Manuel Friedrich facts for kids
Friedrich with Borussia Dortmund in 2014
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 13 September 1979 | ||
| Place of birth | Bad Kreuznach, West Germany | ||
| Height | 1.89 m (6 ft 2 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Centre back | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1992–1995 | SG Guldental 07 | ||
| 1995–1998 | Mainz 05 | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1998–2000 | Mainz 05 II | 55 | (11) |
| 2000–2002 | Mainz 05 | 63 | (8) |
| 2002–2004 | Werder Bremen II | 13 | (2) |
| 2003 | Werder Bremen | 1 | (0) |
| 2004–2007 | Mainz 05 | 116 | (8) |
| 2007–2013 | Bayer Leverkusen | 147 | (11) |
| 2013–2014 | Borussia Dortmund | 11 | (1) |
| 2014 | Mumbai City | 14 | (1) |
| Total | 420 | (42) | |
| International career | |||
| 2006–2008 | Germany | 9 | (1) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Manuel Friedrich, born on September 13, 1979, is a former German professional football player. He was a central defender, which means he played in the middle of the defense.
Friedrich started his career in the youth team of 1. FSV Mainz 05. He played many games in the Bundesliga, which is Germany's top football league. Over 12 seasons, he played 258 games and scored 16 goals. He played for several well-known clubs like Werder Bremen, Mainz 05, Bayer Leverkusen, and Borussia Dortmund. Before he retired, he also played for Mumbai City for one season.
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Manuel Friedrich's Club Career Highlights
Manuel Friedrich began his football journey in his hometown of Bad Kreuznach. He joined SG Guldental 07 before moving to 1. FSV Mainz 05 in 1995. Mainz 05 was playing in the 2. Bundesliga at the time.
Starting at Mainz 05
Friedrich made his first professional appearance for Mainz 05 on February 26, 2000. This was in a home game against Energie Cottbus. In the next two seasons, he became a very important defender for the team. He even scored eight goals in one season, which is a lot for a defender! These goals helped Mainz finish fourth in the league. They just missed out on being promoted to the top league by one point.
Moving to Werder Bremen
His great performances caught the eye of clubs in the Bundesliga. Friedrich then signed with SV Werder Bremen. However, his time there was not very successful. He only played one league game in a year and a half. This was for the last seven minutes of a 4–1 win against Schalke 04 in August 2003.
During his second season at Werder Bremen, he also played for their reserve team. An injury to his anterior cruciate ligament meant he missed most of the 2002–03 season.
Returning to Mainz 05
In January 2004, Friedrich went back to Mainz 05. He played 17 matches and helped the team get promoted to the top league. On May 23, he scored a key goal in a 3–0 win against Eintracht Trier. This win on the final day helped Mainz get promoted because of their goal difference. For the next three seasons, he played almost every game. He scored four more goals, but Mainz was unfortunately relegated in 2007.
Playing for Bayer Leverkusen
In July 2007, Friedrich joined Bayer 04 Leverkusen. He continued to be a strong and reliable defender there. In his first year, he helped his new team win against Karlsruher SC and VfL Bochum. He scored ten league goals in his first three seasons with Leverkusen.
In the 2010–11 season, Friedrich played only 19 games due to an injury. Leverkusen finished second in the league that year. This meant they qualified for the UEFA Champions League. In a Champions League game on November 23, 2011, he scored a last-minute header. This goal helped Leverkusen come from behind to beat Chelsea 2–1.
Time at Borussia Dortmund
After a short trial in Thailand, Friedrich joined Borussia Dortmund on November 20, 2013. This was a free transfer, meaning no money was paid for him. He joined because other defenders like Mats Hummels and Neven Subotić were injured. He played his first game for Dortmund three days later. It was a 3–0 home loss to FC Bayern Munich.
Friedrich scored his first goal for Dortmund on February 8, 2014. It was the third goal in a big 5–1 away win against his former club, Werder Bremen. This was his 16th goal in Germany's top division.
Playing in India with Mumbai City
On August 22, 2014, Friedrich signed with Mumbai City FC in the Indian Super League. This was a new league in India. The team's coach, Peter Reid, chose him for the first season of Mumbai City. He played 14 matches for the team and scored one goal.
Manuel Friedrich's International Career
In March 2006, Manuel Friedrich was called up to the German national team. This was for a friendly match against the United States. This made him the first player from Mainz to ever play for the national team. However, he did not play in that match. He was also not part of the German squad for the 2006 FIFA World Cup.
Friedrich made his full debut for Germany on August 16, 2006. He played the entire second half of a friendly game against Sweden in Gelsenkirchen. He then played the full 90 minutes in Germany's first two Euro 2008 qualifying games. These were against the Republic of Ireland and San Marino. He scored his first international goal in the game against San Marino. It was the 12th goal in a huge 13–0 victory.
International Goals for Germany
- Scores and results list Germany's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Friedrich goal.
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6 September 2006 | Stadio Olimpico, Serravalle, San Marino |  San Marino |
12–0 | 13–0 | Euro 2008 qualifying |
Manuel Friedrich's Football Honours
Bayer Leverkusen
- DFB-Pokal: runner-up 2008–09 (finished second)
Borussia Dortmund
- DFB-Pokal: runner-up 2013–14 (finished second)
See also
In Spanish: Manuel Friedrich para niños
