Frank Baumann (footballer)

Frank Baumann (born 29 October 1975) is a retired German footballer, best known for his spell at SV Werder Bremen.

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 Football Championship and one FIFA World Cup, reaching the 2002 final in the latter tournament.

Club career

Born in Würzburg, Bavaria, Baumann started out as a midfielder at 1. FC Nuremberg, 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.

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, On 26 May...
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