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Marcel Schäfer
Marcel Schäfer.jpg
Personal information
Full name Marcel Schäfer
Date of birth (1984-06-07) 7 June 1984 (age 41)
Place of birth Aschaffenburg, West Germany
Height 1.84 m (6 ft 0 in)
Position(s) Left wingback
Youth career
1989–1996 SV Eintracht Straßbessenbach
1996–2000 Viktoria Aschaffenburg
2000–2003 1860 Munich
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2003–2007 1860 Munich 91 (3)
2007–2017 VfL Wolfsburg 256 (13)
2014 VfL Wolfsburg II 2 (1)
2017–2018 Tampa Bay Rowdies 43 (5)
International career
2005–2008 Germany B 1 (0)
2008–2010 Germany 8 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 13 July 2018
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 21 September 2014

Marcel Schäfer (born on June 7, 1984) is a German former professional footballer. He played as a left wingback. After retiring from playing, he became a managing director for sport at RB Leipzig.

Marcel Schäfer's Football Journey

Starting at 1860 Munich

Marcel Schäfer began his professional football career with TSV 1860 Munich. He made his first appearance in the top German league, the Bundesliga, on November 1, 2003. In that game, 1860 Munich won 3–1 against VfL Bochum.

After his team moved down to the second division, the 2. Bundesliga, Marcel became a regular player. He scored his first goal for 1860 Munich on March 4, 2005, helping his team win 3–0 against Wacker Burghausen. He also scored on the last day of the 2004–05 season, though his team lost that match.

In the 2005–06 2. Bundesliga season, he scored one goal in a 2–2 draw against SpVgg Greuther Fürth. During the 2006-07 season, he played in 31 out of 34 games, showing how important he was to the team.

Success with VfL Wolfsburg

On July 1, 2007, Marcel Schäfer moved back to the Bundesliga, joining VfL Wolfsburg for €1.2 million. He played his first game for Wolfsburg on August 11, 2007, in a 1–3 loss to Arminia Bielefeld.

He scored his first goal for Wolfsburg on November 4, 2007, but his team lost a high-scoring game 3–5 to Bochum. Marcel continued to show his skills, scoring and assisting goals. For example, on December 15, he scored and set up two goals in a big 4–0 win against Borussia Dortmund.

In the 2007–08 Bundesliga season, he scored a winning goal against Dortmund on the final day. This victory helped Wolfsburg earn a spot in the UEFA Cup, a major European competition.

European and Cup Adventures

Marcel Schäfer made his debut in European football on September 18, 2008, helping Wolfsburg win 1–0 against Rapid București. A few days later, he scored his first goal in the DFB-Pokal, Germany's main cup competition, as Wolfsburg won 7–0 against FC Oberneuland.

He also played a key role in a thrilling 2–2 draw against Milan in the UEFA Cup, helping his team secure the top spot in their group. In the 2008–09 DFB-Pokal, he assisted a goal in a cup match against Werder Bremen, though Wolfsburg lost that game.

Winning the Bundesliga Title

The 2008–09 Bundesliga season was very special for Marcel Schäfer and Wolfsburg. On April 4, 2009, he assisted a goal in an amazing 5–1 victory over Bayern Munich. This win was part of an eight-game winning streak for Wolfsburg.

On May 23, 2009, Marcel played the whole game as Wolfsburg defeated Bremen 5–1. This victory secured the club's first-ever Bundesliga title, a huge achievement for both the team and Marcel.

Later Years at Wolfsburg

Marcel Schäfer also played in the 2009-10 UEFA Champions League, the biggest club competition in Europe. He assisted a goal in Wolfsburg's 3–1 win against CSKA Moscow.

He continued to be an important player for Wolfsburg in the following seasons. In the 2014–15 season, he helped his team win the DFB-Pokal and the DFL-Supercup in 2015. He often stepped in when other players were injured, showing his reliability and skill.

Playing in the USA

In March 2017, Marcel Schäfer moved to the United States and signed a contract with the Tampa Bay Rowdies. He played for them until 2018, before retiring from professional football.

Playing for Germany

Marcel Schäfer also represented his country, Germany. He made his first appearance for the national team on November 19, 2008, in a friendly match against England.

He played his first full game for Germany on May 29, 2009, in a 1–1 draw against China. On August 12, 2009, he played in his first competitive game for Germany, a 2–0 win against Azerbaijan in a World Cup qualifying match. His last international game was a friendly against Denmark in August 2010.

Career Statistics

Marcel Schäfer's career statistics are shown in the table below.

Club performance League Cup Continental Total Ref.
Club League Season Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Germany League DFB-Pokal Europe Total
1860 Munich Bundesliga 2003–04 1 0 0 0 1 0
2. Bundesliga 2004–05 27 2 1 0 28 2
1860 Munich II Regionalliga Süd 2004–05 7 3 7 3
1860 Munich 2. Bundesliga 2005–06 32 1 3 0 35 1
2006–07 31 0 1 0 32 0
1860 Munich totals 91 3 5 0 0 0 96 3
1860 Munich II totals 7 3 7 3
VfL Wolfsburg Bundesliga 2007–08 29 6 3 0 32 6
2008–09 34 0 4 1 8 0 46 1
2009–10 32 0 2 0 12 0 46 0
2010–11 34 0 2 1 36 1
2011–12 34 5 1 0 35 5
2012–13 31 0 4 0 35 0
2013–14 21 1 4 1 25 2
2014–15 16 2 2 0 15 0
2015–16 21 1 2 0 15 0
VfL Wolfsburg II Regionalliga Nord 2013–14 2 1 2 1
VfL Wolfsburg totals 223 12 21 3 25 0 268 15
VfL Wolfsburg II totals 2 1 2 1
Career totals 323 19 26 3 25 0 373 22

Awards and Achievements

Team Honours

Marcel Schäfer won several important titles with VfL Wolfsburg:

  • Bundesliga: He was part of the team that won the German league title in the 2008–09 season.
  • DFB-Pokal: Wolfsburg won the German Cup in the 2014–15 season.
  • DFL-Supercup: They also won the German Supercup in 2015.

Individual Awards

Marcel Schäfer also received some personal awards:

  • Lower Saxony Footballer of the Year: He was named the best footballer in Lower Saxony in 2009.
  • United Soccer League Best XI: In 2017, he was chosen as one of the best players in the United Soccer League.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Marcel Schäfer para niños

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