16 October 2010.
  25. ^ "Torsten Gütschow". Dynamo Dresden (in German). Retrieved 16 October 2010.
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