Paul Freier

Paul Freier

Freier playing for Leverkusen in 2008.
Personal information
Full nameSlawomir Paul Freier
Date of birth26 July 1979
Place of birthBytom, Poland
Height1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Playing positionMidfielder
Youth career
1984–1990ŁTS Łabędy
1990–1993SV Holzen
1993–1996BSV Menden
1996–1998VfL Bochum
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps†(Gls)†
1998–2001VfL Bochum II68(19)
1999–2004VfL Bochum117(16)
2004–2008Bayer 04 Leverkusen112(17)
2008–2014VfL Bochum149(18)
2009–2011→ VfL Bochum II5(0)
Total451(60)
National team‡
2000–2001Germany U-2113(2)
2002–2007Germany19(1)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 16 March 2014.

† Appearances (Goals).

‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 14 July 2010

Paul Freier (born 26 July 1979, in Bytom, Poland) is a retired German football player, who was usually employed on the right wing.[1][2]

Biography

Childhood and youth

Freier was born in 1979 in the Upper Silesian city of Bytom (German: Beuthen). At the age of five, he joined in Gliwice the club ŁTS Łabędy. At the age of eleven, he emigrated with his parents from Upper Silesia to Germany, where the family settled in Arnsberg-Holzen in the Sauerland in North-Rhine Westphalia.[3] Newly arrived there, he joined SV Holzen and three years later he moved to BSV Menden. In his youth he received an offer from Borussia Dortmund, but his father refused a move to Dortmund. In 1996, Freier joined the youth team of VfL Bochum.

First spell at Bochum

In 1998, he was part of Bochum's second team and on 5 November 1999 he made his professional debut for the first team in a 2–0 win against SV Waldhof Mannheim on matchday eleven of the 1999–2000 2. Bundesliga. In the 89th minute he replaced Delron Buckley.[4] With Bochum, he celebrated promotion to the Bundesliga. On 12 August 2000, Freier made his debut in the Bundesliga in a 1–0 win on first matchday against 1. FC Kaiserslautern.[5] On 28 April 2001, 31th match day, Freier scored his first goal in the Bundesliga in the 1–1 draw in the derby against FC Schalke 04.[6] At the end of the season, Freier had made 22 appearances and scored one goal and VfL Bochum was relegated from the Bundesliga.[7] In the 2001–02 season, Freier made 30 appearances scoring seven goals and was promoted again with the VfL Bochum to the Bundesliga.[8] In the next season, Bochum reached to the ninth place with Freier making 32 appearances and scoring seven goals.[9] In the 2003–04 season, Freier played in 27 games and scored one goal.[10]

Returnn to the VfL and end of the career

Freier returned to VfL Bochum at the end of the 2007–08 season, signing a five-year contract.[11]

International

He was a member of the German national team and was called up as a backup squad member for the 2006 World Cup.

Statistics

As of 16 May 2014[1][2]

Club performance League Cup League Cup Continental Other Total
Season Club League Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Germany League DFB-Pokal DFB-Ligapokal Europe Other1 Total
1997–98VfL Bochum IIOberliga Westfalen41————41
1998–99266————266
1999–00Regionalliga West/Südwest3511————3511
2000–01Oberliga Westfalen31————31
1999–00VfL Bochum2. Bundesliga6000———60
2000–01Bundesliga22130———251
2001–022. Bundesliga30711———318
2002–03Bundesliga32743———3610
2003–042711010——291
2004–05Bayer Leverkusen336202190—467
2005–06296200010—326
2006–073132110110—454
2007–0819200—61—253
2008–09VfL Bochum28110———291
2009–1028220———302
2010–112. Bundesliga18210——20212
2011–1227221———293
2012–1321120———231
2013–1427020———290
2008–09VfL Bochum IIRegionalliga West20————20
2009–1020————20
2010–1110————10
Total Germany 45160256412712050968
Career total 45160256412712050968

1 2010–11 includes the 2. Bundesliga/Bundesliga promotion/relegation playoffs.

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Paul Freier" (in German). fussballdaten.de. Retrieved 28 May 2011.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Freier, Paul" (in German). kicker. Retrieved 28 May 2011.
  3. ↑ Sellmann, Hartwig (26 June 2012). "Paul Freier vom VfL Bochum - Eine Karriere mit Höhen und Tiefen". WAZ (in German). Retrieved 14 February 2015.
  4. ↑ "SPIELBERICHT". kicker online (in German). 5 November 1999. Retrieved 15 February 2015.
  5. ↑ "Überraschung auf dem Betzenberg". kicker online (in German). 12 August 2000. Retrieved 15 February 2015.
  6. ↑ "SPIELBERICHT". kicker online (in German). Olympia Verlag GmbH. 28 April 2001. Retrieved 19 April 2015.
  7. ↑ "Paul Freier". kicker online (in German). Olympia Verlag GmbH. Retrieved 11 April 2015.
  8. ↑ "Paul Freier". kicker online (in German). Olympia Verlag GmbH. Retrieved 11 April 2015.
  9. ↑ "Paul Freier". kicker online (in German). Olympia Verlag GmbH. Retrieved 11 April 2015.
  10. ↑ "Paul Freier". kicker online (in German). Olympia Verlag GmbH. Retrieved 11 April 2015.
  11. ↑ "Freier leaves Leverkusen". Bundesliga.de. 13 May 2008. Retrieved 13 May 2008.

External links