Jens Nowotny facts for kids
Nowotny in 2016
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Jens Daniel Nowotny | ||
| Date of birth | 11 January 1974 | ||
| Place of birth | Malsch, West Germany | ||
| Height | 1.87 m (6 ft 2 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Defender | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1979–1985 | SV Spielberg | ||
| 1985–1990 | FC Germania Friedrichstal | ||
| 1990–1991 | Karlsruher SC | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1991–1996 | Karlsruher SC | 103 | (7) |
| 1996–2006 | Bayer Leverkusen | 231 | (4) |
| 2006–2007 | Dinamo Zagreb | 10 | (0) |
| Total | 344 | (11) | |
| International career | |||
| 1994–1996 | Germany U21 | 12 | (0) |
| 1997–2006 | Germany | 48 | (1) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Jens Daniel Nowotny (born January 11, 1974) is a German former professional footballer. He played as a defender, which means he helped protect his team's goal.
Jens Nowotny played almost 300 official games for Bayer Leverkusen over ten years. He helped them reach the Champions League final in 2002.
He also played for the German national team. He appeared in one World Cup and two European Championships. He played 48 games for his country.
Contents
Club Career Highlights
Starting at Karlsruher SC
Jens Nowotny started playing youth football at a young age. He finished his training with Karlsruher SC. He played his first game for the main team in Germany's top league, the Bundesliga, on May 2, 1992. He was only 18 years old.
Even before he turned 20, Nowotny became a very important defender for Karlsruhe. He played nearly 150 official games for the club. This included four games in the 1993–94 UEFA Cup, a big European competition.
Success with Bayer Leverkusen
When he was 22, Nowotny joined Bayer 04 Leverkusen. He played his first league game for them on August 21, 1996. From the very beginning, he was a key player for the team. In his first season, he played 32 matches.
Bayer Leverkusen finished second in the league that year. Jens Nowotny often played alongside Carsten Ramelow, forming a strong defense. On October 30, 1998, he scored his first league goal for Leverkusen.
He also played in 16 games when the club reached the Champions League final in 2002. Unfortunately, they were the runner-up that year. He left Bayer Leverkusen in the summer of 2006. He had played over 300 official games for them in 10 years.
Time at Dinamo Zagreb and Retirement
On July 18, 2006, Nowotny, then 32, signed a three-year contract. He joined NK Dinamo Zagreb, the champions of the Croatian League. He played his first game for Dinamo on July 29.
He also played in a Champions League qualifying game against Arsenal. On August 19, 2006, Nowotny got injured during a game. He had played for Germany just three days before, but wanted to play for Dinamo because his family was there.
This injury became very serious and needed surgery. On January 22, 2007, Jens Nowotny announced he was retiring from football. He could not fully recover from his injury. He said he didn't want to wait another 10 months for recovery.
International Career
Jens Nowotny played his first game for the German national team on April 30, 1997. It was a qualifying match for the 1998 FIFA World Cup.
He was part of the German teams for two European Championships, in 2000 and 2004. He played five games in these tournaments. He missed the 2002 World Cup because of a serious injury.
Nowotny was chosen for the 2006 World Cup held in Germany. He had not played for the national team for two years before this. During the tournament, he was a backup player. He only played in one game, the third-place match against Portugal, which Germany won 3–1.
In total, he played 48 games for Germany. He scored his only goal in a friendly match against Malta on May 27, 2004. Germany won that game 7–0.
Honours and Achievements
Jens Nowotny achieved several honours during his football career:
Bayer Leverkusen
- Bundesliga runner-up: 1996–97, 1998–99, 1999–2000, 2001–02 (This means his team finished second in the German league)
- UEFA Champions League runner-up: 2001–02 (His team finished second in Europe's biggest club competition)
- DFB-Pokal runner-up: 2001–02 (His team finished second in the German Cup)
Dinamo Zagreb
- Croatian First Football League: 2006–07 (His team won the Croatian league)
- Croatian Football Cup: 2006–07 (His team won the Croatian Cup)
Germany
- FIFA World Cup third place: 2006 (His national team finished third in the World Cup)
Individual Awards
- kicker Bundesliga Team of the Season: 1998–99, 1999–2000, 2000–01, 2001–02 (He was chosen as one of the best players in the German league for these seasons)
See also
In Spanish: Jens Nowotny para niños
