Clemens Fritz

Clemens Fritz (born 7 December 1980) is a German former professional footballer who played as a right-back and as a defensive midfielder. He is mostly known for his 11-year spell at Werder Bremen.

Clemens Fritz
Fritz playing for Werder in 2009
Personal information
Date of birth (1980-12-07) 7 December 1980
Place of birth Erfurt, East Germany
Height 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Position(s) Right-back, defensive midfielder
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1999–2001 Rot-Weiß Erfurt 57 (14)
2001–2003 Karlsruher SC 61 (7)
2003–2006 Bayer Leverkusen 43 (2)
2006–2017 Werder Bremen 288 (5)
Total 431 (28)
National team
2001 Germany U-21 1 (0)
2002 Germany Team 2006 1 (0)
2006–2008 Germany 22 (2)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Having begun his career at Rot-Weiß Erfurt and Karlsruher SC, he joined Bayer Leverkusen in 2003,[1] playing sparingly across his three seasons at the Bundesliga club. In 2006, he moved to Werder Bremen, winning the DFB-Pokal and helping them to the UEFA Cup final in 2009. Across all competitions, he has played over 300 matches for Bremen.

In a two-year international career for Germany starting in 2006, he earned 22 caps and scored two goals.[2] He was part of their team which finished as runners-up at UEFA Euro 2008.

He announced his retirement at the end of the 2016–17 season.

Club career

Rot-Weiß Erfurt

Born in Erfurt, then in East Germany, Fritz started his footballing career playing for hometown club Rot-Weiß Erfurt in the Regionalliga.

Karlsruher SC

In the summer of 2001, he joined 2. Bundesliga club Karlsruher SC and scored five goals in 32 games. When he was signed by Bayer Leverkusen in 2003, he was loaned back to Karlsruhe to play first team football.

Bayer Leverkusen

He became part of Leverkusen's first team in the 2003–04 season second half after showing his capabilities for their reserve team. Fritz played 14 more first team games for Leverkusen that season, gaining them a UEFA Champions League place. In 2004, he broke his leg during a pre-season game against Rot-Weiss Essen, ruling him out the entire season.

Werder Bremen

In 2006, Fritz joined Werder Bremen on a free transfer, signing a three-year contract.[3][4]

He announced his retirement at the end of the 2015–16 season on 14 January 2016,[5] but signed a new one-year contract on 28 April 2016.[6]

On 4 March 2017, in a match against Darmstadt 98, he suffered an ankle injury and underwent surgery, which ruled him out for the rest of the 2016–17 season.[7] On 8 May 2017, he announced the end of his playing career.[8]

International career

Having played for the Germany U-18s and U-21s, Fritz debuted with the senior team on 7 October 2006, playing the entirety of a 2–0 friendly win over Georgia at the Ostseestadion in Rostock.

On 2 June of the following year, he scored his first international goal, concluding a 6–0 rout of minnows San Marino in UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying in Nuremberg, eight minutes after entering as a substitute.[9] He added a second on 17 November, opening a 4–0 win over Cyprus in another qualifier in Hannover by heading in Lukas Podolski's cross after two minutes.[10]

Fritz was selected in the 23-man squad for the European Championship in Austria and Switzerland in 2008. He played in the first four of their six games as they reached the final before defeat to Spain.

Career statistics

Club
Source:[11]
Club Season League Cup Europe Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Rot-Weiß Erfurt2000–01Regionalliga Süd321010–3310
Karlsruher SC2001–022. Bundesliga31510–325
2002–0330210–312
Total61720–637
Bayer Leverkusen2003–04Bundesliga14110–151
2004–0500001010
2005–062911020320
Total4322030482
Werder Bremen2006–07Bundesliga32100121442
2007–082310080311
2008–0924060120420
2009–1030160180541
2010–112902061371
2011–1232110–331
2012–1322010–230
2013–1422010–230
2014–1527031–301
2015–1629140–331
2016–1718010–190
Total28852515623698
Career total4062429159249427

International
Source:[12]
Germany
YearAppsGoals
200630
200782
2008110
Total222

International goals
Scores and results table. Germany's goal tally first:[12]
#DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
1.2 June 2007Frankenstadion, Nuremberg, Germany San Marino6–06–0UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying
2.17 November 2007AWD Arena, Hannover, Germany Cyprus1–04–0UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying

Honours

Club

Werder Bremen[13]

International

Germany[13]

References
  1. Arnhold, Matthias (7 September 2017). "Clemens Fritz - Matches and Goals in Bundesliga". RSSSF. Retrieved 8 September 2017.
  2. Arnhold, Matthias (7 September 2017). "Clemens Fritz - International Appearances". RSSSF. Retrieved 8 September 2017.
  3. "Werder verpflichtet Leverkusens Clemens Fritz" [Werder signs Leverkusen's Clemens Fritz]. Reviersport (in German). 16 February 2006. Retrieved 10 February 2016.
  4. "Werder verpflichtet Leverkusener Clemens Fritz" [Werder signs Leverkusen player Clemens Fritz]. Nordwest-Zeitung (in German). 17 February 2006. Retrieved 10 February 2016.
  5. "Werder-Kapitän Fritz beendet Karriere". dfb.de. 14 January 2016.
  6. "Clemens Fritz verlängert bei Werder Bremen". dfb.de. 28 April 2016.
  7. "Schock für Werder: Saison-Aus für Kapitän Fritz". kicker Online (in German). 8 March 2017. Retrieved 8 March 2017.
  8. "Werder Bremen's Clemens Fritz to hang up boots at end of season". ESPN FC. 8 May 2017. Retrieved 24 May 2017.
  9. "Germany clear after six-goal romp". UEFA. 3 June 2007. Retrieved 10 May 2015.
  10. "Germany ease past Cyprus". UEFA. 18 November 2007. Retrieved 10 May 2015.
  11. "Fritz, Clemens". kicker.de (in German). Retrieved 20 October 2013.
  12. "Clemens Fritz". European Football. Retrieved 10 May 2015.
  13. "C. Fritz". Soccerway. Retrieved 10 May 2015.
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