Christoph Metzelder facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Christoph Metzelder

Metzelder in 2016
Personal information
Date of birth	(1980-11-05) 5 November 1980 (age 44)
Place of birth	Haltern, West Germany
Height	1.94 m
Playing position	Centre-back
Youth career
1986–1995	TuS Haltern
1995–1996	Schalke 04
1996–1998	Preußen Münster
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1999–2000	Preußen Münster	32	(4)
2000–2007	Borussia Dortmund	126	(2)
2007–2010	Real Madrid	23	(0)
2010–2013	Schalke 04	52	(2)
2013–2014	TuS Haltern	1	(0)
Total		234	(8)
National team
2000–2001	Germany U21	9	(1)
2001–2008	Germany	47	(0)
Honours Men's Football Representing  Germany FIFA World Cup Runner-up 2002 South Korea–Japan Third 2006 Germany UEFA European Championship Runner-up 2008 Austria–Switzerland
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Christoph Tobias Metzelder (born 5 November 1980) is a German former professional footballer who played as a centre-back.

Most of his professional career, which was spent mostly at Borussia Dortmund, was blighted by injuries. He did manage, however, to appear 47 times for the Germany national team, representing the country at two World Cups and Euro 2008.

Metzelder also played three seasons apiece for Real Madrid and Schalke 04, amassing Bundesliga totals of 178 matches and four goals over one full decade.

Career

Borussia Dortmund

Metzelder with Dortmund

Metzelder was born in Haltern, North Rhine-Westphalia. In the summer of 2000 he signed with Borussia Dortmund from SC Preußen Münster, and he was an instant success. At the end of his first season in the Bundesliga he won his first cap for Germany, playing the second half of a 5–2 friendly win in Hungary on 15 August 2001.

The second campaign at Dortmund brought Metzelder the 2002 national title and 14 matches with Germany, all the way to the 2002 FIFA World Cup final with the latter. However, he missed the entire 2003–04 due to an Achilles tendon injury, and only took part in 16 league games in the following season.

After over two years out of the national squad, Metzelder was called by new boss Jürgen Klinsmann for a friendly with China, in October 2005. He also scored his first two league goals, in 1–1 draws against Mainz 05 and Hamburger SV, and would be Germany's undisputed starter at the 2006 World Cup, partnering with SV Werder Bremen's Per Mertesacker.

Real Madrid

Metzelder playing for Real Madrid in 2009

On 18 April 2007, after failing to renew his contract at Borussia, Metzelder transferred to Real Madrid at the end of the season on a free transfer. In February 2008, after managing to be injury-free in the first months of his Spanish adventure, he had surgery on the sole of his foot, resulting in him missing nearly 60 days of action; on 11 May, after having already missed the UEFA Champions League round-of-16 clash against A.S. Roma, he returned and played the full 90 minutes against Real Zaragoza (2–2 away draw).

Despite his lack of playing time, Metzelder featured in all of Germany's matches at UEFA Euro 2008, again partnering Mertesacker. In 2008–09's La Liga, he was the main beneficiary of a ten-match suspension handed to Real's Pepe; after a stellar performance in a 4–2 win at Sevilla FC he also started in the 6–2 home defeat at the hands of FC Barcelona, for a career-best – in Spain – 12 appearances.

Metzelder left Real Madrid after his contract expired on 30 June 2010.

Return to Germany

Metzelder with Schalke in 2010

On 27 April 2010, prior to the end of the campaign, Metzelder announced his return to Germany, agreeing on a three-year contract with FC Schalke 04, with which he had already played youth football 15 years earlier. His first two league games with the club, the first of 2010–11, ended with 2–1 losses, to Hamburger SV and Hannover 96.

Metzelder appeared in ten complete matches in the season's Champions League, in an eventual last-four run. He added five in the domestic cup victorious campaign, including the semi-finals against FC Bayern Munich (1–0 win) and the final against MSV Duisburg (5–0).

In May 2013, 32-year-old Metzelder announced his retirement from professional football at the end of the campaign. In July 2019, he was hired as a pundit by public broadcaster ARD. At the time of coming under criminal investigation in September 2019 he was a pundit for Sky Sports.

Personal life

Metzelder's younger brother, Malte, was also a footballer (and a centre-back), and both played for Borussia Dortmund.

He has one daughter, Emma (born 17 October 2009), with girlfriend Julia Gödicke.

In 2006 he founded an organisation helping socially disadvantaged German youth and continues to run it.

Career statistics

Club

International

Honours

Borussia Dortmund

• Bundesliga: 2001–02
• DFB-Ligapokal runner-up: 2003
• UEFA Cup runner-up: 2001–02

Real Madrid

• La Liga: 2007–08
• Supercopa de España: 2008

Schalke 04

• DFB-Pokal: 2010–11
• DFL-Supercup: 2011; runner-up: 2010

Germany

• FIFA World Cup runner-up: 2002; third place: 2006
• UEFA European Championship runner-up: 2008

Individual

• Bravo Award: 2002

See also

In Spanish: Christoph Metzelder para niños