Coming through the youth system, Boateng began his career atHertha BSC, before joiningTottenham Hotspur in England. After a short loan spell withBorussia Dortmund, Boateng moved toPortsmouth. In 2010 he joined Serie A sideAC Milan, winning both the league andSupercoppa Italiana titles in his first season. Boateng left Milan after three seasons, returning to Germany joiningSchalke 04. In January 2016 he returned to Milan, remaining for six months, before moving to Spanish clubLas Palmas. Boateng made his third return to Germany in 2017, playing forEintracht Frankfurt, before joining Italian sideSassuolo. After a short loan toBarcelona, with whom he won aLa Liga title, he moved back to Italy, joiningFiorentina. In January 2020 he was sent on a six-month loan to Turkish sideBeşiktaş, and in September 2020 he moved to Monza.
Boateng started his club career with the clubReinickendorfer Füchse in early 1994 at age six prior to signing forHertha BSC on 1 July 1994, at the age of seven, first playing for them until 31 July 2007, when he was 20 years old.[9]
After emerging from the Hertha feeder teams, Boateng played forHertha BSC II for two seasons. He was promoted to the Hertha first team squad in the2005–06 season.[10]
Boateng made his first team debut in a 2–0 win againstEintracht Frankfurt in the second round of the 2005–06 Bundesliga season on 13 August 2005, at theOlympic Stadium, being brought on at the beginning of the second half.[11]
Boateng was awarded theFritz Walter Bronze Medal Award in theUnder-18 category in 2005.[12] Boateng started his first Bundesliga match in a 2–2 draw againstBorussia Mönchengladbach in the 14th round of the Bundesliga season.
EnglishPremier League clubPortsmouth signed Boateng on a three-year contract in August 2009 for a reported fee of around £4 million.[19][20] On 12 September 2009, he scored his first goal for the club againstBolton Wanderers,[21] and was named Portsmouth's joint Player of the Month.[22] He finished his only season at the club with three goals in 22 Premier League games as they were relegated amidst financial disarray.[citation needed]
In May 2010, Portsmouth playedChelsea in theFA Cup Final, which Chelsea won 1–0. Boateng had hispenalty for Portsmouth saved in the 54th minute, four minutes beforeDidier Drogba scored Chelsea's winning goal. During the match, Boateng fouled Chelsea midfielderMichael Ballack, injuring Ballack's ankle and ruling him out of the impending2010 World Cup. Boateng claimed that Ballack slapped him in the face prior to this, and that he apologised to Ballack personally for the tackle which left him injured.[23][24][25][26][27]
Boateng called the German media and theGerman national team playershypocrites for backing Ballack while ignoring his slap on the pitch.[28] Boateng also criticisedJoachim Löw for protecting Ballack after he slapped strikerLukas Podolski in a Germany national football team training match the previous year.[28]
On 17 August 2010, Boateng transferred to ItalianSerie A clubGenoa on a three-year contract for €5.75 million,[29] (a reported €5.7 million plus the transfer ofAnthony Vanden Borre, despite the latter deal falling-through[30]) and then immediately joinedAC Milan on loan.[31] The deal later became aco-ownership deal in the same transfer window for €5.25 million.[32] Milan signed Boateng permanently from Genoa in June 2011 for €7 million[33] on a four-year contract due to expire in June 2015.[34]
On 23 October 2011, Boateng came on as a half-timesubstitute againstLecce and scored three goals in 14 minutes. Milan had been 3–0 down at half-time, but went on to win the game 4–3. Boateng is only the second player in the history of Serie A to score ahat-trick after coming on as a substitute.[35] The hat-trick was the fastest in Serie A sinceDavid Trezeguet scored a ten-minute hat-trick forJuventus in 2001.[36][37][38]
On 3 January 2013, Milan was playing ItalianLega Pro 2 sidePro Patria in a mid-season friendly when Boateng and several other Milan players were the targets ofracist chanting from a section of the Pro Patria crowd. Boateng reacted by kicking the ball into the stands before leaving the pitch, and was followed off by his teammates. The match was subsequently abandoned.[39] His decision to walk off the pitch was later backed by various players and commentators.[40]
On 20 February, Boateng scored the opening goal for Milan againstBarcelona in the2012–13 UEFA Champions League round of 16 first leg, which Milan went on to win 2–0.[41] In August 2013, he was quoted as saying he had changed his style since signing for Milan, from playing primarily as adefensive midfielder to adopting the role oftrequartista.[42]
On 30 August 2013, Milan announced that Boateng had been transferred to German Bundesliga clubSchalke 04 for a €10 million transfer fee[43] on a four-year contract due to expire in June 2017.[44]
Boateng made his debut for Schalke 04 in a 2–0 victory againstBayer Leverkusen.[45] On 14 September 2013, he scored the winning goal for Schalke 04 in a 1–0 win overMainz 05.[46] On 30 October 2013, Boateng was voted the Schalke 04 player of the month for October 2013 by fans.[47] On 9 November 2013, Boateng scored two goals againstWerder Bremen; Schalke 04 won the match 3–1.[48][49] Boateng scored seven Bundesliga goalsover the season as Schalke finished in third place.[50]
On 11 May 2015, Boateng, alongsideSidney Sam andMarco Höger, was suspended indefinitely from the club in the aftermath of a defeat against1. FC Köln as a result of poor behaviour which claimed to have led to the club's poor domestic performances.[51][52]
His contract with Schalke was terminated on 8 December 2015.[53]
As Schalke 04 terminated his contract in December 2015, Boateng re-joined Milan on 5 January 2016, on afree transfer and signed a six-month contract.[54][55] He was training with Milan since his suspension in September 2015.[56] He made his official return debut on 9 January 2016, playing 36 minutes againstRoma in a 1–1 draw and scored his first goal in his first match back at theSan Siro six days later againstFiorentina in a 2–0 win.[57]
On 2 August 2016, SpanishLa Liga clubLas Palmas announced that they had reached an agreement with Boateng for his signature following his release from Milan.[59] He made his debut on 22 August 2016, in a 4–2 away win againstValencia at theMestalla Stadium.[60] On 24 October Boateng scored a goal againstVillarreal which was regarded by some pundits as one of the best goals of La Liga that year.[61]
On 16 August 2017, Las Palmas announced that Boateng had cancelled his contract by the club by mutual consent, citing "irreversible personal reasons" for the decision.[62]
Boateng joined Spanish La Liga club Barcelona on 21 January 2019, on loan until the end of the2018–19 season, with the club holding an option to sign him permanently for an €8 million transfer fee.[66] He had joined the Catalan side to serve as a backup forLuis Suárez afterMunir El Haddadi was sold to Sevilla.[67] The transfer made him the first Ghanaian ever to represent the club.[68] He made his club debut on 23 January, in a 2–0 away defeat to Sevilla in the first leg of theCopa del Rey quarter-finals.[69]
On 30 July 2019, Boateng signed withACF Fiorentina.[70] He made his debut for the club on 24 August in the opening game of the2019–20 Serie A season, coming on as a substitute in the second half and scoring a goal in an eventual 4–3 home loss toNapoli.[71][72]
On 28 September 2020, Boateng moved to newly promotedSerie B sideMonza on a one-year contract, with the option to extend for a further year.[74] He scored his first goal on 24 October 2020, converting a penalty in a 1–2 defeat toChievo at home.[75] On 15 December 2020, Boateng scored two headed goals in a league game againstVirtus Entella, helping Monza win 5–0.[76]
In 2006, theGhana Football Association had been in contact with Boateng on him representing Ghana ahead of the2006 World Cup.[83] But the process under whichFIFA had to decide on his eligibility would be long, as Boateng was past the age under the old FIFA rules where old youth internationals could switch allegiance. FIFA's decision to reverse the rules in 2009 had given Boateng the green light to switch his allegiance, and time appeared to be running out when his clearance to represent theBlack Stars had still not arrived at the beginning of May 2010.[83]
Boateng was selected as part of theGhana squad for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa by head coachMilovan Rajevac,[28] to fill in for the injuredMichael Essien alongsidedefensive midfielderAnthony Annan.[5] On 23 June, he was selected to start in Ghana's game against Germany, whose team included his brotherJérôme Boateng. Ghana held Germany to a 60th-minute lone goal and 1–0 win.[90] It was the first time that two brothers played on opposite teams at the World Cup.[91] Boateng picked up the ball from the half-way line,dribbled it "rapidly bamboozling" his opponents before scoring with a left-footed shot from outside thepenalty area in the fourth minute of a 2–1 win over theUnited States in the round-of-16 inRustenburg'sRoyal Bafokeng Sports Palace on 26 June.[92]
In November 2011, Boateng announced his international retirement, citing fatigue from travel at the age of 24 years, thus missing the chance to contest the2012 Africa Cup of Nations.[93] In September 2012,Marseille's Ghanaian striker and close friendAndré Ayew revealed that Boateng was considering reversing his decision to retire, but he did not play in the2013 Africa Cup of Nations either.[94][95][96]
On 1 October 2013, Boateng was selected for Ghana's2014 FIFA World Cup qualification play-offs againstEgypt.[97] On 19 November 2013, he came on as a 79th-minute substitute in the second leg and scored Ghana's only goal in the 89th minute as the Black Stars secured qualification for the2014 World Cup in Brazil.[98]
On 2 June 2014, Boateng was named in Ghana's squad for the World Cup finals.[99] In the team's opening match, he came on as a second-half substitute against theUnited States in a 2–1 defeat.[100] He was then selected to start against Germany in a 2–2 draw, playing against his brother again.[101][102]
On 26 June, Boateng was sent home and suspended from the Ghana squad for disciplinary reasons, only hours before the final group match againstPortugal, after he was alleged to have verbally abused former managerJames Kwesi Appiah during a team meeting.[103] Boateng was sent home along with midfielderSulley Muntari.[104][105] On 29 June, Boateng had hit back at the Ghana Football Association, describing theBlack Stars' organisation during the tournament as "amateurish".[106]
Boateng is a quick, dynamic, physically strong and well-roundedmidfielder, known for his aggression, eye for goal, long-range shooting ability, flair, footspeed, ball-juggling tricks, anddribbling skills.[10][107][108][109] A versatile and tenacious player,[110][111] his game has a particular dependence on "sheer strength, power and energy." He can produce thework rate, ball retrieval and attacking willingness of thebox-to-box midfielder. He combines technical skill with speed of action which makes him more dangerous.[112] A 2014 profile on FIFA's official website described Boateng as being "blessed with strength, speed, killer instinct in front of goal, and an uncommon flamboyance in the attacking third."[108]
Boateng has been used in many midfield positions throughout his career, but usually plays either in thecentre in a box-to-box role,[7] or as anattacking midfielder orforward;[113] he has also been deployed as afalse-attacking midfielder, as asecond striker, or even as awinger on occasion during his time with Milan.[114][115][116] With Las Palmas and Sassuolo, he was also deployed in a more advanced,central attacking role, essentially positioned as a lonestriker, but effectively functioning as afalse-9, due to his ability to drop deep, link-up with midfielders, and create space for his other attacking teammates with his movement off the ball.[117] In addition to his playing ability, Boateng is known for his acrobatic goal celebrations, and oftencelebrates scoring goals with abackflip.[118] His former Hertha BSC teammateNiko Kovač has also praised Boateng for his leadership, stating: "Kevin gives the team a sense of stability, both mentally and physically," also describing him as a "warrior."[119]
Boateng was born inBerlin.[120] His mother, Christine Rahn,[121] is German and his father is from Ghana.[122] He is the older, paternal half-brother of fellow professional footballerJérôme Boateng. He is divorced from his first wife Jenny.[121] He became engaged to Italian modelMelissa Satta in 2011,[123] and the pair have a child, Maddox Prince, born 15 April 2014.[124][125] The couple were wed on 25 June 2016, inPorto Cervo, Sardinia.[126] Their marriage ended in December 2020 after a separation.[127] Boateng says he speaks Turkish, German, English and Italian, and understands French and Arabic.[128] Boateng is the nephew of Yaw Boateng Gyan who is the former National Organizer of theNDC.[129]
Boateng has a tattoo of the map of Ghana and the country's name on his arm.[87][130] Across his ribs, he has the Chinese words forclan, health, love, success and trust,[131] and he has other tattoos on his upper body.[132]
In February 2013, Boateng was appointed as the first global ambassador for theFIFA anti-discrimination taskforce, to work alongside FIFA Vice-presidentJeffrey Webb at FIFA headquarters.[133] In March, Boateng presented FIFA PresidentSepp Blatter with his first phase of solutions to ending global racism in football, as requested by Blatter.[134][135] In March 2013, Boateng was named as the United Nations (UN) ambassador for anti-racism. He delivered his first speech in that role accompanied byUN human rights chiefNavi Pillay at theUnited Nations Office at Geneva.[136]
Boateng is a keen singer and dancer,[137] and has said that his singing and dancing idol isMichael Jackson.[137] He enjoyschoreography,[138] and singing.[139] As such, Boateng performed a dance routine involving Michael Jackson's trademarkedMoonwalk for a packed-outSan Siro of 88,000 spectators upon Milan celebrating their 18thScudetto,[138][140] and sang ana cappella live onbeIN Sports television to celebrate their eighth birthday.[139]
In August 2018, he released a rap song under the aliasPRIN$$ Boateng namedKing on the World Star Hip Hop channel.[141] Boateng released his second single,Bella Vita, in July 2019.[142]
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