Clemens Fritz facts for kids
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Fritz playing for Werder in 2009
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 7 December 1980 | ||
| Place of birth | Erfurt, East Germany | ||
| Height | 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Right-back, defensive midfielder | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1999–2001 | Rot-Weiß Erfurt | 57 | (14) |
| 2001–2003 | Karlsruher SC | 61 | (7) |
| 2003–2006 | Bayer Leverkusen | 43 | (2) |
| 2006–2017 | Werder Bremen | 288 | (5) |
| Total | 431 | (28) | |
| International career | |||
| 2001 | Germany U-21 | 1 | (0) |
| 2002 | Germany Team 2006 | 1 | (0) |
| 2006–2008 | Germany | 22 | (2) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Clemens Fritz (born on December 7, 1980) is a German former professional footballer. He played as a right-back and also as a defensive midfielder. He is best known for playing 11 years with Werder Bremen.
Clemens started his career at smaller clubs like Rot-Weiß Erfurt and Karlsruher SC. In 2003, he joined Bayer Leverkusen. He then moved to Werder Bremen in 2006. With Werder Bremen, he won the DFB-Pokal (German Cup) and helped them reach the UEFA Cup final in 2009. He played over 300 matches for Bremen in all competitions.
He also played for the German national team for two years, starting in 2006. He played 22 games and scored two goals for his country. He was part of the team that finished second at UEFA Euro 2008. Clemens Fritz stopped playing professional football at the end of the 2016–17 season.
Contents
Playing for Clubs
Starting at Rot-Weiß Erfurt
Clemens Fritz was born in Erfurt, which was then in East Germany. He began his football journey playing for his hometown club, Rot-Weiß Erfurt. At this club, he played in a league called the Regionalliga.
Time at Karlsruher SC
In the summer of 2001, Clemens joined 2. Bundesliga club Karlsruher SC. He scored five goals in 32 games for them. When he was signed by Bayer Leverkusen in 2003, he was loaned back to Karlsruhe. This allowed him to keep playing regularly in the first team.
Playing for Bayer Leverkusen
Clemens became a regular player for Leverkusen in the second half of the 2003–04 season. He showed his skills after playing well for their reserve team. Fritz played 14 more first-team games for Leverkusen that season. His efforts helped the team earn a spot in the UEFA Champions League. In 2004, he unfortunately broke his leg during a pre-season game. This injury meant he could not play for the entire season.
Years at Werder Bremen
In 2006, Fritz moved to Werder Bremen for free. He signed a three-year contract with the club.
He first announced he would retire at the end of the 2015–16 season on January 14, 2016. However, he then signed a new one-year contract on April 28, 2016.
On March 4, 2017, during a match against Darmstadt 98, he hurt his ankle. He needed surgery, which meant he could not play for the rest of the 2016–17 season. After struggling with injuries later in his career, he officially announced he was ending his playing career on May 8, 2017.
Playing for Germany
Early International Games
Clemens Fritz played for Germany's Under-18 and Under-21 teams. He made his first appearance for the senior national team on October 7, 2006. He played the whole game in a 2–0 friendly win against Georgia in Rostock.
First Goals for Germany
On June 2, 2007, he scored his first goal for Germany. This goal was part of a big 6–0 win against San Marino in a UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying match in Nuremberg. He scored just eight minutes after coming into the game as a substitute. He scored his second goal on November 17, opening the scoring in a 4–0 win over Cyprus. This was another qualifying match, played in Hannover, where he headed in a cross from Lukas Podolski after only two minutes.
UEFA Euro 2008 Tournament
Fritz was chosen to be part of the 23-player squad for the European Championship in Austria and Switzerland in 2008. He played in the first four of Germany's six games. The team reached the final but lost to Spain.
Career Achievements
Clemens Fritz achieved several important things during his football career:
With Werder Bremen
- Bundesliga (German League) second place: 2007–08
- DFL-Ligapokal (German League Cup) winner: 2006
- DFB-Pokal (German Cup) winner: 2008–09
- DFB-Pokal (German Cup) second place: 2009–10
- UEFA Cup (now Europa League) second place: 2008–09
With Germany U16
- UEFA European Under-16 Championship third place: 1997
With Germany National Team
- UEFA European Football Championship second place: 2008
See also
In Spanish: Clemens Fritz para niños
