Paul Steiner facts for kids
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 23 January 1957 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Waldbrunn, West Germany | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.82 m (6 ft 0 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Centre back | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| –1975 | TSV Strümpfelbrunn | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1975–1979 | Waldhof Mannheim | 144 | (16) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1979–1981 | MSV Duisburg | 58 | (7) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1981–1991 | 1. FC Köln | 291 | (20) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 493 | (43) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| International career | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1983 | West Germany U21 | 2 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1987 | West Germany Olympic | 2 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1990 | West Germany | 1 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Paul Steiner (born January 23, 1957) is a German former professional footballer. He mostly played as a central defender, which is a key defensive position in football.
Contents
Paul Steiner's Club Career
Early Football Days
Paul Steiner started his football journey in his hometown of Waldbrunn, Baden-Württemberg. He played for a local team called TSV Strümpfelbrunn. This is where he learned the basics of the game.
Starting Professional Football
In 1975, Paul Steiner began his professional career. He joined SV Waldhof Mannheim and played for them for four seasons. During this time, the team was in the 2. Bundesliga, which is Germany's second-highest football league.
Playing in the Bundesliga
From 1979 to 1991, Steiner played in the Bundesliga. This is Germany's top football league. He played for two major clubs: MSV Duisburg and 1. FC Köln. He played in 349 games and scored 27 goals during this period.
Success with 1. FC Köln
Paul Steiner had a very successful time with 1. FC Köln. He helped his team finish in the top three of the league five times. This shows how important he was to the team's defense.
He also won the German Cup in 1983. This is a big knockout tournament in German football. In 1986, his team reached the final of the 1985–86 UEFA Cup. They played against Real Madrid, a famous Spanish club, but unfortunately lost.
After Retirement
Paul Steiner retired from playing football when he was 34 years old. After his playing career, he became a scout. A scout's job is to find new talented players for a club. He first worked for Bayer 04 Leverkusen, which is a rival team of Köln. Later, he returned to 1. FC Köln to work as a scout there.
Paul Steiner's International Career
Debut for Germany
Paul Steiner made his debut for the Germany national football team when he was 33 years old. This is quite old for a player to make their first appearance for the national team. He came on as a substitute in a friendly match. This game was against Denmark on May 30, 1990. It was played in Gelsenkirchen at the Parkstadion.
1990 FIFA World Cup
It was a surprise when Paul Steiner was chosen for the 1990 FIFA World Cup squad. The World Cup was held in Italy that year. Many people expected another player, Holger Fach, to be picked instead. However, coach Franz Beckenbauer chose Steiner.
During the tournament, Germany performed very well. They reached the final and defeated Argentina to win the World Cup. Even though Germany won, Paul Steiner did not play in any of the matches. After the World Cup, he was not called up to the national team again.
See also
In Spanish: Paul Steiner para niños
