Kevin Kurányi facts for kids
Kurányi in 2016
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Kevin Dennis Kurányi Rodríguez | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 2 March 1982 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Striker | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1988–1993 | Serrano | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 1993–1994 | Las Promesas Panama | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 1994–1996 | Serrano | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 1996–1997 | Las Promesas Panama | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 1997–2001 | VfB Stuttgart | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2000–2002 | VfB Stuttgart II | 33 | (10) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2001–2005 | VfB Stuttgart | 99 | (40) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2005–2010 | Schalke 04 | 162 | (71) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2010–2015 | Dynamo Moscow | 123 | (50) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2015–2016 | 1899 Hoffenheim | 14 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 431 | (171) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| International career | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2001 | Germany U20 | 5 | (2) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2002–2003 | Germany U21 | 6 | (2) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2002 | Germany Team 2006 | 1 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2003–2008 | Germany | 52 | (19) | |||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Kevin Dennis Kurányi Rodríguez (born on March 2, 1982) is a former professional footballer. He played as a striker, which means he was a player who focused on scoring goals. Kevin was known for being good at heading the ball and scoring. From 2003 to 2008, he played for the German national team, scoring 19 goals in 52 games. He also played in two major European tournaments and one FIFA Confederations Cup. For his clubs, Kevin played for VfB Stuttgart, Schalke, and Hoffenheim in Germany. He also played for Dynamo Moscow in Russia.
Contents
Kevin Kurányi's Early Life
Kevin Kurányi was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. His father was German with Hungarian family, and his mother was Panamanian. Because of his family background, Kevin could have chosen to play for Brazil, Panama, or Hungary. However, he decided to play for the German national team.
Kevin's Club Football Journey
Starting His Football Career
Kevin Kurányi started playing football in 1988 when he was six years old. He joined a club called Serrano FC in Brazil. In 1993, he moved to a Panamanian club called Las Promesas for a year. He then went back to Serrano FC and later returned to Las Promesas for another year in 1996.
Playing for VfB Stuttgart
In 1997, Kevin moved to Germany and joined VfB Stuttgart's youth team. After playing some games for Germany's under-21 team, he signed his first professional contract with VfB Stuttgart in 2001.
He played 99 matches for VfB Stuttgart's main team and scored 40 goals. He also played in 22 European club games, scoring 10 goals. In the 2002–03 season, he was the top German goal-scorer in the Bundesliga (Germany's top football league). He was a big reason why Stuttgart finished second in the league that year. The team, known as the "Junge Wilde" (young wild ones), played exciting attacking football.
Time at Schalke 04
Kevin left Stuttgart in 2005 and joined Schalke. He was the top goalscorer for Schalke from 2005 to 2008. During his time there, the team earned a spot in the UEFA Champions League three times in a row.
On April 15, 2008, Kevin scored four goals in a single league match, helping Schalke win 5–0 against Energie Cottbus.
Moving to Dynamo Moscow
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On May 9, 2010, it was announced that Kevin Kurányi would move to Dynamo Moscow in Russia. He signed a three-year contract. In July 2012, after extending his contract, he became the captain of the team. On December 9, 2012, he scored two goals for Dynamo, helping them win 2–1 against Terek Grozny.
Final Club: 1899 Hoffenheim
After his contract with Dynamo Moscow ended in 2015, Kevin returned to Germany. He signed a one-year deal with 1899 Hoffenheim on July 24, 2015.
Kevin Kurányi officially announced his retirement from football on March 24, 2017.
Kevin's International Career
Kevin played his first game for Germany on March 29, 2003. This was a qualifying match for the Euro 2004 tournament. In his sixth game, he scored Germany's final goal in their 3–0 win against Iceland. He played for Germany in the Euro 2004 finals and the 2005 Confederations Cup. However, he was not chosen for the 2006 World Cup held in Germany.
In 2007, Kevin was called back to the national team after not playing for them for 15 months. He scored a goal in Germany's 3–1 win against Switzerland on February 7, 2007. In a Euro 2008 qualifying match against the Czech Republic on March 24, he scored both goals in a 2–1 victory. He played in the Euro 2008 final against Spain, which Germany lost 1–0. This game was his 50th cap (appearance) for Germany.
On October 11, 2008, Kevin was not chosen to be part of the 18-man squad for a match against Russia. During halftime, he left the stadium and did not return to the team hotel. After this, the German team coach, Joachim Löw, decided that Kevin would no longer be selected for the national team.
Kevin Kurányi's Personal Life
Because of his family background, Kevin Kurányi has German, Panamanian, and Brazilian citizenships. He is a big fan of the Brazilian football team Flamengo.
His son, Karlo, joined the Under-19 team of VfB Stuttgart in 2022. In 2025, Karlo also joined the Under-20 Panama National team.
Honours and Achievements
Kevin Kurányi won several awards and titles during his career:
VfB Stuttgart
- UEFA Intertoto Cup: 2002
Schalke 04
- DFL-Ligapokal: 2005
Germany National Team
- FIFA Confederations Cup third place: 2005
- UEFA European Championship runner-up: 2008
Individual Awards
- kicker Bundesliga Team of the Season: 2006–07, 2009–10
See also
In Spanish: Kevin Kurányi para niños
