Club career
Born to a German father in the city of Malmö, Schwarz started his playing career as a midfielder with Kulladals FF's academy. Between 1985 and 1987, he spent two seasons with Bayer Leverkusen's youth team. He made his debut as a professional footballer with his hometown club Malmö FF. He then moved to S.L. Benfica, Benfica for the 1990–91 S.L. Benfica season, 1990–91 season to play under manager Sven-Göran Eriksson. Schwarz was a regular selection for Benfica for the following four seasons and played in the side that knocked Arsenal F.C., Arsenal out of the 1991–92 European Cup second round, European Cup in 1991. He subsequently moved to London to play for Arsenal in the summer of 1994 for £1.8 million. He would grow frustrated with George Graham (footballer, born 1944), George Graham's tactics during the season. The fact that he earned double the money other more established Arsenal players were on, also made waves in the dressing room. The Gunners struggled in the league that season, but they reached the final of the 1994–95 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, 1995's UEFA Cup Winners' Cup. That dramatic extra-time defeat to Real Zaragoza was Schwarz's last game for Arsenal. He left Arsenal Stadium, Highbury after just one season at the club. He spent three seasons in Italy with ACF Fiorentina, Fiorentina. In the summer 1998 he moved to Spain and Valencia CF, Valencia, where he spend a year, before joining English side Sunderland A.F.C., Sunderland 29 July 1999 for a club record fee, £3.75 million. The club inserted a "Space Clause" in his contract, that stated that if he were to travel into space his contract would become wholly invalid. He was bestowed with the Guldbollen in November 1999, Sweden's award for the year's best footballer. Schwarz was an aggressive midfielder who kept it simple on the ball, but his experience was crucial for newly promoted Sunderland, who finished an impressive 7th. place in the Premier League. They repeated the feat the following season, before an aging Schwarz was phased out of the team, and retired in March 2003.International career
After having represented the Sweden national under-17 football team, Sweden U17, Sweden national under-19 football team, U19, and Sweden national under-21 football team, U21 teams, Schwarz made his full international debut for Sweden national football team, Sweden on 14 February 1990 as a Substitute (association football), substitute in a friendly game against the United Arab Emirates national football team results, United Arab Emirates where he replaced Pontus Kåmark in the 80th minute before also scoring his first international goal in a 1–1 draw. A few months later he appeared in his first major tournament for Sweden as he played in all three games at left back as Sweden was eliminated from the 1990 FIFA World Cup after the group stage. In 1992, Schwarz appeared in three games as Sweden progressed to the semi-finals of UEFA Euro 1992 before being eliminated by West Germany national football team, West Germany. In 1994, he played in centre midfield alongside Jonas Thern as Sweden finished third at the 1994 FIFA World Cup. An injury to his Achilles tendon kept him out of the squad for Euro 2000, UEFA Euro 2000. He declared his international retirement in August 2001 to focus on his club team after a series of injuries while with the national team. His last international appearance came in a 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA), 2002 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Moldova national football team, Moldova on 28 March 2001. Schwarz won a total of 69 Cap (sport), caps during his career, scoring six goals.Career statistics
:''Scores and results list Sweden's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Schwarz goal''.Honours
;Malmö *List of Swedish football champions, Swedish Championship: 1988 Allsvenskan, 1988 *Allsvenskan: 1987 Allsvenskan, 1987, 1988 Allsvenskan, 1988 *Svenska Cupen: 1988–89 Svenska Cupen, 1989 ;Benfica *Primeira Liga, Primeira Divisão: 1990–91 Primeira Divisão, 1990–91, 1993–94 Primeira Divisão, 1993–94 *Taça de Portugal: 1992–93 Taça de Portugal, 1992–93 ;Arsenal *UEFA Cup Winners' Cup: Runner-up 1994–95 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, 1994–95 ;Fiorentina *Coppa Italia: 1995–96 Coppa Italia, 1995–96 *Supercoppa Italiana: 1996 Supercoppa Italiana, 1996 ;Valencia *UEFA Intertoto Cup: 1998 UEFA Intertoto Cup, 1998 *Copa del Rey: 1998–99 Copa del Rey, 1998–99 ;Sweden *FIFA World Cup third place: 1994 FIFA World Cup, 1994 Individual *"Man of the tournament" – Wembley International Tournament, Makita Tournament: 1994 *Guldbollen: 1999References
External links
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Schwarz, Stefan 1969 births Living people 1990 FIFA World Cup players UEFA Euro 1992 players 1994 FIFA World Cup players ACF Fiorentina players Allsvenskan players Arsenal F.C. players S.L. Benfica footballers Expatriate footballers in England Expatriate footballers in Germany Expatriate footballers in Italy Expatriate footballers in Portugal Swedish expatriate sportspeople in Portugal La Liga players Malmö FF players Primeira Liga players Premier League players Serie A players Sunderland A.F.C. players Swedish footballers Footballers from Skåne County Sweden international footballers Sweden under-21 international footballers Sweden youth international footballers Swedish expatriate footballers Swedish expatriate sportspeople in England Swedish expatriate sportspeople in Spain Swedish expatriate sportspeople in Germany Swedish expatriate sportspeople in Italy Valencia CF players Association football midfielders Swedish people of German descent