Having just endured a frustrating club season through injury, Germany midfielder Torsten Frings now feels fully fit for on the eve of his country’s opening UEFA EURO 2008™ game, and even believes the enforced absences could work in his favour.
‘Really fresh’
The 31-year-old made only eleven Bundesliga appearances for Werder Bremen in 2007/08 after suffering three separate knee problems, but he said his motivation during his spell on the sidelines was making it to the tournament in Austria and Switzerland. “It was always clear to me that I wanted to be at the EURO if I could get fit in time,” Frings said ahead of Germany’s Group B opener against Poland in Klagenfurt. “I trained harder than in my whole life and in the end I was able to take part in a few league games as well as the complete preparation for this tournament. I am now fully fit and feel really fresh.”

Blessing in disguise
Frings is not the only member of the Germany squad who has been denied a full season’s action coming into the tournament. Aside from him, the likes of captain Michael Ballack, central defender Christoph Metzelder, goalkeeper Jens Lehmann and Frings’ club-mate Tim Borowski all had extended absences from first-team football for one reason or another and the Bremen man feels this could work to the squad’s benefit. “It could prove an advantage for our team. A number of our important players will be going into the tournament feeling fresh and not having already played 50 games in the season,” he said.

Compelling reasons
Despite being “fully fit at just the right time”, Frings believes there are other, more compelling reasons why Germany can claim their first major title since 1996. “Our strength has always been at the back but again this year we have a lot of players in the team who can get goals at the other end of the pitch,” he added. Right at the back is Jens Lehmann and while he is confirmed as his country’s No1, the issue of back-up goalkeeper has been cleared with Robert Enke announced as the 38-year-old’s official deputy and René Adler third in line.

Torsten Frings (born November 22, 1976 in Würselen, Germany) is a German football midfielder who currently plays for Werder Bremen of the German Bundesliga.

Frings has a rather rough football style and is known to cause many fouls. This, though, does not hold him back from his true strengths. Frings is known to have great pace and versatility. He is often compared to Bayern Munich player Bastian Schweinsteiger and Frank Lampard as he is known to make many long-range efforts.

Career

As a five year old, Torsten fell off his bike and was hit by a car, leaving a scar on the left side of his face.

His professional career began at third division Alemannia Aachen before a move to Werder Bremen in 1996/97, helping the Weserstadion outfit to a German Cup final defeat of Bayern Munich in 1999 and tallying more than 160 Bundesliga appearances and 15 goals over six seasons.

In 2002, a number of Europe’s leading clubs were on Frings’s trail prior to the World Cup but he opted for a four-year deal with Borussia Dortmund for a reported fee of €10m, penning the contract two games into the competition. A regular in his first term at the Westfalenstadion, Frings also played 12 times in the UEFA Champions League, scoring home and away against Lokomotiv Moscow.

Frings’s 2003/04 season only began on 30 January when he played against FC Schalke 04, his first game since damaging his knee against VfL Bochum in July. He took over from Tomáš 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 coach Felix Magath. In June he rejoined Bremen for an undisclosed fee on a three-year deal, helping them past FC Basel into the Champions League group stage.

Player profile

Frings is an all-action, versatile midfielder. He can play anywhere across midfield, although he is most comfortable running deep from his own team’s box to the opposition’s box. Frings scored Germany’s fourth goal in their 4-2 win against Costa Rica in the opening match of the 2006 World Cup on 9 June 2006 with a powerful drive from more than 30 yards.

Following Germany’s penalty shootout victory over Argentina on 30 June 2006, Frings was fined and suspended by FIFA 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. After reviewing video footage of the brawl, FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee determined that Frings had punched Argentine forward Julio 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 versus Italy on 4 July 2006, rendered Frings unavailable for the important match. 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.”

Personal

• Torsten Frings is married to Petra and they have two children, Lisa-Katharina and Lena.
• His hobbies include spending time with his family and riding his motorbike.
• His favourite food is pasta, and he enjoys listening to heavy metal
• His father is Dieter Frings

Honours

• Bundesliga: 2005
• DFB Pokal: 2005, 1999
• Confederations Cup Bronze medallist: 2005
• 2002 FIFA World Cup Runner Up
• 2006 FIFA World Cup 3rd Place

Fit again after a season ravaged by a cruciate ligament injury, Torsten Frings is back in the Germany squad and dreaming of victory in the UEFA EURO 2008™ final in Vienna.

First choice
Frings played just eleven Bundesliga games this term, two more in the UEFA Champions League and he last featured for Germany in a 3-0 defeat by the Czech Republic on 17 October 2007. Nonetheless, he remains one of the first names on national coach Joachim Löw’s team sheet. "The coach always tells me I am in the squad if I am fit," he said. "So I’ve always had an eye on the EURO."

Knee injury
Frings’ misfortunes began in July 2007 when he damaged cruciate ligaments in his right knee during a pre-season friendly. The Werder Bremen midfielder was to make two comebacks from the injury, but both were curtailed by recurrences of the same problem. "I feel as if I am being dogged by misfortune," the battling anchor man said. "It just hasn’t been my year."

Back on song
Frings returned to the Bremen squad for good for their 25th Bundesliga match of the season, helping them win six of their last eight fixtures to finish second in the table. Given the 31-year-old’s excellent form, Löw has been watching closely, congratulating him after a fine 25-metre goal against FC Hansa Rostock. Frings said: "Joachim Löw congratulated me. He is delighted that I am fit again."

Tournament player
And with good reason. The former BV Borussia Dortmund and FC Bayern München star is known as a tournament player. "Torsten can work his way into a championship and that is why he is so important to us," explained Löw. Having scored ten goals in 70 internationals, Frings is hungry for finals action again, having been suspended for Germany’s 2006 FIFA World Cup semi-final exit against Italy.

Confidence soaring
His confidence soaring, Frings believes Germany are capable of winning UEFA EURO 2008™. "In my opinion, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, France and ourselves have the best chance of taking the title," he said. A winner’s medal to go with his runners-up award from the 2002 World Cup remains the ultimate prize. "Winning in the final would be a dream come true. I’d do anything for that."