Kevin-Prince Boateng facts for kids
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Boateng in 2011
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Kevin-Prince Boateng | ||
| Date of birth | 6 March 1987 | ||
| Place of birth | Berlin, West Germany | ||
| Height | 1.86 m | ||
| Playing position | Midfielder, forward | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1994 | Reinickendorfer Füchse | ||
| 1994–1995 | Hertha BSC | ||
| 1995–1996 | Reinickendorfer Füchse | ||
| 1996–2004 | Hertha BSC | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 2004–2007 | Hertha BSC II | 59 | (11) |
| 2005–2007 | Hertha BSC | 53 | (5) |
| 2007–2009 | Tottenham Hotspur | 24 | (0) |
| 2009 | → Borussia Dortmund (loan) | 11 | (0) |
| 2009–2010 | Portsmouth | 27 | (5) |
| 2010–2011 | Genoa | 0 | (0) |
| 2010–2011 | → Milan (loan) | 34 | (3) |
| 2011–2013 | Milan | 66 | (14) |
| 2013–2015 | Schalke 04 | 60 | (7) |
| 2016 | Milan | 14 | (1) |
| 2016–2017 | Las Palmas | 29 | (10) |
| 2017–2018 | Eintracht Frankfurt | 36 | (6) |
| 2018–2019 | Sassuolo | 15 | (5) |
| 2019 | → Barcelona (loan) | 4 | (0) |
| 2019–2020 | Fiorentina | 15 | (1) |
| 2020 | → Beşiktaş (loan) | 11 | (3) |
| 2020–2021 | Monza | 25 | (5) |
| 2021–2023 | Hertha BSC | 38 | (0) |
| Total | 521 | (76) | |
| National team | |||
| 2004–2005 | Germany U19 | 12 | (7) |
| 2006 | Germany U20 | 2 | (0) |
| 2006–2009 | Germany U21 | 6 | (0) |
| 2010–2014 | Ghana | 15 | (2) |
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Kevin-Prince Boateng (born 6 March 1987) is a former professional footballer. He played as a midfielder or forward. Born in Germany, he later played for the Ghana national team.
Boateng started his career at Hertha BSC in Germany. He then moved to Tottenham Hotspur in England. After a short loan at Borussia Dortmund, he joined Portsmouth. In 2010, he moved to Italian club AC Milan. There, he won the league title and the Supercoppa Italiana.
He played for several other clubs, including Schalke 04 in Germany and Las Palmas in Spain. He also played for Eintracht Frankfurt, winning the DFB-Pokal. Boateng even had a short loan spell at Barcelona, where he won a La Liga title. He finished his career back at Hertha BSC.
Boateng played for Germany's youth teams. Later, he chose to play for Ghana at the senior level. He represented Ghana in the 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
Contents
Kevin-Prince Boateng's Football Journey
Early Club Days
Boateng began his football journey at age six. He joined Reinickendorfer Füchse in 1994. Later that year, he moved to Hertha BSC. He spent many years in their youth system.
Playing for Hertha BSC II
Boateng played for Hertha BSC II for two seasons. This was their reserve team. He then moved up to the main Hertha BSC team. This happened in the 2005–06 season.
First Team Debut at Hertha BSC
Boateng played his first game for Hertha's main team on 13 August 2005. They won 2–0 against Eintracht Frankfurt. He came on as a substitute in the second half.
He received the Fritz Walter Bronze Medal Award in 2005. This award is for talented young German players. In 2006, he won the Fritz Walter Gold Medal in the Under-19 group.
Moving to England and Loan Spells
Joining Tottenham Hotspur
In July 2007, Boateng signed with Tottenham Hotspur. He signed a four-year contract. His time there was not very successful.
Loan to Borussia Dortmund
In January 2009, Tottenham loaned him to Borussia Dortmund. He played ten games in the Bundesliga. He missed the last two games due to a suspension. Dortmund wanted to sign him permanently. However, they could not afford it.
Playing for Portsmouth
Boateng joined Portsmouth in August 2009. He signed a three-year contract. He scored his first goal for them in September 2009. He was named their joint Player of the Month.
In May 2010, Portsmouth played Chelsea in the 2010 FA Cup Final. Chelsea won the match 1–0. Boateng missed a penalty kick in the game. During the match, he fouled Chelsea midfielder Michael Ballack. Ballack was injured and missed the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Boateng later apologized to Ballack for the tackle.
Success in Italy with AC Milan
On 17 August 2010, Boateng moved to Italian club Genoa. He then immediately joined AC Milan on loan. Milan later signed him permanently in June 2011. He signed a four-year contract with Milan.
Memorable Moments at Milan
On 23 October 2011, Boateng scored three goals in 14 minutes against Lecce. Milan was losing 3–0 at half-time. They came back to win the game 4–3. This was one of the fastest hat-tricks in Serie A history.
In January 2013, Boateng and other Milan players faced unfair chanting during a friendly game. Boateng reacted by kicking the ball into the stands. He then walked off the pitch with his teammates. The game was stopped. Many players and experts supported his decision to leave the field.
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In February 2013, Boateng scored for Milan against Barcelona. Milan won that game 2–0 in the 2012–13 UEFA Champions League. He said he changed his playing style at Milan. He moved from a defensive role to a more attacking one.
Return to Germany and Other Clubs
Joining Schalke 04
On 30 August 2013, Boateng moved to German club Schalke 04. He signed a four-year contract. He made his debut for Schalke in a 2–0 win. He scored his first goal for them on 14 September 2013. Fans voted him Schalke's player of the month for October 2013. He scored seven goals that season.
In May 2015, Boateng was suspended by Schalke. This was due to poor behavior. His contract was ended in December 2015.
Second Spell at Milan
Boateng rejoined Milan on 5 January 2016. He signed a six-month contract. He scored his first goal back at the San Siro stadium. This was against Fiorentina in a 2–0 win. He left Milan again in May 2016.
Time in Spain and Germany Again
On 2 August 2016, Boateng joined Spanish club Las Palmas. He scored a goal against Villarreal that was called one of the best goals of the year. He left Las Palmas in August 2017 for personal reasons.
He then moved to Eintracht Frankfurt in Germany. He won the DFB-Pokal with them. After that, he joined Sassuolo in Italy.
Loan to Barcelona
Boateng joined Barcelona on loan in January 2019. He was meant to be a backup player. This made him the first Ghanaian player to play for Barcelona. He won a La Liga title with them.
Later Career Moves
After Barcelona, he joined Fiorentina in Italy. He scored on his debut for them. In January 2020, he was loaned to Beşiktaş in Turkey.
In September 2020, Boateng moved to Monza in Italy. He scored five goals for them.
Final Return to Hertha BSC
On 23 June 2021, Boateng returned to Hertha BSC. This was his third time playing for the club. He announced his retirement from football on 11 August 2023.
International Football for Kevin-Prince Boateng
Playing for Germany's Youth Teams
Boateng has a German passport. He played for Germany's youth national teams. One of his goals for the Under-19 team was voted "Goal of the Month" in Germany.
In 2007, he was not selected for the Germany Under-21 team. This was due to breaking a curfew. He later told German authorities he no longer wanted to play for Germany.
Switching to Ghana
Boateng received a Ghanaian passport in May 2010. He decided to play for Ghana. He said he felt more Ghanaian. He joined Ghana's national team, "The Black Stars," for training.
World Cup Appearances
Boateng made his debut for Ghana in June 2010. He was chosen for Ghana's squad for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. On 23 June, he played against Germany. His brother, Jérôme Boateng, played for Germany. This was the first time two brothers played on opposite teams at a World Cup.
Boateng scored a goal against the United States in the round-of-16. Ghana won that game 2–1.
In November 2011, Boateng said he would retire from international football. He said he was tired from traveling. However, he later changed his mind.
He was selected for Ghana's 2014 FIFA World Cup squad. He played against the United States and Germany. He played against his brother again in the Germany match.
On 26 June, Boateng was sent home from the Ghana squad. This was due to disciplinary reasons. He was accused of verbally abusing the team manager.
Kevin-Prince Boateng's Playing Style
Boateng was a fast, strong, and skilled midfielder. He was known for his energy and ability to score goals. He could shoot from long range and had good dribbling skills. He was also known for his flair and ball-juggling tricks.
He could play in many midfield positions. He often played as a central midfielder or an attacking midfielder. Sometimes, he played as a forward or even a false-9. This meant he could drop deep to help create chances.
Boateng was also known for his exciting goal celebrations. He often did a backflip after scoring. His former teammate Niko Kovač praised Boateng's leadership. He called him a "warrior" who gave the team stability.
Life Outside Football
Personal Life and Family
Boateng was born in Berlin, Germany. His mother is German, and his father is from Ghana. His half-brother, Jérôme Boateng, is also a professional footballer.
He is married to Italian model Melissa Satta. They have a child named Maddox Prince. Boateng can speak Turkish, German, English, and Italian. He also understands French and Arabic.
Tattoos and Music
Boateng has a tattoo of the map of Ghana on his arm. He also has Chinese words for clan, health, love, success, and trust tattooed on his ribs.
He enjoys singing and dancing. He has said that Michael Jackson is his idol. He once performed Michael Jackson's Moonwalk dance at a Milan celebration. He also sang live on TV.
In August 2018, he released a rap song called King under the name PRIN$$ Boateng. He released his second song, Bella Vita, in July 2019.
Fighting Against Racism
In February 2013, Boateng became the first global ambassador for the FIFA anti-discrimination taskforce. He worked to end racism in football. In March 2013, he was named a United Nations (UN) ambassador for anti-racism. He gave his first speech in this role at the United Nations Office at Geneva.
Honours
Portsmouth
- FA cup runner-up: 2010
AC Milan
- Serie A: 2010–11
- Supercoppa Italiana: 2011
- Coppa Italia runner-up: 2015–16
Eintracht Frankfurt
- DFB-Pokal: 2017–18
Barcelona
- La Liga: 2018–19
Individual
- Fritz Walter Medal U18 bronze: 2005
- Fritz Walter Medal U19 gold: 2006
- Das Erste Goal of the Month: 2005
- Serie A Team of the Year: 2010–11
Images for kids
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Boateng in 2011
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Boateng playing for Portsmouth in the 2010 FA Cup Final
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Boateng playing for AC Milan in 2012
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Boateng training with Schalke 04 in 2015
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Boateng (right) playing for Ghana at the 2010 FIFA World Cup
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Boateng pictured in 2013
See also
In Spanish: Kevin-Prince Boateng para niños
