Stefan Kießling facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Stefan Kießling

Kießling in 2019
Personal information
Full name	Stefan Kießling
Date of birth	(1984-01-25) 25 January 1984 (age 41)
Place of birth	Lichtenfels, West Germany
Height	1.91 m (6 ft 3 in)
Position(s)	Striker
Youth career
1988–2001	1. FC Eintracht Bamberg
2001–2003	1. FC Nürnberg
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2003–2006	1. FC Nürnberg	73	(15)
2006–2018	Bayer Leverkusen	344	(131)
Total		417	(146)
International career
2003	Germany U20	1	(0)
2004	Germany Team 2006	1	(0)
2005–2006	Germany U21	15	(4)
2007–2010	Germany	6	(0)
Medal record Men's football Representing  Germany Third FIFA World Cup 2010
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Stefan Kießling, born on January 25, 1984, is a German former professional football player. He was a striker, which means he played at the front of the team to score goals. He played for two main clubs: Bayer Leverkusen and 1. FC Nürnberg.

Stefan started playing football when he was very young. He joined the youth team at 1. FC Eintracht Bamberg and then moved to the 1. FC Nürnberg academy in 2001. He became a professional player for Nürnberg in 2003 when he was 19. In the summer of 2006, he moved to Bayer Leverkusen and played there for 12 seasons.

From 2007 to 2010, Stefan also played for the German national team. He played in six matches but did not score any goals for the senior team. He was part of the German squad at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, where Germany finished in third place.

About Stefan Kießling

Stefan Kießling comes from a family that loves football. His grandfather started a football club called TSV Eintracht Bamberg. His father was also a football player, playing as a goalkeeper.

When Stefan was 15, he had to choose between becoming a chef or a professional footballer. He chose football, even though he still enjoys cooking. He also loves music, and his favorite artists are Bon Jovi and Bryan Adams.

Stefan married his wife, Norina, on December 29, 2008. They have two children, a daughter named Hailey-Milu and a son named Tayler-Joel.

Stefan's Club Career

Stefan Kießling played for two main clubs during his professional career: 1. FC Nürnberg and Bayer Leverkusen.

Playing for 1. FC Nürnberg

Stefan began his senior club career at 1. FC Nürnberg. He had already played in their youth teams, after starting at 1. FC Eintracht Bamberg's youth academy.

In 2002, he signed a six-year contract with Nürnberg. This was after he scored 13 goals in 21 games for the club's reserve team. He played his first professional game for Nürnberg in April 2003. His team lost 4–0 to Hamburger SV. This was his only game for the first team during the 2002–03 season.

Stefan scored his first professional goal on March 7, 2004, in a 2–2 draw against Greuther Fürth. He scored two goals in 14 games during the 2003–04 season. In the 2004–05 season, he scored four goals in 29 games. The next season, 2005–06, he scored 11 goals in 33 games.

Playing for Bayer Leverkusen

Stefan's talent caught the eye of big clubs like Arsenal and Bayern Munich. However, he decided to join Bayer Leverkusen in the summer of 2006. He signed a four-year contract. On August 12, 2006, Stefan played his first game for his new club as a substitute.

Early Years at Leverkusen (2006–2012)

After joining Leverkusen, Stefan scored many goals. He netted eight goals in the 2006–07 season, 16 goals in 2007–08, and 14 goals in 2008–09. In April 2009, he scored the first goal in a 2–0 win against 1. FC Köln. This helped Leverkusen try to qualify for European competitions.

In August 2009, fans voted him the Bundesliga Player of the Month. On November 29, 2009, he scored three goals (a hat-trick) against Stuttgart. This 4–0 win put Leverkusen at the top of the league table. In March 2010, Stefan signed a new contract with Leverkusen until 2015. He had a great 2009–10 season, scoring 21 goals in 33 games. He was the second-highest goal scorer in the Bundesliga that season. He was also chosen for the Bundesliga Team of the Season.

In the 2010–11 season, he scored nine goals in 29 games. On February 18, 2012, Stefan scored two goals and helped André Schürrle score another, as Leverkusen beat FC Augsburg 4–1. On May 5, he scored another hat-trick on the last day of the Bundesliga season. This helped his team win 4–1 against his former club, Nürnberg, and finish fifth in the league. He ended the 2011–12 season with 17 goals in 43 matches.

Kießling playing against Rapid Wien in the Europa League in October 2012.

Top Scorer Season (2012–2013)

Stefan's first goal of the 2012–13 season came on August 25, 2012. He scored the first goal in Leverkusen's opening Bundesliga match, but his team lost 2–1 to Eintracht Frankfurt. In the Europa League, he scored the winning goal against Norwegian team Rosenborg BK on October 4.

By mid-season, Stefan was the top scorer in the Bundesliga. He continued to play well in the second half of the season, scoring seven goals in the last six Bundesliga matches. This included two goals against Hoffenheim and winning goals against Werder Bremen and Hannover 96.

Stefan was the highest-scoring player in the Bundesliga for the 2012–13 season, with 25 goals. He scored a goal on the final day of the season against Hamburg, which secured a 1–0 win and third place for Leverkusen. His 25 goals made up 38% of all goals scored by Leverkusen that year. He also had seven assists, which was tied for the most on his team. Stefan was chosen for the Bundesliga Team of the Season and was voted the league's fourth-best player overall. He finished the season with 27 goals in 43 games across all competitions.

Later Years at Leverkusen (2013–2018)

On July 26, 2013, Stefan signed a new contract with Leverkusen, keeping him at the club until 2017. He scored his first goals of the 2013–14 season in the DFB-Pokal (German Cup) on August 3, 2013. He scored twice as Leverkusen won 6–1 against SV Lippstadt 08. In the first Bundesliga game, he scored in a 3–1 win over Freiburg.

On October 18, 2013, Stefan was involved in a strange incident against Hoffenheim. He headed the ball, and it seemed to miss the goal. But then his teammates celebrated, and the referee gave a goal. It turned out the ball went through a hole in the side netting! This "ghost goal" gave Leverkusen a 2–1 win. Five days later, Stefan scored two clear goals in Leverkusen's 4–0 win against Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League.

Kießling during a UEFA Champions League match against Zenit Saint Petersburg (2014)

On April 13, 2014, Stefan scored a header very early in the game against Hertha BSC, helping Leverkusen win 2–1. On May 10, Leverkusen beat Werder Bremen 2–1, which secured fourth place and a spot in the Champions League play-off round for the next season. Stefan finished the 2013–14 season with 19 goals in 43 games. Even though he was the top German forward in the Bundesliga, he was not chosen for the German squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil.

Final Seasons (2014–2018)

In the first game of the 2014–15 season, Stefan scored five goals in the 2014–15 DFB-Pokal as Leverkusen won 6–0. In the Champions League play-off, he scored the opening goal in a 3–2 away win against F.C. Copenhagen. In the first Bundesliga game, he scored in the last minute to complete a 2–0 win over Borussia Dortmund. He scored two more goals against Copenhagen, helping Leverkusen reach the group stages with a 7–2 total win. He finished the 2014–15 season with 19 goals in 48 games.

In the 2015–16 season, Stefan scored in the first game of the Bundesliga season against TSG 1899 Hoffenheim. This set a record, as he had scored in the first game of the previous four Bundesliga seasons too. On December 12, 2015, Stefan scored two goals and helped Javier Hernández score three goals for Bayer Leverkusen. In April 2016, Stefan extended his contract until June 2018. He finished the season with seven goals in 43 games.

Before the 2016–17 season, Stefan said he might have to stop playing because of a hip injury. He scored four goals in 20 league games that season. He played his last professional game on May 12, 2018, in a 3–2 win against Hannover 96. He came on as a substitute in the 83rd minute. He ended his Bayer Leverkusen career with 343 Bundesliga appearances.

International Career

Stefan Kießling played his first game for the German national team in a friendly match against Denmark on March 28, 2007.

After playing well in the 2009–10 season, he was called back to the team by coach Joachim Löw. He played his fourth game on May 13, 2010, in a friendly against Malta, playing the whole game in a 3–0 win. He was one of the 23 players in the German squad for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. He played as a substitute in two games: against England and in the third-place match against Uruguay.

Later, Stefan said he would not play for the national team as long as Joachim Löw was the coach. He felt that the coach did not show him enough respect.

How Stefan Played

Stefan Kießling was known as a "target man" in football. This means he was good at holding up the ball and helping his teammates score. He was also known for his hard work and his ability to score goals. People praised him for becoming a very good striker in the Bundesliga.

He was also good at winning aerial duels, which means he was good at heading the ball when it was in the air. He was also good at winning free kicks for his team. Many of Stefan's goals came from inside the penalty box. He was known for being a "poacher," scoring goals from close range or from deflections. In the 2012–13 Bundesliga season, 24 of his 25 league goals were scored from inside the penalty area.

After Retirement

Kießling in a charity match in 2019

Stefan Kießling retired from playing football after the 2017–18 season. After he stopped playing, he started working in the office side of Bayer Leverkusen. In December 2018, Stefan joked that his wife sometimes helped him with his summer training sessions!

Career Statistics

Club Appearances and Goals

International Appearances and Goals

Honours and Awards

Stefan Kießling received several awards and honours during his career:

With 1. FC Nürnberg

• 2. Bundesliga: 2003–04 (This means his team won the second division league.)

With Bayer Leverkusen

• DFB-Pokal runner-up: 2008–09 (His team reached the final of the German Cup.)

With Germany National Team

• FIFA World Cup third place: 2010 (Germany finished third in the World Cup.)

Individual Awards

• Bundesliga Player of the Month: August 2009
• Bundesliga Team of the Season: 2009–10
• Bundesliga top scorer: 2012–13 (He scored the most goals in the league with 25 goals.)
• DFB-Pokal top scorer: 2014–15 (He scored the most goals in the German Cup with 6 goals.)
• kicker Bundesliga Team of the Season: 2012–13

See also

In Spanish: Stefan Kießling para niños