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 | ||
| Playing position | 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) | |
| National team | |||
| 2001 | Germany U-21 | 1 | (0) |
| 2002 | Germany Team 2006 | 1 | (0) |
| 2006–2008 | Germany | 22 | (2) |
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Clemens Fritz (born 7 December 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.
Fritz started his career at 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 reached 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. 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
Club Career Highlights
Starting at Rot-Weiß Erfurt
Clemens Fritz was born in Erfurt, which was then in East Germany. He began his football journey with his hometown club, Rot-Weiß Erfurt. He played for them in the Regionalliga, which is a regional league.
Moving to Karlsruher SC
In the summer of 2001, Fritz joined Karlsruher SC, a club in the 2. Bundesliga (second division). He scored five goals in 32 games for them. In 2003, when he was signed by Bayer Leverkusen, he was loaned back to Karlsruher SC. This allowed him to keep playing regularly in the first team.
Time at Bayer Leverkusen
Fritz became a regular player for Bayer Leverkusen in the second half of the 2003–04 season. He showed his skills and 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 joined Werder Bremen for free. He signed a three-year contract with them. He became a very important player for the club.
On 14 January 2016, he said he would retire at the end of the 2015–16 season. However, he changed his mind and signed a new one-year contract on 28 April 2016.
On 4 March 2017, during a match against Darmstadt 98, he hurt his ankle. He needed surgery, which meant he couldn't play for the rest of the 2016–17 season. After struggling with injuries, he announced that he was ending his playing career on 8 May 2017.
Playing for Germany
Clemens Fritz played for Germany's under-18 and under-21 teams. He made his first appearance for the senior national team on 7 October 2006. This was in a friendly match against Georgia, which Germany won 2–0.
On 2 June 2007, he scored his first goal for Germany. It was in a big 6–0 win against San Marino during a UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying game. He scored his second goal on 17 November in another qualifier against Cyprus. He headed in a cross from Lukas Podolski early in the game, which Germany won 4–0.
Fritz was chosen to be part of the 23-player squad for the European Championship in 2008. The tournament was held in Austria and Switzerland. He played in four of Germany's six games. Germany reached the final but lost to Spain.
Achievements
Here are some of the awards and achievements Clemens Fritz earned during his career:
Werder Bremen
- Bundesliga runner-up: 2007–08 (finished second in the league)
- DFL-Ligapokal: 2006 (won a German league cup)
- DFB-Pokal: 2008–09 (won the German Cup); runner-up 2009–10 (finished second in the German Cup)
- UEFA Cup: runner-up 2008–09 (finished second in a big European club competition)
Germany U16
- UEFA European Under-16 Championship third place: 1997 (finished third in a European championship for young players)
Germany
- UEFA European Football Championship runner-up: 2008 (finished second in the European Championship)
See also
In Spanish: Clemens Fritz para niños
