Name Frank Baumann Date joined 1999 Weight 83 kg | 1994–1999 1. FC Nurnberg Height 1.87 m Years Team Role Footballer Position Defender, Midfielder | |
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Date of birth (1975-10-29) 29 October 1975 (age 40) Playing position Similar People Tim Borowski, Torsten Frings, Marco Bode, Ivan Klasnic, Andreas Reinke | ||
Frank Baumann (born 29 October 1975) is a retired German footballer, best known for his spell at SV Werder Bremen, and the current sporting director of Werder Bremen.
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Either a defensive midfielder or a central defender, he was well known for his tough tackling and defensive positioning. A German international on nearly 30 occasions, he represented his country at one UEFA European Championship and one FIFA World Cup, reaching the 2002 final in the latter tournament.
1. FC Nürnberg
Born in Würzburg, Bavaria, Baumann started out as a midfielder at 1. FC Nürnberg, where his talents were soon recognized in a defensive position. After amassing more than 150 overall appearances and having represented the club in all three major levels of German football, he moved in 1999 to SV Werder Bremen.
Werder Bremen
At Werder, Baumann became an instant first-choice, netting five goals in his first season; even though the club only finished ninth, it qualified for the UEFA Cup via the second place in the domestic cup, after losing the final to FC Bayern Munich.
He continued to feature regularly for Werder, although he struggled with injuries in his later years. Baumann scored the goal that took Bremen to the 2009 UEFA Cup Final, in the second leg of the semifinal against Hamburger SV, from a corner conceded by after the ball had deflected off a crumpled up piece of paper thrown from the home supporters. He announced his retirement on 20 May 2009, as his contract was to expire the following month.
In May 2009, Baumann became the club's assistant general manager, joining another former player, Klaus Allofs, in his staff. At the end of the 2014–15 season, he left his position as "director of first-team football and scouting“ after 2.5 years.
In May 2016, Baumann was announced as the new sporting director of Werder Bremen, replacing Thomas Eichin.
International career
Baumann featured in 28 internationals, scoring two goals. His debut for Germany came in a 1–0 victory against Norway in Oslo, on 14 November 1999, becoming the 800th player to be capped by the German national team.
He was picked for the squads for the 2002 FIFA World Cup (appearing in the round-of-16 match against Paraguay) and UEFA Euro 2004 (two matches).
Personal life
Baumann is married to Stefanie. They have a daughter, Louisa, and a son, Moritz.