#22 Torsten Frings - TalkSoccer

**Oliver Kahn** · 11-10-2006, 09:49

Torsten Frings 22
That footballers often need to recharge their batteries after a big tournament and that their form tends to drop off is both logical and normal – something which makes Torsten Frings a bit of a phenomenon! The motor at the heart of the Werder midfield followed up an impressive display at the 2006 World Cup with a total of 53 appearances for the Green-Whites and the national team – and that almost always at the highest possible level. Frings missed out on a large part of the 2007/2008 season through injury, but when he was available he was a driving force for the team and a vital element of Germany’s national team at the 2008 European Championships. The former striker is now at home in a defensive midfield position but is also useful out wide. He also has developed into an absolute world class player. Frings drives his team, Frings gets stuck in where it hurts and Frings does all that seemingly without stopping to catch a breath. His will and determination for Werder is second to none – almost legendary! That is particularly true since he turned down the possibility of a lucrative move abroad to remain instead in Bremen saying: “Werder is a matter of the heart for me.”

Position: Midfield
At Werder since: 01.07.2005
Date of Birth: 22.11.1976
Place of Birth: Würselen
Nationality: German
Height: 1,82 m
Weight: 80 kg
Former clubs:
2004 – 2005 Bayern Munich
2002 – 2004 Borussia Dortmund
01/1997 – 2002 Werder Bremen
1990 – 12/1996 Alemannia Aachen
1988 – 1990 Rhenania Alsdorf
1983 – 1988 Rot-Weiß Alsdorf

Bundesliga matches/Goals: 310/33
Bundesliga matches/Goals for Werder: 234/20
Champions-League matches/Goals: 36/5
Champions-League matches/Goals for Werder: 16/2
European Cup matches/Goals: 64/6
European Cup matches/Goals for Werder: 44/3
Further matches:
National Team matches/Goals: 77/10
Biggest Sporting success:
World Cup 2002 Runner-Up
3rd place in World Cup 2006
European Championship 2008 Runner-Up
German champion in 2005 with Bayern Munich
DFB-Cup winner 1999 with Werder Bremen and 2005 with Bayern Munich
League cup winner 2006 with Werder Bremen and 2004 with Bayern München

Personal data: Married to Petra
Children: Daughters Lisa-Katharina and Lena
Education/Profession: High school qualification
Hobbies: Family, Motobike

**Oliver Kahn** · 11-10-2006, 09:49

I'd like to see him play for Bayern, but he said he isn't leaving Bremen for Bayern, so I prefer Klose to stay in the Bundesliga, even if he plays for Bremen.

**Oliver Kahn** · 21-10-2006, 16:30

Reaction to Werder Bremen v Bayern

Torsten Frings: "We played very well today. It's still early doors, but provided we can keep it up, we have a decent chance of winning the league. That's certainly our target. We've proved we're top of the league by rights."

**Oliver Kahn** · 31-10-2006, 17:48

Frings scored Bremen's 3rd goal on their 3-0 victory against Levski

**jec1** · 01-11-2006, 00:46

Is he really that Good, kahn?

**Oliver Kahn** · 01-11-2006, 08:19

It's difficult to dribble him, as he is phisically very strong and he has pace.
His passing is very good and his long range shots are just fantastic, ask Costa Rica's goalkeeper

**Oliver Kahn** · 07-11-2006, 17:12

Frings opened the score against Nurenberg.
2-0 Bremen won

**Oliver Kahn** · 22-11-2006, 14:11

Torsten Frings celebrates his 30th birthday today. bundesliga.de takes a look at the career of the Bremen and Germany player.

2006 slowly draws to an end. We're close to the time when the months gone by are called back to our minds.

For an average football fan, the months of June and July will be the two most important in their look back.

The FIFA World Cup 2006 delighted Germany. The DFB team was rewarded for their great performances with a respectable third place. And when the talk comes to this "Summer fairy tale", some names instantly come to mind.

Great World Cup

Jürgen Klinsmann and Joachim Löw, the fathers of Germany's success. Miroslav Klose, winner of the Golden Boot. Jens Lehmann, penalty killer against Argentina. And Torsten Frings, arguably Germany's best player at the 2006 World Cup.

When captain Michael Ballack was ruled out of the World Cup's opening match against Costa Rica with an injury, Frings slipped into Ballack's part as boss of the German team - and he stayed the boss. A development quite a few had not thought he would be capable of.

"Everyone saw it"

"It may be down to me that some people have always underestimated me", said Frings and explains: "I'm a calm, reclusive person and I don't like to appear in public."

The strong World Cup proved his doubters wrong. "Everyone saw that I played on an important position and that I performed there."

Schaaf delighted

Things can't be imagined without Frings, neither in the DFB team nor at Werder Bremen. "Lutscher is a smart player who understands football", head coach Thomas Schaaf said. "Lutscher" (engl.: "Lollypop") is Frings' nickname, coming from former team-mate Andreas Herzog.

"That dates back to my first spell with Werder. I was just 20 years old, but quite cheeky towards some of the older players. That's why I got the name. The team-mates adopted it, and I never got rid of it", Frings tells on his homepage.

"Words don't make you a key player"

The cheeky youngster, who former Bremen head coach Felix Magath was willing to sell in 1998, has turned into one of the most important players in German football. But Frings doesn't want to be a loud speaker. "Words don't make you a key player", he says.

But that's just what he is. When Brazilian Diego started to light up the Bundesliga at the beginning of the season, Frings was not impressed. "He's not used to defensive duties. I'm sure he can do better", Frings criticised.

Contract until 2008

The playmaker learned fast, and Frings and Diego are a feared duo in Werder's midfield now. But for how long? Had Germany won the World Cup, "I would have retired from international football at once", Frings said.

He also has a clear view of his club career. "To feel comfortable is more important to me than money." That's why Werder have high hopes to keep Frings longer at the club than 2008, when his current contract expires.

**Oliver Kahn** · 16-12-2006, 07:36

Quote:

Werder Bremen midfielder Torsten Frings has insisted his club will be able to replace Miroslav Klose should the striker decide to leave the club at the end of the season.

After finishing as both Bundesliga top scorer as well as top scorer in the World Cup, the 28-year-old has been linked with a move to one of Europe's top clubs, and the player himself has admitted his desire to test himself in a foreign league.

Although Frings insisted he hoped Klose would decide to remain at the Weserstadion, he insisted the club would cope should the striker seek pastures new.

"As cold-hearted as it sounds, the next top striker would then arrive," he told Bild.

"[Sporting director] Klaus Allofs would think of something. And to be honest: we have scored 45 goals now, and Miro has got ten of those. So even without him, we would still have more goals than Bayern."

Frings himself has been linked with a move away from Bremen, with Juventus reportedly keeping tabs, though Frings denied that any negotiations had taken place.

"Juve is a great club with a wonderful history," he said. "I had heard [of their interest] before. But I haven't spoken with anybody yet."

http://www.eurosport.com/football/bu...o1034502.shtml

**Oliver Kahn** · 16-12-2006, 07:36

It would be a huge blow though

Pennywise · 16-12-2006, 07:48

It will be very difficult to replace him, but Werder have done a great job the last seasons to bring in players that fit in, in their modul.

Klose is the biggest sign they've done this millenium, and they'll probably get some good cash for him.

But has Klose been so good this season as he was last year?

**Oliver Kahn** · 16-12-2006, 07:50

Not as good, but he was injured for 3 weeks and has already scored 10 goals.

**Oliver Kahn** · 25-01-2007, 11:01

Quote:

Juventus are showing an interest in Werder Bremen midfielder Torsten Frings.

The Germany international, who remains under contract to Werder until the summer of 2008, is one of several names on the Bianconeri's wish list for next season.

The Turin club, who are looking to bounce back to Serie A after being relegated to Serie B for their part in the Italian match-fixing scandal, are monitoring the former Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich player's situation.

Juve have not made any official contact with the 30-year-old or Bremen, but reinforcements will likely be needed by manager Didier Deschamps, should Juve win promotion this term.

One player that will not be joining the Weser-Stadion club is on-loan striker Hugo Almeida.

According to reports in Portugal, Bremen will not pick up the €4million (£2.64million) buy-out clause before the 31st March deadline.

Werder's director of sport Klaus Allofs says the German giants would like to keep the Portuguese hit-man, but that Porto's asking price is too dear.

"We want Hugo here for many years," said Allofs.

"But we know the market and that is a price not adequate to our budget and the quality of Hugo."

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**Oliver Kahn** · 25-01-2007, 11:02

Frings is worth at least 12m €, plus he is 30 years old. Do Juve really need him ?

25-01-2007, 12:02

Not really.

I think we've got our eye on younger and better players.