Germany legend Matthias Sammer reveals he was a member of notorious Stasi secret police in Dresden

GERMAN legend Matthias Sammer has revealed he was a member of his country's notorious Stasi secret police.

The former Stuttgart and Borussia Dortmund defender joined hometown club Dynamo Dresden aged nine in 1976, and spent 14 years with the East German outfit.

Euro 96 winner Sammer later coached both Stuttgart and Dortmund, worked for the German FA, and spent four years as Bayern Munich sporting director before resigning last year.

He won 23 caps for the former East Germany before playing 51 times for the reunited nation.

Sammer has now told Sport Bild magazine that he was a member of the Stasi's guards regiment during his time with Dresden.

The hated and feared organisation spied on and repressed East Germany's citizens from its formation in 1950 to when it was dissolved in 1990.

Sammer, 50, recalled: "Dynamo's players were routinely attached to the guards regiment.

"It is important to remember that the club's head at that time was Erich Mielke, the minister for national security.

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"So if you played for Dynamo at that time, you had to join the people's police.

"Then when conscription came along, you had to agree to join a similar type of organisation to the army if you wanted to continue playing football.

"At Dynamo it was the Feliks Dzierzynski guards regiment. Basically it was an alibi to avoid active military service.

"Had I refused them I would have been forced to go into the army. That would have meant me leaving Dynamo, and spelt the end of my football career.

"There were pressures placed on me that I simply could not escape.

"Of course it was sad, and it was part of a false system. But there was no alternative for me."

Twice named German Footballer of the Year, Sammer coached Dortmund to the Bundesliga title in 2002.