Christian Fuchs (; born 7 April 1986) is an Austrian former professional
footballer
A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby ...
who played as a
left back.
He began his senior career as a teenager at
Wiener Neustadt
Wiener Neustadt (; ; Central Bavarian: ''Weana Neistod'') is a city located south of Vienna, in the state of Lower Austria, in northeast Austria. It is a self-governed city and the seat of the district administration of Wiener Neustadt-Land Distr ...
before signing his first professional contract at 17 with
SV Mattersburg
SV Mattersburg was an Austrian association football club from Mattersburg, Burgenland.
History
The club was formed in 1922 and played its home games at the 17,100 capacity Pappelstadion. The club played in the Bundesliga since the 2003– ...
, challenging for the
Austrian Football Bundesliga title and taking part in European competitions. In 2008, he left for Germany, signing for
VfL Bochum
Verein für Leibesübungen Bochum 1848 Fußballgemeinschaft, commonly referred to as simply VfL Bochum (), is a German association football club based in the city of Bochum, North Rhine-Westphalia. The club has spent 35 seasons in the Bundeslig ...
. After a season on loan at
Mainz 05
1. Fußball- und Sportverein Mainz 05 e. V., usually shortened to 1. FSV Mainz 05, Mainz 05 () or simply Mainz (), is a German sports club, founded in 1905 and based in Mainz, Rhineland-Palatinate. 1. FSV Mainz 05 play in the Bundesliga, the top ...
, he signed for
Schalke 04
Fußballclub Gelsenkirchen-Schalke 04 e. V., commonly known as FC Schalke 04 (), Schalke 04 (), or abbreviated as S04 (), is a professional German football and multi-sports club originally from the Schalke district of Gelsenkirchen, North Rhine ...
in 2011, where he contested the
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League (abbreviated as UCL, or sometimes, UEFA CL) is an annual club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and contested by top-division European clubs, deciding the competi ...
but suffered a serious knee injury. In 2015, he signed for Leicester, winning the
Premier League
The Premier League (legal name: The Football Association Premier League Limited) is the highest level of the men's English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Fo ...
in his first season at the club. After leaving Leicester in 2021 he spent one season with
Major League Soccer club
Charlotte FC
Charlotte FC is an American professional soccer club based in Charlotte. The team competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference. The team is owned by David Tepper, who was awarded the expansion franchise ...
.
A full international for a decade starting from his debut in 2006, Fuchs earned 78 caps for the
Austria national team. He played for the nation at
UEFA Euro 2008
The 2008 UEFA European Football Championship, commonly referred to as UEFA Euro 2008 or simply Euro 2008, was the 13th UEFA European Championship, a quadrennial football tournament contested by the member nations of UEFA (the Union of European ...
and
UEFA Euro 2016
The 2016 UEFA European Football Championship, commonly referred to as UEFA Euro 2016 (stylised as UEFA EURO 2016) or simply Euro 2016, was the 15th UEFA European Championship, the quadrennial international men's football championship of Europe ...
, captaining them for the first time in 2010 and on a permanent basis from 2012, before retiring from international duty in 2016.
Club career
Early career
Born in
Neunkirchen,
Lower Austria
Lower Austria (german: Niederösterreich; Austro-Bavarian: ''Niedaöstareich'', ''Niedaestareich'') is one of the nine states of Austria, located in the northeastern corner of the country. Since 1986, the capital of Lower Austria has been Sankt P ...
, his father was an amateur
goalkeeper
In many team sports which involve scoring goals, the goalkeeper (sometimes termed goaltender, netminder, GK, goalie or keeper) is a designated player charged with directly preventing the opposing team from scoring by blocking or intercepting o ...
. He began as a
forward
Forward is a relative direction, the opposite of backward.
Forward may also refer to:
People
* Forward (surname)
Sports
* Forward (association football)
* Forward (basketball), including:
** Point forward
** Power forward (basketball)
** Sm ...
at local team SVg Pitten before moving to
1. Wiener Neustädter SC at the age of 14. At the age of 15, while still an amateur and at mainstream school, Fuchs played for their senior team. When he was 17, he signed his first professional deal at
SV Mattersburg
SV Mattersburg was an Austrian association football club from Mattersburg, Burgenland.
History
The club was formed in 1922 and played its home games at the 17,100 capacity Pappelstadion. The club played in the Bundesliga since the 2003– ...
, a team who despite coming from a town of 6,000 drew league record average crowds of 17,000, came third in the
Austrian Football Bundesliga and played in European competition.
[
Prior to ]UEFA Euro 2008
The 2008 UEFA European Football Championship, commonly referred to as UEFA Euro 2008 or simply Euro 2008, was the 13th UEFA European Championship, a quadrennial football tournament contested by the member nations of UEFA (the Union of European ...
, he joined the German side VfL Bochum
Verein für Leibesübungen Bochum 1848 Fußballgemeinschaft, commonly referred to as simply VfL Bochum (), is a German association football club based in the city of Bochum, North Rhine-Westphalia. The club has spent 35 seasons in the Bundeslig ...
. He later described it as a useful move to play regularly while attracting attention from bigger teams.[ In 2010, he was signed on ]loan
In finance, a loan is the lending of money by one or more individuals, organizations, or other entities to other individuals, organizations, etc. The recipient (i.e., the borrower) incurs a debt and is usually liable to pay interest on that ...
by 1. FSV Mainz 05, a newly promoted team who ended the season in the top five.[
]
Schalke
On 6 June 2011, Fuchs signed a contract until 30 June 2015 with Schalke 04
Fußballclub Gelsenkirchen-Schalke 04 e. V., commonly known as FC Schalke 04 (), Schalke 04 (), or abbreviated as S04 (), is a professional German football and multi-sports club originally from the Schalke district of Gelsenkirchen, North Rhine ...
. The transfer fee is reportedly undisclosed by Schalke's sport and communications manager Horst Heldt
Horst Heldt (born 9 December 1969) is a German football executive and former player who played as a midfielder. He is the former general manager of 1. FC Köln.
Playing career
Heldt was born in Königswinter. He played at 1. FC Köln from 1990 ...
. Fuchs was assigned the number 23 shirt, previously worn by Danilo Fernando Avelar
Danilo Fernando Avelar (born 9 June 1989) is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as a left-back and centre back for América Mineiro, on loan from Corinthians.
Club career
Early career
Avelar began his career in Brazil. Avelar playe ...
.
In his time at the team from Gelsenkirchen, he competed in the UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League (abbreviated as UCL, or sometimes, UEFA CL) is an annual club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and contested by top-division European clubs, deciding the competi ...
, but suffered a long-term knee injury.[
]
Leicester City
On 3 June 2015, Leicester City
Leicester ( ) is a city, unitary authority and the county town of Leicestershire in the East Midlands of England. It is the largest settlement in the East Midlands.
The city lies on the River Soar and close to the eastern end of the National ...
announced the signing of Fuchs on a free transfer, signing a three-year deal with the Foxes effective from 1 July. Signed under previous manager Nigel Pearson
Nigel Graham Pearson (born 21 August 1963) is an English football manager and former professional player, currently the manager of Championship club Bristol City. During his playing career, he was a defender and played for Shrewsbury Town, Shef ...
, Fuchs didn't have a regular spot in new manager Claudio Ranieri
Claudio Ranieri Grande Ufficiale OMRI (; born 20 October 1951) is an Italian football manager and former player. He will be the new head coach of club Cagliari from 1 January 2023.
Ranieri began his managerial career in the lower leagues in ...
's squad until October. Fuchs made an appearance in Leicester's third round League Cup tie against West Ham United
West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club that plays its home matches in Stratford, East London. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football. The club plays at the London Stadium, hav ...
, providing an assist for Andy King Andrew or Andy King may refer to:
* Andrew King (astrophysicist) (born 1947), British astrophysicist
* Andrew King (architect), Canadian architect and cross-disciplinary artist
* Andrew King (mayor) (born 1960 or 1961), former mayor of Hamilton, Ne ...
's extra time winner. Following a 5–2 loss to Arsenal on 26 September, Ranieri elected to shake up his defensive back four, inserting Fuchs and teammate Danny Simpson
Daniel Peter Simpson (born 4 January 1987) is an English professional footballer who last played as a right-back for Championship side Bristol City.
A product of the Manchester United academy, Simpson played on loan for Royal Antwerp, Sunderla ...
in place of Jeffrey Schlupp
Jeffrey Schlupp (; born 23 December 1992) is a professional footballer who plays as a forward or winger or occasional left back for club Crystal Palace and the Ghana national team.
Schlupp started his career as a striker.
Early life
Jef ...
and Ritchie De Laet
Ritchie Ria Alfons De Laet (, born 28 November 1988) is a Belgian professional footballer who plays as a right-back for Royal Antwerp in the Belgian First Division A.
De Laet played for various youth teams before joining the Royal Antwerp youth ...
, respectively. Fuchs made his first Premier League start the next week against Norwich
Norwich () is a cathedral city and district of Norfolk, England, of which it is the county town. Norwich is by the River Wensum, about north-east of London, north of Ipswich and east of Peterborough. As the seat of the See of Norwich, with ...
.
In his first season, Leicester finished as champions on odds of 5,000–1, making Fuchs the first Austrian to receive a Premier League
The Premier League (legal name: The Football Association Premier League Limited) is the highest level of the men's English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Fo ...
winners' medal since Arsenal's Alex Manninger
Alexander Manninger (born 4 June 1977) is an Austrian former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper. He played internationally for the Austria national team on 33 occasions, including at UEFA Euro 2008, and has represented footbal ...
in 1998. Following the insertion of Fuchs into the lineup on Matchday 8, Leicester City led the Premier League in clean sheets along with Arsenal, with 15. Fuchs himself led the league during this period in successful tackles with 77, while finishing second in interceptions with 98.
Prior to signing for Leicester, Fuchs had an offer to play in the United States, where his family live, but he turned it down. He said in March 2016, "My intention is to play in the US. I have come o Leicesterfor three years. I decided that I would sign one last contract in Europe, when I left Schalke, then go to the US."[
On 21 October 2016, Fuchs signed a new contract with Leicester, keeping him with the club until June 2019. The next day, Fuchs scored his first goal for Leicester against ]Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace may refer to:
Places Canada
* Crystal Palace Complex (Dieppe), a former amusement park now a shopping complex in Dieppe, New Brunswick
* Crystal Palace Barracks, London, Ontario
* Crystal Palace (Montreal), an exhibition building ...
, volleying home a corner-kick clearance by Christian Benteke
Christian Benteke Liolo (born 3 December 1990) is a Belgian professional footballer who plays as a striker for Major League Soccer club D.C. United and the Belgium national team.
Benteke began his career at Standard Liège, playing a part in ...
for the team's final goal in a 3–1 victory.
In May 2019 he signed a new one-year contract with Leicester. On 18 June 2020, Leicester announced that Fuchs had signed one-year extension.
On 21 May 2021, it was announced that Fuchs would be leaving Leicester at the end of the 2020–21 season.
Charlotte FC
On 7 June 2021, it was announced that Fuchs would join Major League Soccer expansion side Charlotte FC
Charlotte FC is an American professional soccer club based in Charlotte. The team competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference. The team is owned by David Tepper, who was awarded the expansion franchise ...
. On 27 July 2021, With Charlotte due to play MLS from the 2022 season, Fuchs joined USL Championship
The USL Championship (USLC) is a professional men's soccer league in the United States that began its inaugural season in 2011. The USL is sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation (U.S. Soccer) as a Division II league since 2017, p ...
side Charlotte Independence
Charlotte Independence is an American soccer team based in Charlotte, North Carolina that plays in the USL League One, the third tier of the American soccer pyramid.
The Independence currently play their home games at American Legion Memorial ...
for the remainder of 2021. After playing as a regular with Charlotte in their expansion season, Fuchs announced on 5 January 2023 he would be retiring from professional football.
International career
Fuchs made his debut for Austria
Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...
on 23 May 2006 in a friendly match against Croatia
, image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg
, image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg
, anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, capit ...
, replacing Stefan Lexa for the final six minutes of the 4–1 loss at the Ernst-Happel-Stadion in Vienna
en, Viennese
, iso_code = AT-9
, registration_plate = W
, postal_code_type = Postal code
, postal_code =
, timezone = CET
, utc_offset = +1
, timezone_DST ...
.
He was part of the Austrian international squad as they co-hosted UEFA Euro 2008
The 2008 UEFA European Football Championship, commonly referred to as UEFA Euro 2008 or simply Euro 2008, was the 13th UEFA European Championship, a quadrennial football tournament contested by the member nations of UEFA (the Union of European ...
alongside Switzerland. He made only one appearance in the group stage elimination, playing the entirety of the 1–0 loss to Germany in their last match of the tournament.
On 11 August 2010, in the absence of regular skipper Marc Janko
Marc Janko (born 25 June 1983) is an Austrian former professional footballer who played as a striker. Janko was a successful goal-scorer, particularly during his time at Austrian Bundesliga club Red Bull Salzburg, where he scored 75 league goa ...
, Fuchs captained his nation for the first time in a 1–0 friendly loss to the Swiss in Klagenfurt
Klagenfurt am WörtherseeLandesgesetzblatt 2008 vom 16. Jänner 2008, Stück 1, Nr. 1: ''Gesetz vom 25. Oktober 2007, mit dem die Kärntner Landesverfassung und das Klagenfurter Stadtrecht 1998 geändert werden.'/ref> (; ; sl, Celovec), usually ...
. That 17 November, he scored his first international goal, equalising in a 2–1 home friendly loss to Greece
Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders ...
.
Fuchs received the armband on a permanent basis at the behest of manager Marcel Koller
Marcel Martin Koller (born 11 November 1960) is a Swiss professional football manager and former player who is the current head coach of Al Ahly in the Egyptian Premier League.
Playing career
Born in Zürich, Koller played his entire career ...
on 13 August 2012. He played all ten games as they qualified for UEFA Euro 2016
The 2016 UEFA European Football Championship, commonly referred to as UEFA Euro 2016 (stylised as UEFA EURO 2016) or simply Euro 2016, was the 15th UEFA European Championship, the quadrennial international men's football championship of Europe ...
, the first time they did so, and featured in every minute of the group stage elimination in France. Afterwards, he retired from international play with a total of 78 caps, declaring "I am very proud of the 10 years that I have spent with the national team. I did everything with passion and, as I said, I am very, very proud."
Coaching career
On 6 January 2023, it was announced that Fuchs would be an assistant coach for Charlotte FC for their 2023 season.
Personal life
Fuchs' wife Raluca Gold-Fuchs, with whom he has a stepson, son, and daughter, is a businesswoman formerly of Goldman Sachs. She lives with their children in Manhattan
Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...
and Fuchs sees them once a month. He runs a public relations company and a football academy in the same city, and plans to move there permanently after his football career.[
The '']Leicester Mercury
The ''Leicester Mercury'' is a British regional newspaper for the city of Leicester and the neighbouring counties of Leicestershire and Rutland. The paper began in the 19th century as the ''Leicester Daily Mercury'' and later changed to its ...
'' described Fuchs as "not your stereotypical footballer... ehas more strings to his bow than an orchestra".[ He is noted for his online video series "No Fuchs Given", a play on his surname and the English-language obscenity "'' fuck''"; the series consists of himself and teammates doing unusual football-related challenges, such as him and ]Robert Huth
Robert Huth (, ; born 18 August 1984) is a German former professional footballer who played as a centre-back. He is a three-time Premier League winner and has made the most Premier League appearances (322) by a German player.
Huth was signed ...
shooting the ball as hard as possible at each other's backsides.[ He also has a stated dream to become an NFL placekicker and has demonstrated his skills on the ]BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
's NFL coverage. His surname "Fuchs" is the German word for "
".
:''Scores and results list Austria's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Fuchs goal.''