Carsten Jancker

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Carsten Jancker
Personal information
Date of birth August 28, 1974 (1974-08-28) (age 33)
Place of birth    Grevesmühlen, East Germany
Height 1.93 m (6 ft 4 in)
Playing position Striker
Club information
Current club SV Mattersburg
Youth clubs
1981–1986
1986–1991
1991–1993
TSG Wismar
Hansa Rostock
FC Köln II
Senior clubs1
Years Club App (Gls)*
1993–1995
1995–1996
1996–2002
2002–2004
2004–2006
2006
2007–
1. FC Köln
Rapid Wien
FC Bayern Munich
Udinese
1. FC Kaiserslautern
Shanghai Shenhua
SV Mattersburg
005 0(1)
024 0(7)
143 (48)
036 0(2)
030 0(5)
007 0(1)
045 (14)   
National team2
1993–1994
1998–2002
Germany U-21
Germany
002 0(0)
033 (10)

1 Senior club appearances and goals
counted for the domestic league only and
correct as of May 1, 2008.
2 National team caps and goals correct
as of November 5, 2007.
* Appearances (Goals)

Carsten Jancker (born August 28, 1974 in Grevesmühlen, East Germany) is a German professional footballer who plays for Austrian side SV Mattersburg. He played for Germany at Euro 2000 and the 2002 FIFA World Cup and has earned 33 caps, scoring 10 goals, for his country.

A striker, Jancker is physically very large for a footballer, standing at 1.94 m and weighing 93 kg. His height and strength have proved to be an advantage when playing as a targetman, as displayed during his most successful days at Bayern Munich. Jancker was known for being an unusual center striker, being weak in the air despite his huge frame, but showing a surprising control of the ball, especially featuring a polished back-to-the-goal game, and a touch for scoring with his hard right-footed shot.

Jancker started his career as a trainee at Hansa Rostock before making his Bundesliga debut in 1993 with 1. FC Köln. At the age of 21, he was transferred to Rapid Vienna, scoring fourteen goals including seven in the European Cup Winners' Cup to finish as the tournament's top scorer. Thanks to this impressive performance, Jancker spent only one season with the Austrian club before being brought back to Germany to play for Bayern Munich.

Jancker's time at Bayern between 1996 and 2002 was the best period of his career, a spell which included four Bundesliga titles and victory in the 2001 UEFA Champions League. At Bayern, Jancker was partnered with the Brazilian inside-forward Giovane Elber, often rated as one of the Bundesliga's best attacking players. His performances alongside Elber caught the eye of German national coach Erich Ribbeck, who included Jancker in his international squad for Euro 2000.

Instantly recognisable to European football fans, the invariably shaven-headed forward has generally failed to replicate his club form when playing for Germany. A possible explanation for his poorly-regarded international performances might be that the German national team lacks a skilful strike partner in the Elber mould. Whatever the reason, Jancker has never impressed for Germany; although he was included in Rudi Völler's squad for the 2002 FIFA World Cup, he was dropped from the team shortly after the tournament and has never since been recalled. His German international scoring record currently stands at six goals in 22 games.

Jancker left Bayern for Italian side Udinese in 2002, but the move was not a success; over two seasons and 35 games, the forward registered only two goals. Jancker was said to be “too slow and predictable for Serie A” by one soccer website. In 2004 Jancker returned to Germany with Kaiserslautern and showed a slight improvement in form, netting five times in 25 games. Following relegation of Kaiserslautern, Jancker signed with Shanghai Shenhua in May 2006.

After poor performances, he was dropped in October, and agreed to join SV Mattersburg in the winter transfer window.[1]

[edit] Honours

[edit] References

  1. ^ Jancker agrees Mattersburg deal. uefa.com (2006-11-15). Retrieved on 2008-05-01.

[edit] External links