Michael Zorc
The one-club legend who shaped Borussia Dortmund for over 40 years, first as its record-breaking midfielder and then as its mastermind architect.
Born 1962 (age 64)·German football player/general manager·Birthday: August 25·Baby Boomers
Biography
Michael Zorc is Borussia Dortmund. His story is a rare case of total symbiosis between a man and a football institution. For 17 years as a player, the defensive midfielder was the engine room of the team, his relentless work ethic and fierce loyalty making him a fan idol. He retired as the club's all-time appearance leader, a record that stood for years. But his second act proved even more consequential. Moving directly into the front office, he learned the executive trade and was appointed Sporting Director in 1998. For over two decades, Zorc became the astute negotiator and visionary who built Dortmund into a sustainable powerhouse. He identified young talents like Robert Lewandowski and Erling Haaland, sold them for massive profits, and reinvested to keep the club competitive with financial giants. His calm, strategic mind was the backbone of Dortmund's Bundesliga titles and Champions League final run.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Michael was born in 1962, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Michael Was Born
The biggest hits of 1962
#1 Movie
Lawrence of Arabia
Best Picture
Lawrence of Arabia
#1 TV Show
Beverly Hillbillies
Michael's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1962Born
Cuban Missile Crisis brings the world to the brink
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,800Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Stranger on the Shore" — Acker BilkBest Picture: Lawrence of Arabia
1967Started school
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1975Became a teenager
Fall of Saigon ends the Vietnam War
Gas: $0.57/galHome: $27,600Min wage: $2.10/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Love Will Keep Us Together" — Captain & TennilleBest Picture: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1978Could drive
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1980Could vote
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1983Turned 21
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1992Turned 30
LA riots after Rodney King verdict
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $84,300Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"End of the Road" — Boyz II MenBest Picture: Unforgiven
2002Turned 40
Euro currency enters circulation
Gas: $1.36/galHome: $137,800Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"How You Remind Me" — NickelbackBest Picture: Chicago
2012Turned 50
Curiosity rover lands on Mars; Sandy Hook shooting
Gas: $3.64/galHome: $143,200Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Somebody That I Used to Know" — GotyeBest Picture: Argo
2022Turned 60
Russia invades Ukraine; Queen Elizabeth II dies
Gas: $3.97/galHome: $348,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"As It Was" — Harry StylesBest Picture: Everything Everywhere All at Once
2026Age 64 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Played his entire professional career for Borussia Dortmund, making a club-record 463 Bundesliga appearances (since broken).
- As Sporting Director, oversaw the team that won back-to-back Bundesliga titles in 2011 and 2012 under Jürgen Klopp.
- Architected the business model of identifying and developing young stars, later selling them for significant fees to ensure club stability.
- Led the club to the 2013 UEFA Champions League final.
Did You Know?
His nickname is 'Susi', a childhood holdover.
He scored the winning goal in the 1989 DFB-Pokal final, securing Dortmund's first major trophy in 23 years.
He holds a degree in business administration, which he earned during his playing career.
Despite many offers, he never played for another club after joining Dortmund's youth academy.
“My blood has always been black and yellow.”
