Benjamin Kirsten

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Benny Kirsten

| image = Benny Kirsten.JPG

| caption = Kirsten with Dynamo Dresden in 2008

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1987|6|2|df=y}}

| birth_place = Riesa, East Germany

| height = 1.82 m

| position = Goalkeeper

| currentclub = Dynamo Dresden (youth coach)

| youthyears1 = 1989–1990

| youthclubs1 = Dynamo Dresden

| youthyears2 = 1990–2006

| youthclubs2 = Bayer Leverkusen

| years1 = 2006–2008

| clubs1 = Bayer Leverkusen II

| caps1 = 2

| goals1 = 0

| years2 = 2008

| clubs2 = Waldhof Mannheim

| caps2 = 0

| goals2 = 0

| years3 = 2008–2011

| clubs3 = Dynamo Dresden II

| caps3 = 35

| goals3 = 0

| years4 = 2008–2015

| clubs4 = Dynamo Dresden

| caps4 = 123

| goals4 = 0

| years5 = 2015

| clubs5 = NEC

| caps5 = 6

| goals5 = 0

| years6 = 2016–2021

| clubs6 = Lokomotive Leipzig

| caps6 = 68

| goals6 = 0

| totalcaps = 234

| totalgoals = 0

| manageryears1 = 2022–

| managerclubs1 = Dynamo Dresden (youth coach)

}}

Benjamin Kirsten (born 2 June 1987) is a German former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper. He spent much of his active career with Dynamo Dresden and 1. FC Lokomotive Leipzig.

Early life

Kirsten was born in Riesa, East Germany. In 1989, at the age of two, he began to play football at Dynamo Dresden and in July 1990 left with his father Ulf Kirsten for Bayer 04 Leverkusen where he played the following 16 years with the club's youth team.

Career

In July 2006, Kirsten was promoted to the Bayer Leverkusen reserve squad in the Regionalliga. He played two games for the team who were coached by his father Ulf.{{Cite web|url=http://www.bild.de/sport/fussball/dresden/keine-chance-gegen-papa-ulf-kirsten-5226264.bild.html|title=Keine Chance gegen Papa Ulf|language=de|publisher=Bild|date=7 July 2008|access-date=4 March 2012}}

In January 2008, he left Bayer Leverkusen after 17 years and six months to join Waldhof Mannheim. On 16 June 2008, after only half a year with Waldhof he returned to Dynamo Dresden,{{Cite web|url=http://www.dynamo-dresden.de/aktuell/news-ansicht/archiv/2008/juni/artikel/dynamo-verpflichtet-jens-grembowietz-und-benjamin-kirsten|title=Dynamo Dresden verpflichtet Jens Grembowietz und Benjamin Kirsten|language=de|publisher=dynamo-dresden.de|date=16 June 2008|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080619190216/http://www.dynamo-dresden.de/aktuell/news-ansicht/archiv/2008/juni/artikel/dynamo-verpflichtet-jens-grembowietz-und-benjamin-kirsten/|archive-date=19 June 2008}} where he made his debut – his first professional game – on 2 May 2009 against Fortuna Düsseldorf.{{Cite web|url=https://www.derwesten.de/sport/lokalsport/duesseldorf/fortuna-duesseldorf/Der-Sohn-von-Stuermer-Ulf-Kirsten-steht-im-Dynamo-Tor-id663497.html|title=Der Sohn von Stürmer Ulf Kirsten steht im Dynamo-Tor|language=de|publisher=derwesten.de|date=1 May 2009|access-date=4 March 2012}} Kirsten played the entire ninety minutes, conceding one goal.

In his first two years, Kirsten regularly featured for Dynamo Dresden II. He was part of the team that won the Sachsenliga and Sachsenpokal in 2009. Kirsten was involved in a controversy after the cup win, when he was seen lighting fireworks on the pitch. Dynamo had previously been punished for similar incidents from their fans, and Kirsten was suspended for three games and fined €4,000 (about £3,500).{{Cite web|url=https://www.kicker.de/kirsten-sorgt-fuer-eklat-510327/artikel|title=Kirsten sorgt für Eklat|language=de|publisher=kicker|date=18 June 2009|access-date=4 March 2012}}

On day 25 of the 2010–11 season team manager Matthias Maucksch made Kirsten the regular first-choice keeper of Dynamo Dresden.{{Cite web|url=http://www.sz-online.de/Nachrichten/Regionalsport/Wird_beim_Torwart-Roulette_falsch_gespielt/articleid-2693491|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110726212856/http://www.sz-online.de/Nachrichten/Regionalsport/Wird_beim_Torwart-Roulette_falsch_gespielt/articleid-2693491|url-status=dead|archive-date=26 July 2011|title=Wird beim Torwart-Roulette falsch gespielt?|language=de|publisher=Sächsische Zeitung|date=21 February 2011|access-date=4 March 2012|first=Daniel|last=Klein}} With his persuasive performances Kirsten had a major part in that Dynamo reached the third place at the end of the season and after beating VfL Osnabrück in the relegation matches promoted to the 2. Bundesliga.

Following this success, Kirsten remained Dynamo's substitute keeper behind Wolfgang Hesl but was promoted to the team's starting eleven in February 2012. He remained in this role for most of the 2012–13 through 2014–15 seasons, with his team being re-relegated to the 3. Liga in 2014. Kirsten eventually left Dynamo in 2015,{{Cite web|url=https://www.liga3-online.de/dynamo-dresden-vertrag-von-benjamin-kirsten-wird-nicht-verlangert/|title="Lebenstraum geht zu Ende": Dynamo plant ohne Kirsten|website=www.liga3-online.de|date=22 April 2015|last=Wogawa|first=Steffen|language=de|access-date=23 June 2021}} after which he spent a season with Dutch side NEC Nijmegen;{{Cite web|url=https://www.omroepgelderland.nl/nieuws/2100126/Keepersprobleem-voor-NEC-opgelost-met-Benjamin-Kirsten|title=Keepersprobleem voor NEC opgelost met Benjamin Kirsten|publisher=Omroep Gelderland|date=16 October 2015|language=nl|access-date=23 June 2021}} he appeared in six games for them.

Returning to Germany, Kirsten joined Regionalliga Nordost team Lok Leipzig in November 2016.{{Cite web|url=https://www.lok-leipzig.com/verein/news/detail/article/benjamin-kirsten-ab-sofort-beim-fcl/|title=Benjamin Kristen ab sofort beim FCL|publisher=Lok Leipzig|date=15 November 2016|language=de|access-date=23 June 2021}} After spending five years with the club, Kirsten retired in 2021, citing continuing issues related to his meniscus.{{Cite web|url=https://www.sportbuzzer.de/artikel/benjamin-kirsten-beendet-karriere-und-bekommt-neue-rolle-bei-dynamo-dresden/|title=Benjamin Kirsten beendet Karriere und bekommt neue Rolle bei Dynamo Dresden|publisher=Sportbuzzer|date=21 June 2021|last=Schramm|first=Stefan|language=de|access-date=23 June 2021|archive-date=21 June 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210621181154/https://www.sportbuzzer.de/artikel/benjamin-kirsten-beendet-karriere-und-bekommt-neue-rolle-bei-dynamo-dresden/|url-status=dead}}

In January 2022, Kirsten was hired as a youth coach at his former club, Dynamo Dresden.[https://www.kicker.de/neue-aufgabe-fuer-kirsten-dynamo-stellt-torwarttrainer-team-um-887547/artikel Neue Aufgabe für Kirsten: Dynamo stellt Torwarttrainer-Team um], kicker.de, 25 January 2022

Personal life

Benjamin Kirsten is the son of former Germany national team forward and three-time Bundesliga top scorer Ulf Kirsten.{{Cite web|url=http://www.soccer-warriors.de/2007/07/02/prominente-vter-talentierte-kinder-teil-1/|title=Prominente Väter, talentierte Kinder|language=de|publisher=soccer-warriors.de|date=2 July 2007|access-date=4 March 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120222234117/http://www.soccer-warriors.de/2007/07/02/prominente-vter-talentierte-kinder-teil-1/|archive-date=22 February 2012}} He was trained as a merchant in sports and fitness at Dynamo Dresden.{{Cite web|url=https://www.kicker.de/dynamo-schnappt-sich-kirsten-379693/artikel|title=Dynamo schnappt sich Kirsten|language=de|publisher=kicker|date=16 June 2008|access-date=4 March 2012}}