Dennis Diekmeier (born 20 October 1989) is a German professional footballer who plays as a right-back for 3. Liga club SV Sandhausen.

Dennis Diekmeier
Diekmeier with Hamburger SV in 2014
Personal information
Date of birth (1989-10-20) 20 October 1989 (age 34)
Place of birth Thedinghausen, West Germany
Height 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)
Position(s) Right-back
Team information
Current team
SV Sandhausen
Number 18
Youth career
1995–2001 TSV Bierden
2001–2003 TSV Verden
2003–2008 Werder Bremen
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2008 Werder Bremen II 19 (0)
2009–2010 1. FC Nürnberg 47 (0)
2010–2018 Hamburger SV 173 (0)
2019– SV Sandhausen 134 (3)
International career
2005–2007 Germany U18 4 (1)
2007–2008 Germany U19 19 (4)
2008–2010 Germany U20 3 (0)
2010 Germany U21 1 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 19 February 2024

Coming through the ranks of Werder Bremen, Diekmeier moved to 1. FC Nürnberg in 2009. His form there led him to being named to one of the best full-backs in the league, after which he joined Hamburger SV in July 2010, where he enjoyed a successful eight-year spell. He left after the club suffered relegation in 2018. In January 2019, he signed with SV Sandhausen, helping them avoid relegation in his first season there.

Diekmeier has represented Germany at different youth levels, and was a part of the Germany under-19 team that won the 2008 European U-19 Championship.

Club career edit

Early career edit

Diekmeier was born in Thedinghausen, Lower Saxony, and grew up in Achim, where he attended school alongside fellow future Werder Bremen player Felix Wiedwald.[1] Diekmeier started playing football at TSV Bierden and later played at TSV Verden before moving to the youth department of Werder Bremen in 2003.[2] For the 2008–09 season, he was promoted to the second team of Werder Bremen, who competed in the 3. Liga. At the same time, Diekmeier was also included in the first-team squad. He was mostly employed as a midfielder during his time at Werder.[3]

1. FC Nürnberg edit

In January 2009, Diekmeier moved to 2. Bundesliga side 1. FC Nürnberg, where he appeared in all matches during the second half of the season as well as in both relegation play-off games. kicker subsequently placed him as the third best full-back of spring season in their post-season awards.[4] On the first matchday of the 2009–10 Bundesliga, Diekmeier was voted into the "Starting XI of the Day" for kicker-magazine.[5] Eight rounds into the competition, Diekmeier was the only Nürnberg player who had played eight full games, alongside goalkeeper Raphael Schäfer. In the final training session before the ninth match-round, however, he suffered a severe allergic reaction and was treated after an emergency helicopter flew in.[6] Nevertheless, it was decided that Diekmeier was fit to play. However, two hours before the start of the game he was suspended due to one of his medications being on the doping list.[7] The allergic reaction was later diagnosed as allergic rhinitis caused by grass pollen.[8] During the winter break, VfL Wolfsburg offered an estimated 4 million for Diekmeier, which eventually did not amount to a transfer.[9]

Hamburger SV edit

Instead, Diekmeier ended up signing with Hamburger SV in July 2010, whose home games he had attended as a child and whom he had supported since childhood.[10] Because of an injury, he made his first appearance for HSV on 19 March 2011 in a 6–2 home win over 1. FC Köln. Head coach Michael Oenning had placed him in the starting lineup, before he was substituted for Guy Demel in the 55th minute.[11]

Diekmeier played for the club for eight years, during which he was mostly utilized as the main right-back under various coaches. In February 2018, however, negotiations to extend his contract reached a deadlock, and it was decided that he would leave the club at the expiration of his deal.[12] Only at the end of the 2017–18 season, Diekmeier made another appearance under new coach Christian Titz. At that point, HSV were threatened by relegation, and he would not make another appearance in the final eight matches of the season. After HSV eventually suffered the first relegation for the Bundesliga in club history, Diekmeier left the club as his contract expired.[13] He did not immediately earn himself a contract at another club, instead keeping himself in shape with the aid of personal coach.[14]

SV Sandhausen edit

In early January 2019, after being a free agent for six months, Diekmeier joined relegation threatened 2. Bundesliga club SV Sandhausen, where he signed a one-and-a-half year contract.[15][16] He made 16 league appearances during the second half of the 2018–19 season in which the club avoided relegation. Prior to the 2019–20 season, Diekmeier signed a contract extension keeping him in Sandhausen until 2022,[17] and was also appointed vice-captain by head coach Uwe Koschinat.[18] After regular club captain Stefan Kulovits suffered an injury which kept him sidelined for the entire first half of the season, Diekmeier played 17 matches as captain for Sandhausen.

On 26 May 2020, Diekmeier finally scored his first ever professional goal at the age of 30 in Sandhausen's 1–0 away win over SV Wehen Wiesbaden,[19] a feat which the club celebrated by offering free printing of his name and number on their replica kits.[20] This goal proved momentous in marking the first of four consecutive victories for Sandhausen towards the end of the 2019–20 season, the points from which they secured to stay in the 2. Bundesliga for another season with two games to spare, despite a 5–1 away defeat to VfB Stuttgart on the 32nd matchday.[21] On matchday 34, Diekmeier scored a goal capping off a 1–5 drubbing of Hamburger SV, his former club.[22] On 11 July 2020, Diekmeier capped off a strong 2019–20 campaign by being named in the kicker "Team of the Season" for the 2. Bundesliga.[23]

International career edit

He was part of the Germany team that won the 2008 European U-19 Championship.

Trivia edit

Diekmeier held the record of being the Bundesliga player with the most appearances without ever scoring until finally scoring on 26 May 2020 in his 11th season in German professional football.[24]

Career statistics edit

As of match played 4 November 2022
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League DFB-Pokal Other1 Total Ref.
League Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Werder Bremen II 2007–08 Regionalliga Nord 4 0 4 0 [25]
2008–09 3. Liga 15 0 15 0 [3]
Totals 19 0 19 0
Nürnberg 2008–09 2. Bundesliga 17 0 0 0 2 0 19 0 [3]
2009–10 Bundesliga 30 0 2 0 32 0 [26]
Totals 47 0 2 0 2 0 51 0
Hamburger SV II 2010–11 Regionalliga Nord 4 1 4 1 [3]
Hamburger SV 2010–11 Bundesliga 8 0 0 0 8 0 [3]
2011–12 Bundesliga 24 0 3 0 27 0 [27]
2012–13 Bundesliga 32 0 0 0 32 0 [28]
2013–14 Bundesliga 20 0 1 0 2 0 23 0 [3]
2014–15 Bundesliga 21 0 1 0 2 0 24 0 [3]
2015–16 Bundesliga 22 0 0 0 22 0 [29]
2016–17 Bundesliga 24 0 2 0 26 0
2017–18 Bundesliga 22 0 0 0 22 0
Totals 173 0 7 0 4 0 184 0
SV Sandhausen 2018–19 2. Bundesliga 16 0 0 0 16 0 [30]
2019–20 2. Bundesliga 33 2 1 0 34 2 [31]
2020–21 2. Bundesliga 31 0 1 0 32 0 [32]
2021–22 2. Bundesliga 25 1 0 0 25 1 [33]
2022–23 2. Bundesliga 13 0 1 0 14 0 [34]
2023–24 3. Liga 11 0 1 0 12 0 [35]
Totals 129 3 4 0 133 3
Career totals 372 4 13 0 6 0 391 4
  • 1.^ Includes promotion/relegation playoff.

References edit

  1. ^ Bähr, Christoph (13 April 2017). "Wie aus Klassenkameraden Gegenspieler wurden". Weser Kurier (in German). Archived from the original on 6 March 2023. Retrieved 30 November 2023.
  2. ^ Reding, Maurice (17 June 2023). "Achimer Fußball-Profi: Dennis Diekmeier vom SV Sandhausen im Interview". Weser Kurier (in German). Archived from the original on 30 November 2023. Retrieved 30 November 2023.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g "Dennis Diekmeier » Club matches". World Football. Retrieved 21 May 2016.
  4. ^ Linkesch, Frank (11 June 2009). "Butscher: Flexibel und top". kicker.de. kicker. Retrieved 19 May 2020.
  5. ^ Biechele, Christian. "Bundesliga - Elf des Tages 2009/10 - 1. Spieltag". kicker.de. kicker. Retrieved 19 May 2020.
  6. ^ Westgate, Daniell (16 October 2009). "Allergie-Schock! Drama um Diekmeier". bild.de. Bild. Retrieved 19 May 2020.
  7. ^ Digmayer, Uli (29 October 2009). "Diekmeiers Kampf mit dem Schimmel". nordbayern.de. nordbayern. Retrieved 19 May 2020.
  8. ^ "Schimmel-Alarm beim Club: Spritzkur am Valznerweiher". abendzeitung-muenchen.de. Abendzeitung. 28 October 2009. Retrieved 19 May 2020.
  9. ^ "Diekmeier-Wechsel geplatzt". kicker.de. kicker. 1 February 2010. Retrieved 19 May 2020.
  10. ^ "„Ich bin schon als Kind zum HSV gegangen"". mopo.de. Hamburger Morgenpost. 16 July 2010. Retrieved 19 May 2020.
  11. ^ "Hamburger SV - 1. FC Köln, 6:2". dfb.de. German Football Association. Retrieved 19 May 2020.
  12. ^ Franke, Reinhard (14 February 2018). "Darum verlässt Diekmeier den HSV". sport1.de. Sport1. Retrieved 19 May 2020.
  13. ^ "Five Players say their Farewells". hsv.de. Hamburger SV. 15 May 2018. Retrieved 19 May 2020.
  14. ^ Rosenwinkel, Henrike (11 December 2018). "Eine schrecklich nette Familie". rtlnord.de. Mediengruppe RTL Deutschland. Archived from the original on 6 August 2020. Retrieved 19 May 2020.
  15. ^ "SV Sandhausen verpflichtet Dennis Diekmeier". sport.de. sport.de. 3 January 2019. Retrieved 19 May 2020.
  16. ^ "SVS nimmt Diekmeier unter Vertrag". SV Sandhausen (in German). 3 January 2019. Archived from the original on 3 January 2019. Retrieved 3 January 2019.
  17. ^ "Diekmeier verlängert beim SVS". svs1916.de. SV Sandhausen. 23 May 2019. Archived from the original on 23 May 2019. Retrieved 19 May 2020.
  18. ^ ""Er hat die Autorität": Diekmeier wird Vize-Kapitän". kicker.de. kicker. 13 March 2019. Retrieved 19 May 2020.
  19. ^ "Diekmeier schießt den SVS zum Sieg in Wiesbaden". svs1916.de. SV Sandhausen. 26 May 2020. Retrieved 8 June 2020.
  20. ^ "Sichert Euch den Gratis-Flock von Dennis #Diekmeier in unserem Online-Shop!". twitter.com. SV Sandhausen. 27 May 2020. Retrieved 8 June 2020.
  21. ^ "SVS verliert in Stuttgart und hält die Klasse". svs1916.de (in German). 17 June 2020.
  22. ^ ""Diekmeier sichert den Klassenerhalt": Spott und Häme für den HSV". eurosport.de (in German). 28 June 2020.
  23. ^ "Die kicker-Elf der Zweitliga-Saison: Arminia dominiert - HSV auch dabei". kicker (in German). 11 July 2020. Retrieved 16 December 2020.
  24. ^ Germann, Carsten (31 January 2019). "Torlos-König Dennis Diekmeier und Co: Diese Spieler treffen nie". ligalive.net. ligalive.net. Retrieved 19 May 2020.
  25. ^ "Dennis Diekmeier". kicker.de (in German). kicker. Retrieved 21 May 2016.
  26. ^ "Dennis Diekmeier". kicker.de (in German). kicker. Retrieved 21 May 2016.
  27. ^ "Dennis Diekmeier". kicker.de (in German). kicker. Retrieved 21 May 2016.
  28. ^ "Dennis Diekmeier". kicker.de (in German). kicker. Retrieved 21 May 2016.
  29. ^ "Dennis Diekmeier". kicker.de (in German). kicker. Retrieved 21 May 2016.
  30. ^ "Dennis Diekmeier | SV Sandhausen | 2. Bundesliga | 2018/19 | Spielerprofil". kicker (in German). Retrieved 12 May 2022.
  31. ^ "Dennis Diekmeier | SV Sandhausen | 2. Bundesliga | 2019/20 | Spielerprofil". kicker (in German). Retrieved 12 May 2022.
  32. ^ "Dennis Diekmeier | SV Sandhausen | 2. Bundesliga | 2020/21 | Spielerprofil". kicker (in German). Retrieved 12 May 2022.
  33. ^ "Dennis Diekmeier | SV Sandhausen | 2. Bundesliga | 2021/22 | Spielerprofil". kicker (in German). Retrieved 12 May 2022.
  34. ^ "Dennis Diekmeier | SV Sandhausen | 2. Bundesliga | 2022/23 | Spielerprofil". kicker (in German). Retrieved 6 November 2023.
  35. ^ "Dennis Diekmeier | SV Sandhausen | 3. Liga | 2023/24 | Spielerprofil". kicker (in German). Retrieved 6 November 2023.

External links edit