 Freund in 2017 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | (1970-01-19)19 January 1970 (age 55) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Brandenburg,East Germany | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Defensive midfielder | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1976–1984 | BSG Motor Süd Brandenburg | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1984–1989 | BSG Stahl Brandenburg | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1989–1991 | 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) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| International career | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1989 | East Germany U21 | 1 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1989–1990 | East Germany Olympic | 7 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1992 | Germany Olympic | 2 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1995–1998 | Germany | 21 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Managerial career | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009–2012 | Germany U16 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2010–2011 | Germany U17 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2012–2014 | Tottenham Hotspur (assistant) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Steffen Freund (born 19 January 1970) is a German former professionalfootballer who played as adefensive midfielder in both the German and English top flights. He was capped 21 times for his country and played a significant part in Germany'sUEFA Euro 1996 winning campaign.
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Freund started his career atStahl Brandenburg, coming through theiryouth system. He has said that theStasi made an unsuccessful attempt to recruit him as an informer during his time at the club.[1] In 1991, he was transferred toFC Schalke 04 and he established himself as an important midfield player. Schalke were forced to sell Freund due to financial reasons in 1993 toBorussia Dortmund where he stayed until 1998.[2] During his time at Dortmund, he won the league twice in 1995 and 1996 and gained a Champions League medal in 1997, but was left out of the squad for thefinal altogether.[3]
In December 1998, Freund transferred toEnglish Premiership clubTottenham Hotspur.[3][4] During his time with the London club, he won the League Cup in1999, starting in the centre of midfield in Spurs's 1–0 win overLeicester City.[5][6] He stayed at the club until 2003, and despite never scoring a goal in 131 appearances across all competitions, he became a firm fans favourite at the club for his heart, work ethic and commitment.[3] On 4 December 2009, Freund was inducted into the Tottenham Hotspur hall of fame alongsideDarren Anderton.[7]Famously throttled by Duncan Ferguson in a league game Vs Everton. The image has gone on to be an Internet Legend.
At the tail end of his career he went on to have short spells at1. FC Kaiserslautern and Leicester City.[4]
Between 1995 and 1998, he won 21 caps for theGermany national team.[8] He wonUEFA Euro 1996 with Germany, where he missed out on a place in the final because of an injury in their semi-final win overEngland.[3] He also appeared at the1998 FIFA World Cup, where Germany fell at the quarter-final stage toCroatia; Freund was an unused substitute in the match.[9]
On 1 September 2007, Freund was appointed assistant head-coach of theGerman U-20 team.[10]
On 5 December 2007, he was named as a new assistant toNigeria coachBerti Vogts for the time of theAfrican Nations Cup. He then resumed his work as assistant to German U20-manager Frank Engel. In May 2009 he finished his coaching badges and on 17 July 2009 he was appointed manager of theGerman U-16 team signing a two-year contract. A year later he began managing theGerman U-17 team leading them to a runners up medal at the2011 UEFA European U-17 Football Championship and a third place at theWorld Cup in Mexico. He then started working with the new generation of U-16 players. On 11 July 2012, Freund was appointed assistant head coach ofTottenham Hotspur. On 5 August 2014 he was appointed International Technical Coordinator.[11]
On 21 April 2017, while on Sky Sports, Freund stated that he was not interested in getting back into coaching. He instead was enjoying the freedom from pressure which he was experiencing as a pundit.[citation needed]
In 2006, he appeared alongsideBoris Becker in a special England v. Germany edition of the popular panel showThey Think It's All Over. At the start of the 2011–12 season, Freund began working as apundit forEurosport's coverage of the German Bundesliga andSky Deutschland. He is also a co-commentator for the English world feed of the Bundesliga.[12]
Freund is married and has one son and two daughters. His son, Niklas, was as a football goalkeeper for SV Empor Berlin FC, having previously played forVCD Athletic andRedbridge,[13] before switched over in May 2018 toAmerican football asWide receiver for the Berlin Bears,Berlin Adler Academy and currently atBerlin Rebels in theGerman Football League.[14]
Borussia Dortmund
Tottenham Hotspur
Germany
Individual
Germany squads | |||||||
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