Torsten Frings facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Torsten Frings

Frings during his time as Werder Bremen assistant manager
Personal information
Full name	Torsten Klaus Frings
Date of birth	(1976-11-22) 22 November 1976 (age 48)
Place of birth	Würselen, West Germany
Height	1.82 m (6 ft 0 in)
Position(s)	Central midfielder
Youth career
1982–1988	Rot-Weiß Alsdorf
1988–1990	Rhenania Alsdorf
1990–1994	Alemannia Aachen II
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1994–1997	Alemannia Aachen	57	(13)
1997	Werder Bremen (A)	1	(1)
1997–2002	Werder Bremen	162	(15)
2002–2004	Borussia Dortmund	47	(10)
2004–2005	Bayern Munich	29	(3)
2005–2011	Werder Bremen	164	(21)
2011–2012	Toronto FC	33	(2)
Total		493	(65)
International career
1997–1998	Germany U21	6	(1)
1999–2000	Germany B	5	(0)
2001–2009	Germany	79	(10)
Managerial career
2016–2017	Darmstadt 98
2020–2021	SV Meppen
Medal record Men's Football Representing  Germany FIFA World Cup Runner-up 2002 Korea/Japan 2006 Germany UEFA European Championship Runner-up 2008 Austria/ Switzerland
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Torsten Klaus Frings (born 22 November 1976) is a German former football player and manager. He last managed SV Meppen.

During his playing career, Frings was a midfielder. He played for several German clubs, including Alemannia Aachen, Werder Bremen, Borussia Dortmund, and Bayern Munich. He finished his career with the Canadian MLS team Toronto FC. Frings also played 79 matches for the German national team starting in 2001. He represented his country in two European Championships and two FIFA World Cups.

Playing Career Highlights

Starting Out in Football

Torsten Frings began his professional football journey at Alemannia Aachen. This club was in Germany's third division at the time. In the 1996–97 season, he moved to Werder Bremen. He helped Werder Bremen win the 1998 UEFA Intertoto Cup, scoring an important goal in the final match. He also helped them win the German Cup in 1999. During his five and a half seasons there, he played over 160 games in the Bundesliga, which is Germany's top football league.

Time with Borussia Dortmund

In 2002, after the World Cup, Frings joined Borussia Dortmund. He signed a four-year contract for about €10 million. In his first year at Dortmund, he played regularly. He also played 12 games in the UEFA Champions League, scoring goals against Lokomotiv Moscow.

Frings had a knee injury in July 2003. He returned to play in January 2004. He took on a key role in the team, scoring four goals in 16 games. After this, he signed a three-year contract with Bayern Munich, a rival club.

Playing for Bayern Munich

Frings won two major titles with Bayern Munich: the German league (Bundesliga) and the German Cup. He played 29 league games and 10 Champions League games for them. However, he did not enjoy his time there as much. His coach, Felix Magath, often played him in positions he was not used to.

Return to Werder Bremen

Torsten Frings with Werder Bremen

In June 2005, Frings went back to Werder Bremen. He signed a three-year deal. He helped his team reach the Champions League group stage that season.

Joining Toronto FC and Retiring

Frings with Toronto FC

On 29 June 2011, Torsten Frings agreed to join Major League Soccer team Toronto FC. He joined as a "designated player," which means his salary did not count fully against the team's salary cap. He made his first appearance for Toronto on 20 July 2011.

Frings became the team captain for Toronto FC. On 27 June 2012, he scored his first MLS goal from a free kick. Later in 2012, Frings had a hip injury that needed surgery. His recovery took longer than expected. Because of this, he decided to retire from playing football in February 2013. He mentioned that he wanted to become a coach in the future.

International Football Career

Torsten Frings played for the German national team in many big tournaments.

World Cup and European Championships

He was part of the German team at the 2002 FIFA World Cup in Japan and South Korea. Germany reached the final but lost to Brazil. During a quarter-final match against the United States, Frings was involved in a debated moment when the ball touched his hand near the goal line. The referee decided it was not intentional.

Frings also played in UEFA Euro 2004 and the 2005 FIFA Confederations Cup in Germany. In the Confederations Cup, Germany won a bronze medal.

He was also selected for Germany's team at the 2006 FIFA World Cup held in Germany. On 9 June 2006, Frings scored Germany's fourth goal in a 4–2 win against Costa Rica. He scored with a powerful shot from far away.

Suspension and Later Years

After Germany's win against Argentina in the 2006 World Cup, Frings was suspended for two games by FIFA. This was due to an incident that happened between the teams after the match. This meant he could not play in Germany's semi-final match against Italy, which Germany lost. Germany finished the tournament in third place.

Frings was also part of Germany's Euro 2008 squad, where Germany reached the final but lost to Spain. He played his last international match on 11 February 2009. In total, he played 79 games for Germany.

How Torsten Frings Played

Frings was a very active and flexible midfielder. He could play in many different midfield roles, but he was best in the middle. He was known for running all over the field, from his own goal to the opponent's goal. He had good control of the ball and could pass well with both feet.

He often played as a defensive midfielder. In this role, he was excellent at tackling opponents and winning the ball back. Frings was a big, strong player who was also good at heading the ball. He could even play as a defender, like a centre-back, because he was good at organizing the team and had a strong fighting spirit. He was also known for his leadership and his powerful long-range shots.

Coaching Career

Coaching at Werder Bremen

After he stopped playing, Frings became a youth coach at Werder Bremen. He wanted to learn how to be a coach from the beginning. In October 2014, he joined the coaching staff for the main Werder Bremen team. He earned his official coaching license in March 2015.

Managing Darmstadt 98

On 27 December 2016, Frings became the head coach of Darmstadt 98. The team was in last place at the time. His first game was a 0–0 draw. Darmstadt 98 finished the 2016–17 season in last place and moved down to the second division, the 2. Bundesliga. Frings was no longer the coach on 9 December 2017. He had nine wins, eight draws, and 19 losses as their manager.

Managing SV Meppen

He was appointed as the new head coach of SV Meppen on 14 July 2020. He was removed from his position on 14 April 2021.

Personal Life

Torsten Frings is married to Petra. They have two children named Lisa-Katharina and Lena Alina. He enjoys spending time with his family and riding his motorcycle.

Legacy

A character from the TV show Breaking Bad and its spin-off Better Call Saul, named Gustavo Fring, was named after Torsten Frings.

Honours and Awards

Torsten Frings won many titles and awards during his career:

Werder Bremen

• DFB-Pokal (German Cup): 1999, 2009
• DFB-Ligapokal: 2006
• UEFA Intertoto Cup: 1998

Bayern Munich

• Bundesliga (German League): 2005
• DFB-Pokal (German Cup): 2005
• DFB-Ligapokal: 2004

Toronto FC

• Canadian Championship: 2012

Germany National Team

• FIFA World Cup runner-up: 2002; third place: 2006
• FIFA Confederations Cup third place: 2005
• UEFA European Championship runner-up: 2008

Individual Awards

• kicker Bundesliga Team of the Season: 2001–02, 2003–04, 2005–06, 2006–07

Images for kids

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  Frings as Werder Bremen assistant manager

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  Torsten Frings with Werder Bremen

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  Frings with Toronto FC

See also

In Spanish: Torsten Frings para niños