Jens Melzig

Born in Cottbus, Melzig began his career with Energie Cottbus, helping the club earn promotion to the DDR-Oberliga in 1986, and again in 1988 after they had bounced straight back down to the DDR-Liga. After German reunification, Cottbus failed to qualify for the professional leagues, so in 1991 Melzig joined Dynamo Dresden, who had entered the Bundesliga. He was a first-team regular in two seasons with Dynamo, before joining Bayer Leverkusen for another two-year spell, in which he was mostly used as a backup. In 1995, Melzig joined 2. Bundesliga side Chemnitzer FC, making twenty appearances as the club were relegated to the third-tier Regionalliga Nordost, where they joined Energie Cottbus, whom Melzig promptly re-signed for. Melzig's second spell with his hometown club would only last one year, but it would be a hugely successful one. He scored seven goals as Cottbus won the division, and beat Hannover 96 in a playoff to earn promotion to the 2. Bundesliga. They also reached the final of the DFB Pokal, where they were defeated by Bundesliga side VfB Stuttgart. Melzig did not join his teammates in the second division, though, opting to stay in the Regionalliga Nordost and join big-spending Tennis Borussia Berlin. Another promotion followed, and Melzig spent two seasons playing for TeBe in the second tier, retiring in 2000.

DFB-Pokal finalist: 1996–97