Bastian Schweinsteiger Biography

A German footballer for Bayern Munich of the Bundesliga and also for the German national team, the aptly named midfield mastermind is none other than Bastian Schweinsteiger. After starting his career as a wide midfielder, he now usually plays as a central midfielder and is a right-footed player. The awards and achievements of him are many which makes him the most wanted and famous player of his nation and also of his club team. Bastain has a total of seven German Cups and as many Bundesliga titles for his current team. He also included a UEFA Champions League title and two League Cups. Another of his great achievements is being chosen as the best player of his team.

Bastian was born on August 1 , 1984 in ^Kolbermoor , West Germany. His siblings include an older brother, Tobias Schweinsteiger, who is also a soccer player.

Bastians’ club career began with the arrival of Bayern Munich’s signing as a youth team player on 1 July. ^{S t} 1998. Also very talented in ski racing, he had the choice between pursuing being a ski racer and a footballer. Bastian earned a place in the reserve team after winning the German youth championship in July 2002. He was once famous for being a rebel and doing things that constantly made him headlines. Bastian appeared in the third division exhibitions.

Bastian can play with both feet and is supposed to have perfect dribbling and set piece skills. He mainly scores from outside the penalty area and also has a strong shot. Primarily a defensive midfielder, he also appears behind the forwards. Bastians’ first appearances in the starting eleven came as a left-back. Bastian was given the chance to make his UEFA Champions League debut as a late substitute in November 2002 against RC Lens after just two training lessons. After scoring an immediate goal for Markus Feulner, Bastian secured a transfer and signed a professional contract to appear in 14 Bundesliga Games. His efforts combined with him and others helped Bayern to a league and cup double. He then played 26 Bundesliga games the next season. His first goal for Bayern was in September 2003 against Vfl Wolfsburg.

Despite Bastian’s international exploits in the Confederations Cup, new manager Felix Magath sent him back to the reserve team at the start of the 2005–06 season. However, he returned and played an important role in the double-win campaign. He scored in Bayern’s Champions League loss to Chelsea, a first-leg quarter-final defeat.

Bastian made 135 total appearances for Bayern Munich, including in the UEFA Champions League, Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal over the next three seasons, scoring a total of 10 goals. His first Bundesliga goal was in the 2008-09 season on August 15 , 2008. ^Bastians ‘ contract with Bayern has been extended until 2016.

Schweinsteiger scored a historic penalty goal on April 25 ^, 2012 against Real Madrid, thus sending Bayern into the 2012 UEFA Champions League final against Chelsea. The match against Chelsea also provided a chance for Bastian to score, but his effort was futile after Chelsea won. The 2012-13 season also saw Bastian as a considerably good player, retaining his role as a central midfielder. 6 ^th April 2013 he saw him as a catalyst in the Bundesliga title win for Bayern when he scored a back heel goal against Eintracht Frankfurt. He got the German player of the year award in 2013 for his contributions to Bayern Munich.

Internationally, Bastian has appeared in 100 matches and scored 23 goals for the German national soccer team. His debut in the national soccer team was in 2004 against Hungary in a friendly and since then he has been in five tournaments with the German team. Major tournaments include UEFA Euro 2004 in Portugal, followed by the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany, UEFA Euro 2008 in Austria-Switzerland and then the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, followed by UEFA Euro 2012 in Poland-Ukraine.

Bastian was called up for Euro 2004 and was known as the number 31 shirt. His performances in Portugal garnered rave reviews after he set up the first goal against the Czech Republic. At the 2006 FIFA World Cup on his home soil, he was called up to play for the team and rose to fame after his long-range goals against Portugal, earning him the Man of the Match award. The then 22-year-old was highly appreciated for his hard work and playing skills having made 41 appearances for the national team.

Euro 2008 qualifiers saw him score twice in a 13-0 win over San Marino. Bastian also scored a goal in Germany’s 4-1 win over Slovakia. This season he gave him a red card for his reaction to a challenge from Jerko Leko, for which he missed a match for Austria. Bastian, however, bounced back and scored twice in the win against Turkey in a semi-final match. He captained the friendly match against the United Arab Emirates.

As for the 2010 World Cup, he appears in qualifying matches contributing 3 goals. He replaced the injured Michael Ballack as central midfield and played admirably being vital to both attack and defence. Bastián thus obtained the Man of the Match against Argentina. In total, Bastián was tied for three assists in seven games and was chosen as one of the ten finalists for the prestigious Ballon d’Or award.

Bastian was the first choice defensive midfielder in Germany’s Euro 2012 qualifying matches. He played five games and was instrumental in Germany ten of ten wins with one score and one assist. As of 2014, he has appeared in five appearances for World Cup qualifying matches.

Bastian has a height of 6 feet and a weight of 79 kg. His annual salary is supposed to be €10 million a year and his net worth is €20 million. His first dating partner was Sarah Brander, who met him at a party in Munich. They were together from 2007-2009. He started dating Sarah Brander in 2009, who is his live-in girlfriend as of now.