Steffen Freund facts for kids
Freund in 2017
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date of birth | 19 January 1970 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Brandenburg, East Germany | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.80 m | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Playing position | Defensive midfielder | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| BSG Motor Süd Brandenburg | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| –1988 | BSG Stahl Brandenburg | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1988–1991 | BSG Stahl Brandenburg | 57 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1991–1993 | Schalke 04 | 53 | (3) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1993–1998 | Borussia Dortmund | 117 | (6) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1998–2003 | Tottenham Hotspur | 102 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2003–2004 | 1. FC Kaiserslautern | 9 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2004 | → Leicester City (loan) | 14 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 352 | (9) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| National team | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1992 | Germany Olympic | 2 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1995–1998 | Germany | 21 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Teams managed | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009–2012 | Germany U16 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2010–2011 | Germany U17 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2012–2014 | Tottenham Hotspur (assistant) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Honours
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Steffen Freund (born January 19, 1970) is a German former professional footballer. He played as a defensive midfielder in Germany and England. He played 21 times for the German national team. Steffen was a key player when Germany won the UEFA Euro 1996 championship.
Contents
Playing Career: Clubs and Teams
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Early Days in Germany
Steffen Freund started his football journey at Stahl Brandenburg. He grew up playing in their youth teams. In 1991, he moved to FC Schalke 04. There, he quickly became an important player in the midfield.
In 1993, Schalke 04 had to sell Freund because of money problems. He then joined Borussia Dortmund, where he played until 1998. During his time at Dortmund, he helped the team win the German league twice, in 1995 and 1996. He also won the UEFA Champions League in 1997. However, he did not play in the final match itself.
Playing for Tottenham Hotspur
In December 1998, Freund moved to England to play for Tottenham Hotspur. This team is part of the English Premiership. While playing for Tottenham, he won the Football League Cup in 1999. He started in the midfield during the final match, where Tottenham won 1–0 against Leicester City.
Steffen stayed with Tottenham until 2003. Even though he never scored a goal in 131 games, fans loved him. They admired his hard work, effort, and dedication on the field. In December 2009, Steffen Freund was honored by being added to the Tottenham Hotspur Hall of Fame.
Later Career
Towards the end of his playing career, Steffen had short periods at two other clubs. He played for 1. FC Kaiserslautern in Germany. He also played for Leicester City in England.
Playing for His Country: Germany
Germany National Team Appearances
Between 1995 and 1998, Steffen Freund played 21 games for the German national team. He was part of the team that won the UEFA Euro 1996 tournament. Sadly, he missed playing in the final match because of an injury. This injury happened during their semi-final win against England.
Steffen also played in the 1998 FIFA World Cup. Germany reached the quarter-finals but lost to Croatia. Freund was a substitute in that match but did not get to play.
Coaching Career
Starting as a Coach
On September 1, 2007, Steffen Freund became an assistant coach for the German Under-20 team. He also briefly helped the Nigeria coach, Berti Vogts, during the African Nations Cup in 2007.
In May 2009, he completed his coaching training. On July 17, 2009, he became the manager of the German Under-16 team. He signed a two-year contract for this role.
Coaching Youth Teams and Tottenham
A year later, he started managing the German Under-17 team. He led them to a second-place finish at the 2011 UEFA European U-17 Football Championship. They also won third place at the World Cup in Mexico.
On July 11, 2012, Freund was appointed as an assistant coach for Tottenham Hotspur. Later, in August 2014, he became the International Technical Coordinator for the club.
In April 2017, Steffen Freund said on Sky Sports that he was not interested in coaching anymore. He enjoyed being a football expert (pundit) because it had less pressure.
Television Work
In 2006, Steffen appeared on a TV show called They Think It's All Over. He was on a special England versus Germany episode.
Since the 2011–12 season, Freund has worked as a pundit. He provides commentary for Eurosport's coverage of the German Bundesliga. He also works for Sky Deutschland and is a co-commentator for the English broadcast of the Bundesliga.
Family Life
Steffen Freund is married and has three children: one son and two daughters. His son, Niklas, used to be a football goalkeeper. He later switched to American football in May 2018. Niklas now plays as a Wide receiver for the Berlin Rebels in the German Football League.
Achievements and Awards
Borussia Dortmund
- Bundesliga: 1994–95, 1995–96
- DFB-Supercup: 1995
- UEFA Champions League: 1996–97
- Intercontinental Cup: 1997
Tottenham Hotspur
- Football League Cup: 1998–99
Germany
Individual
- Tottenham Hotspur Hall of Fame: December 2009 Inductee
See also
In Spanish: Steffen Freund para niños
