 Frings during his time asWerder Bremen assistant manager | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Torsten Klaus Frings[1] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | (1976-11-22)22 November 1976 (age 49) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Würselen, West Germany | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.82 m (6 ft 0 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | 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
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Torsten Klaus Frings (born 22 November 1976) is a German formerfootballer andmanager, who last managedSV Meppen.
A formermidfielder, throughout his career he played for several German clubs, namelyAlemannia Aachen,Werder Bremen,Borussia Dortmund, andBayern Munich, before ending his career with CanadianMLS sideToronto FC. At international level, he played 79 matches for theGermany national team since his debut in 2001, and represented his nation at twoEuropean Championships and twoFIFA World Cups.
His professional career began at third divisionAlemannia Aachen before a move toWerder Bremen in 1996–97, helping theWeserstadion outfit to a German Cup final defeat ofBayern Munich in 1999 and tallying more than 160 Bundesliga appearances and 15 goals over five and a half seasons.[2] He also helped them win the1998 UEFA Intertoto Cup, scoring the decisive goal in the final againstFK Vojvodina.[citation needed]
In 2002, a number of Europe's leading clubs were on Frings's trail prior to theWorld Cup but he opted for a four-year deal withBorussia Dortmund for a reported fee of €10 million, penning the contract two games into the competition. A regular in his first term at theWestfalenstadion, Frings also played 12 times in theUEFA Champions League, scoring home and away againstLokomotiv Moscow.
Frings's 2003–04 season only began on 30 January when he played againstSchalke 04, his first game since damaging his knee againstVfL Bochum in July. He took over fromTomáš Rosický in the playmaking role and scored four times in 16 games before signing a three-year contract with Dortmund's rivals,Bayern Munich.
Despite winning the domestic double with Bayern and making 29 Bundesliga and ten Champions League appearances, Frings never really enjoyed his football in Munich, and was played out of position by coachFelix Magath.
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In June 2005, he rejoined Bremen for an undisclosed fee on a three-year deal, helping them pastFC Basel into the Champions League group stage.
On 29 June 2011, it was announced that Frings had reached an agreement to joinMajor League Soccer teamToronto FC as adesignated player.[3] During the press conference in which Frings was presented to the Toronto media, the club also announced the signing ofDanny Koevermans.[4] Frings made his debut for Toronto on 20 July 2011 in a 1–0 home defeat toFC Dallas.[5] On 29 July 2011, Frings made hisCONCACAF Champions League debut againstReal Estelí in which he was given the honour of wearing thecaptain's armband for Toronto.[6] Frings became the permanent captain of the club followingMaicon Santos's transfer to Dallas. On 27 June 2012, Frings scored his first MLS goal in a 3–0 away victory overMontreal Impact, blasting a free kick in the 52nd minute from 22 yards out.[7] Frings missed the latter portion of the 2012 season after sustaining a hip injury which required arthroscopic surgery.[8][9][10] Frings’ subsequent recovery progressed slower than expected, ultimately leading to his decision to retire from football in February 2013.[11][12][13] Club president, Kevin Payne indicated that the team wanted to maintain a relationship with Frings "not just for next season, but for seasons to come." Frings himself said he wanted to return to the game as a coach.[14]
Frings represented Germany at the2002 FIFA World Cup in Japan and South Korea,[15] where the German team reached thefinal, only to be defeated 2–0 byBrazil.[16] During the tournament, he was part of a controversial call when he prevented a goal with his hand on the goal line in the quarter-final match against theUnited States;[17] the referee deemed the handball involuntary, however.[15] Frings also took part atUEFA Euro 2004 and at the2005 FIFA Confederations Cup on home soil, winning a bronze medal in the latter tournament.[16]
Frings was later also called up to Germany's squad for the2006 FIFA World Cup on home soil.[16] On 9 June 2006, Frings scored Germany's fourth goal in a 4–2 win againstCosta Rica in the opening match of the World Cup, with a powerful drive from more than 30 yards.[18]
Following Germany's penalty shootout victory overArgentina on 30 June 2006, Frings was fined and suspended byFIFA for two games (one of which is subject to a six-month probationary period) for his role in the brawl that broke out between the Argentine and German teams after the match.[19] After reviewing video footage of the brawl, FIFA's Disciplinary Committee determined that Frings had punched Argentine forwardJulio Cruz and levelled punishment accordingly, even though Cruz himself had denied that Frings punched him; the second game of the suspension was made probationary due to the Committee's determination that Frings had been provoked into fighting. This suspension decision, announced by FIFA only the day before Germany's semi-final versusItaly on 4 July 2006, rendered Frings unavailable for the important match – which Germany subsequently lost; Germany finished the tournament in third place after defeatingPortugal in the bronze medal match.[16]
The controversy of the decision was also sparked by the fact that Frings' role in the brawl had been widely accentuated in the Italian media after FIFA had already announced it closed its investigations against German players. Frings answered to the accusations in an interview: "This is all politics. The Argentinians attack us, I defend myself and the Italians get worked up. With this suspension, FIFA just wanted to show that Germany doesn't get special treatment as the World Cup hosts."
Frings was also called up to Germany'sEuro 2008 squad, which reached thefinal of the tournament only to be defeated bySpain,[16] but was later not included in the team for the2010 World Cup by German coachJoachim Löw.[20] He played his last international match on 11 February 2009 in a 0–1 home defeat againstNorway.[21][22] In total, he earned 79 caps for Germany.[23]
Frings was an all-action, well-rounded and versatilemidfielder. He was capable of playing anywhere across the midfield, although he was most comfortable in thecentre, running deep from his own team'sbox to the opposition's box, due to his work-rate, vision, solid first touch and passing with either foot, despite his lack of notable pace.[24][25][26] He was usually deployed asdefensive midfielder, however, where he excelled due to his tough tackling playing style.[16][24] A large, tenacious and physically strong player, and a vocal presence on the pitch, he also excelled in the air and was capable of playing as adefender, as acentre-back orsweeper, due to his organisational abilities, knowledge of the game, and fighting spirit on the pitch.[15][24][27][28] In addition to his defensive attributes, Frings was also known for his leadership on the pitch, as well as his explosive, powerful shot from distance.[24][25][27][28]
After ending his playing career, Frings became a youth coach at Werder Bremen.[29] Werder Bremen Ex-CEOKlaus Allofs stated that "he can learn the coaching profession for us from the bottom up."[29] On 25 October 2014, after Werder Bremen fired head coachRobin Dutt, Bremen youth coachViktor Skrypnyk was appointed as the head coach withFlorian Kohfeldt,Christian Vander, and Frings all amongst Skripnik's coaching staff. He received a coaching license from the German FA after a 10-month coaching course[30] in March 2015.[31]
On 27 December 2016, Frings was appointed as the head coach ofDarmstadt 98.[32][33][34] Frings took over a team in last place and five points below the relegation playoff spot.[13] His first match was a 0–0 draw againstBorussia Mönchengladbach.[35] Darmstadt 98 finished the 2016–17 season on the last place and was relegated to the2. Bundesliga. On 9 December 2017, Frings was relieved of his duties as Darmstadt's head coach.[36] His final match was a 1–0 loss toErzgebirge Aue on 8 December 2017.[37] He finished with a record of nine wins, eight draws, and 19 losses.[34]
He was appointed as the new head coach ofSV Meppen on 14 July 2020.[38] He was sacked on 14 April 2021.[39]
Frings is married to Petra and they have two children, Lisa-Katharina and Lena Alina.[40] His hobbies include spending time with his family and riding his motorcycle.[40]
Gustavo Fring, a fictional character from the television seriesBreaking Bad and its spinoffBetter Call Saul, was named after Frings.[41]
| Club | Season | League | Cup | Continental | Other | Total | Ref. | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| League | App | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |||
| Alemannia Aachen | 1994–95 | Regionalliga West | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 6 | 0 | [2] | ||
| 1995–96 | 32 | 12 | — | — | — | 32 | 12 | [2] | |||||
| 1996–97 | 19 | 1 | — | — | — | 19 | 1 | [2] | |||||
| Total | 57 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 57 | 13 | — | ||
| Werder Bremen II | 1996–97 | Regionalliga Nord | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | [2] | |||
| Werder Bremen | 1996–97 | Bundesliga | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 15 | 0 | [42] | ||
| 1997–98 | 28 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 33 | 2 | [43][44] | |||
| 1998–99 | 23 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 12 | 3 | — | 39 | 9 | [45][46] | |||
| 1999–2000 | 33 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 48 | 3 | [47] | ||
| 2000–01 | 30 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 0 | — | 37 | 1 | [48] | |||
| 2001–02 | 33 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 36 | 6 | [49][50] | |||
| Total | 162 | 15 | 13 | 3 | 31 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 208 | 21 | — | ||
| Borussia Dortmund | 2002–03 | Bundesliga | 31 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 12 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 46 | 8 | [51] |
| 2003–04 | 16 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 17 | 4 | [51] | ||
| Total | 47 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 12 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 63 | 12 | — | ||
| Bayern Munich | 2004–05 | Bundesliga | 29 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 8 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 45 | 5 | [52] |
| Werder Bremen | 2005–06 | 28 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 10 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 44 | 5 | [53] | |
| 2006–07 | 33 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 41 | 3 | [54] | ||
| 2007–08 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 14 | 1 | [55] | ||
| 2008–09 | 30 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 13 | 0 | — | 48 | 4 | [56] | |||
| 2009–10 | 30 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 9 | 4 | — | 45 | 10 | [57] | |||
| 2010–11 | 32 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 1 | — | 39 | 7 | [58] | |||
| Total | 164 | 21 | 16 | 1 | 47 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 231 | 30 | — | ||
| Toronto FC | 2011 | MLS | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | — | 19 | 0 | [59] | |
| 2012 | 20 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 25 | 2 | [60][61][62][63] | |||
| Total | 33 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 8 | 0 | — | 44 | 2 | — | |||
| Career total | 493 | 65 | 40 | 4 | 105 | 13 | 11 | 5 | 649 | 84 | — | ||
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Germany[64] | 2001 | 2 | 0 |
| 2002 | 17 | 2 | |
| 2003 | 4 | 0 | |
| 2004 | 12 | 2 | |
| 2005 | 13 | 2 | |
| 2006 | 16 | 2 | |
| 2007 | 6 | 2 | |
| 2008 | 8 | 0 | |
| 2009 | 1 | 0 | |
| Total | 79 | 10 | |
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 27 March 2002 | Ostseestadion,Rostock, Germany |  United States | 4–1 | 4–2 | Friendly |
| 2 | 9 May 2002 | Schwarzwald-Stadion,Freiburg, Germany |  Kuwait | 1–0 | 7–0 | Friendly |
| 3 | 27 May 2004 | Schwarzwald-Stadion, Freiburg, Germany |  Malta | 4–0 | 7–0 | Friendly |
| 4 | 15 June 2004 | Estádio do Dragão,Porto, Portugal |  Netherlands | 1–0 | 1–1 | UEFA Euro 2004 |
| 5 | 9 February 2005 | Merkur Spielarena,Düsseldorf, Germany |  Argentina | 1–0 | 2–2 | Friendly |
| 6 | 12 October 2005 | Volksparkstadion,Hamburg, Germany |  China | 1–0 | 1–0 | Friendly |
| 7 | 27 May 2006 | Schwarzwald-Stadion, Freiburg, Germany |  Luxembourg | 2–0 | 7–0 | Friendly |
| 8 | 9 June 2006 | Allianz Arena,Munich, Germany |  Costa Rica | 4–2 | 4–2 | 2006 FIFA World Cup |
| 9 | 7 February 2007 | Merkur Spielarena, Düsseldorf, Germany |  Switzerland | 3–0 | 3–1 | Friendly |
| 10 | 2 June 2007 | Max-Morlock-Stadion, Nuremberg, Germany |  San Marino | 3–0 | 6–0 | UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying |
| Team! | From! | To! | Record | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Win % | Ref. | |||
| Darmstadt 98 | 27 December 2016[32][33][34] | 9 December 2017[36] | 36 | 9 | 8 | 19 | 42 | 61 | −19 | 025.00 | [34][35][37] |
| SV Meppen | 14 July 2020 | 14 April 2021 | 31 | 11 | 3 | 17 | 32 | 51 | −19 | 035.48 | |
| Total | 67 | 20 | 11 | 36 | 74 | 112 | −38 | 029.85 | — | ||
Werder Bremen
Bayern Munich
Toronto FC
Germany
Individual
(in German)
Germany squads | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| International | |
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| People | |
