You’ll never guess how many times Bayern Munich legend Lothar Matthäus had his car stolen in Italy

HAMBURG, GERMANY - APRIL 11: SKY TV Expert and former player Lothar Matthäus looks on during the Bundesliga match between FC St. Pauli and FC Bayern München at Millerntor Stadium on April 11, 2026 in Hamburg, Germany. (Photo by Jürgen Fromme - firo sportphoto/Getty Images) | Getty Images As part of

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As part of a promo for the book Calcio d’Oro — The Golden Years of Football by Carsten Fuß, AZ shared an amusing anecdote where former Bayern Munich legend Lothar Matthäus had his car stolen while playing in Italy. It happened once. Then it happened again. And again.

First off was a Peugeot:

A Peugeot 205 convertible was the first car Lothar Matthäus had stolen in Milan. He parked the practical, nimble city car downtown and, after a shopping trip, couldn’t find it anymore. The police discovered the vehicle

a few weeks later in a wooded area: propped up on rocks and completely stripped of its parts.

Next came the Mercedes:

Matthäus drives the Peugeot’s successor — a Mercedes convertible — to a ristorante for lunch, parks it in the parking lot, and sits down on the terrace, only to see his Mercedes drive by on the street through his sunglasses shortly after he places his order. However, he doesn’t have to wait long or walk far to see his car again.

The Mercedes is sitting on the side of the road at the next curve, unable to drive. In his panic, the thief had stepped on the gas hard and hit the road barrier in the curve, causing an axle to break and preventing him from continuing his journey. The thief flings open the driver’s door and flees—without the car’s engine to help him.

The poor Mercedes again, at the airport:

Matthäus drives his then-wife to Milan Linate Airport in his latest Mercedes convertible. The departure area is bustling. Four Carabinieri are on duty, issuing parking tickets to cars that are parked illegally or have been parked too long. Lothar gets out and approaches one of the officers, explaining that he just wants to accompany his wife to the departure gate for a moment and will leave the area immediately in the Mercedes.

An affirmative nod follows in response. Matthäus returns after eight minutes and 30 seconds, but can’t find his car. So he goes to the carabiniere to ask why on earth his car had been towed. A puzzled look is the answer. They hadn’t written down the Mercedes’ license plate number or had it towed.

Did he ever get his car back? The excerpt on AZ does not mention. You’ll probably have to buy the book to find out.