Maik Franz
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Maik Franz | ||
| Date of birth | 5 August 1981 | ||
| Place of birth | Merseburg, East Germany | ||
| Height | 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in) | ||
| Playing position | Defender | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1987–1997 | SV Langenstein | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1997–1998 | VfB Germania Halberstadt | ||
| 1998–2001 | 1. FC Magdeburg | 29 | (3) |
| 2001–2006 | VfL Wolfsburg | 91 | (2) |
| 2006–2009 | Karlsruher SC | 75 | (6) |
| 2009–2011 | Eintracht Frankfurt | 50 | (6) |
| 2011–2014 | Hertha BSC | 16 | (0) |
| 2013–2014 | Hertha BSC II | 2 | (0) |
| National team | |||
| 2002–2004 | Germany U-21 | 19 | (1) |
| 2002 | Germany Team 2006 | 1 | (0) |
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. |
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Maik Franz (born 5 August 1981 in Merseburg, East Germany) is a German former footballer.
Franz grew up in Langenstein near Halberstadt, and began his football career there with SV Langenstein/Harz. In 1997, he transferred to VfB Germania Halberstadt, before joining 1. FC Magdeburg's youth division in the summer of 1998. As part of the A-Youth team, Franz won the DFB-Youth-Cup in 1999.
Franz played defence for 1. FC Magdeburg until 2001, when he transferred to VfL Wolfsburg, where he played the same position in the Bundesliga. In Wolfsburg, Franz distinguished himself through his strong tackling, winning 63 percent of his challenges, making him the club's best player in this respect. He played 91 Bundesliga-matches during his time in Wolfsburg, scoring twice.
In July 2006, Franz transferred to the 2. Bundesliga, joining Karlsruher SC. Together with Mario Eggimann, he formed the central defence of Karlsruhe's starting eleven, and with his Bundesliga experience, he played a crucial role in the club's promotion to the top flight. After a strong start in the 2008–09 season, both for Franz and his club, he extended his contract until 2011. After Eggimann transferred to Hannover 96 in the summer of 2008, Franz took over the captain's armband at Karlsruher SC.
Having sustained a serious injury to his right foot in October 2008, Franz had to undergo surgery in January of the following year, and was unable to play for three months. In April 2009, he celebrated his comeback in a home match against 1899 Hoffenheim.
After the KSC was relegated at the end of the 2008–09 season, Franz signed a contract with Eintracht Frankfurt, valid only for the Bundesliga. When Eintracht Frankfurt were also relegated to years later, Franz and the club were unable to agree on a contract that was also valid for the 2nd division.
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