Stefan Kuntz facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Stefan Kuntz

Kuntz in 2018
Personal information
Full name	Stefan Kuntz
Date of birth	(1962-10-30) 30 October 1962 (age 62)
Place of birth	Neunkirchen, West Germany
Height	1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Position(s)	Striker
Youth career
1970–1981	Borussia Neunkirchen
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1980–1983	Borussia Neunkirchen	89	(28)
1983–1986	VfL Bochum	100	(41)
1986–1989	Bayer 05 Uerdingen	94	(32)
1989–1995	1. FC Kaiserslautern	170	(75)
1995–1996	Beşiktaş	30	(9)
1996–1998	Arminia Bielefeld	65	(25)
1998–1999	VfL Bochum	20	(6)
2002–2003	SV Furpach	22	(22)
2004–2005	FC Palatia Limbach	10	(1)
Total		600	(239)
International career
1983–1985	West Germany U-21	4	(3)
1986	West Germany B	1	(2)
1993–1997	Germany	25	(6)
Managerial career
1999–2000	Borussia Neunkirchen
2000–2002	Karlsruher SC
2003	Waldhof Mannheim
2003	LR Ahlen
2016–2021	Germany U21
2021	Germany U23
2021–2023	Turkey
2024–	Hamburger SV (Sporting Director)
Medal record Men's football Representing  Germany (as player) UEFA European Championship Winner 1996 Representing  Germany (as manager) UEFA European Under-21 Championship Winner 2017 Winner 2021
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Stefan Kuntz, born on October 30, 1962, is a famous German football figure. He was a talented player who scored many goals as a striker. Later, he became a successful football manager. Most recently, he was the head coach for the Turkish national team.

Kuntz played for the German national team from 1993 to 1997. During this time, he helped Germany reach the quarter-finals of the 1994 FIFA World Cup. He also helped them win the UEFA Euro 1996 championship. He played 25 games for Germany and scored six goals. One of his most important goals was in the Euro 1996 semi-final against England.

Playing Career Highlights

Stefan Kuntz had a long and successful career as a football player. He played from 1983 until 1999. He appeared in 449 games in the Bundesliga, which is Germany's top football league. He scored 179 goals in these games.

Clubs Kuntz Played For

Kuntz played for several well-known German clubs. These included VfL Bochum, Bayer 05 Uerdingen, 1. FC Kaiserslautern, and Arminia Bielefeld. He also played for Beşiktaş J.K. in Turkey. Kuntz was the top scorer in the Bundesliga in both 1986 and 1994. This shows how good he was at scoring goals!

In 1995, Kuntz moved to Turkey to play for Beşiktaş. His coach, Christoph Daum, wanted him there. Kuntz played his first game in the Turkish league on August 13, 1995. It was an away game against Kayserispor, and the score was 1–1. He scored his first goal for Beşiktaş on September 24, 1995, in a home game against Istanbulspor. Beşiktaş won that game 5–2.

Playing for Germany

The German national team manager, Berti Vogts, chose Kuntz for the 1994 FIFA World Cup team. Kuntz played in one match during the tournament, which was against Belgium. Germany was later knocked out of the World Cup by Bulgaria.

At UEFA Euro 1996, Kuntz played regularly for the team. He even stepped in for the injured Jürgen Klinsmann in the semi-final match against England. Kuntz was a key player in that game. He scored the goal that tied the game shortly after England had scored. He also scored the fifth penalty kick for Germany in the shootout, which led to sudden death.

During his time playing for Germany, Kuntz played in 25 games and scored six goals. What's amazing is that Germany never lost a game when Kuntz played! They won 20 games, won one after a penalty shootout, and had four draws. This is a record for the German national team.

International Goals Scored

Here are the goals Stefan Kuntz scored for the German national team:

No.	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1.	18 December 1993	Oakland Coliseum, Oakland, United States	United States	2–0	3–0	Friendly
2.	7 September 1994	Luzhniki Stadium, Moscow, Russia	Russia	1–0	1–0
3.	4 June 1996	Carl-Benz-Stadion, Mannheim, Germany	Liechtenstein	2–0	9–1
4.				9–1
5.	26 June 1996	Wembley Stadium, London, England	England	1–1	1–1	UEFA Euro 1996
6.	9 October 1996	Hrazdan Stadium, Yerevan, Armenia	Armenia	5–0	5–1	1998 FIFA World Cup qualification

Life After Playing Football

After retiring as a player, Stefan Kuntz continued to work in football. From 2006 to 2008, he was the athletic director for VfL Bochum. Then, from 2008 to 2016, he was the chairman of the board for 1. FC Kaiserslautern.

Coaching Success with Germany U21

Kuntz became the coach of the Germany U21 team. He had an amazing record with them! His team reached the final of the UEFA European Under-21 Championship three times. They made it to the finals in 2017, 2019, and 2021.

His team won two of these three finals. In 2017, they beat Spain 1–0 in the final. In 2021, Germany defeated Portugal by the same score.

Coaching the Turkish National Team

On September 19, 2021, Stefan Kuntz was chosen as the new head coach for the Turkish national team. He coached them until September 20, 2023. He was let go after two difficult games against Armenia and Japan. Even though Turkey was in a good position in their Euro 2024 qualifying group, many Turkish football fans were not happy with his performance, which led to his departure.

Managerial Statistics

Here is a summary of Stefan Kuntz's coaching record:

As of 12 September  2023 (2023 -09-12)^[update]

Awards and Achievements

Stefan Kuntz has won many awards and championships throughout his career, both as a player and as a manager.

As a Player

With Kaiserslautern

• DFB-Pokal (German Cup): 1989–90
• Bundesliga (German League): 1990–91
• DFL-Supercup: 1991

With Germany

• UEFA European Championship: 1996

Individual Awards

• German Footballer of the Year: 1991

As a Manager

With Germany U21

• UEFA European Under-21 Championship:
  • Winner: 2017, 2021
  • Runner-up: 2019

See also

In Spanish: Stefan Kuntz para niños