Christopher Lenz
{{short description|German footballer (born 1994)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2021}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Christopher Lenz
| image = 2022128173603 2022-05-08 Fussball Eintracht Frankfurt vs Borussia Mönchengladbach - Sven - 1D X MK II - 0621 - AK8I7356 (cropped).jpg
| caption = Lenz with Eintracht Frankfurt in 2022
| full_name =
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1994|9|22|df=y}}
| birth_place = Berlin, Germany
| position = Left-back
| currentclub = TSG Hoffenheim
| clubnumber = 13
| youthyears1 =
| youthclubs1 = Stern Marienfelde
| youthyears2 = {{0|0000}}–2008
| youthclubs2 = Tennis Borussia Berlin
| youthyears3 = 2008–2012
| youthclubs3 = Hertha BSC
| years1 = 2012
| clubs1 = Hertha BSC II
| caps1 = 4
| goals1 = 0
| years2 = 2012–2016
| clubs2 = Borussia Mönchengladbach II
| caps2 = 109
| goals2 = 8
| years3 = 2016–2021
| clubs3 = Union Berlin
| caps3 = 65
| goals3 = 0
| years4 = 2017–2018
| clubs4 = → Holstein Kiel (loan)
| caps4 = 30
| goals4 = 2
| years5 = 2021–2023
| clubs5 = Eintracht Frankfurt
| caps5 = 40
| goals5 = 0
| years6 = 2023–2024
| clubs6 = RB Leipzig
| caps6 = 5
| goals6 = 0
| years7 = 2024–
| clubs7 = TSG Hoffenheim
| caps7 = 0
| goals7 = 0
| nationalyears1 = 2012
| nationalteam1 = Germany U18
| nationalcaps1 = 2
| nationalgoals1 = 0
| nationalyears2 = 2012–2013
| nationalteam2 = Germany U19
| nationalcaps2 = 10
| nationalgoals2 = 0
| club-update = 12 September 2024
}}
Christopher Lenz (born 22 September 1994) is a German professional footballer who plays as a left-back for Bundesliga club TSG Hoffenheim.{{WorldFootball.net|christopher-lenz}}
Club career
Born and raised in Berlin, Lenz started playing football at FC Stern Marienfelde in the southern part of the capital. In addition to a brief period in the youth department of Tennis Borussia Berlin, Lenz was primarily developed at Hertha BSC, where he spent a total of twelve years. In the second half of the 2011–12 season, he was promoted to the second team's squad.
File:Christopher Lenz (34216772385).jpg
In 2012, he transferred to Borussia Mönchengladbach, where he initially played for the A-youth team but was already promoted to the second team in September. After a total of four years in the Regionalliga West and upon the expiration of his contract, Lenz returned to his hometown for the 2016-17 season and signed a two-year contract with 2. Bundesliga club Union Berlin.{{cite web|access-date=2022-10-19|date=2016-01-19|publisher=fc-union-berlin.de|title=Union verpflichtet Defensivtalent Christopher Lenz ab Sommer 2016|url=https://www.fc-union-berlin.de/de/union-live/news/profis/Union-verpflichtet-Defensivtalent-Christopher-Lenz-ab-Sommer-2016-18323O/}} After being called up to the squad for league matches only twice and coming on as a substitute once during the first half of the season, he moved on loan to 3. Liga club Holstein Kiel for the second half of the season.{{cite web|access-date=2022-10-19|date=2016-12-27|publisher=fc-union-berlin.de|title=Christopher Lenz wechselt auf Leihbasis zu Holstein Kiel|url=https://www.fc-union-berlin.de/profis/aktuelle-meldungen/detail/Christopher-Lenz-wechselt-auf-Leihbasis-zu-Holstein-Kiel-18513k/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180320160814/https://www.fc-union-berlin.de/profis/aktuelle-meldungen/detail/Christopher-Lenz-wechselt-auf-Leihbasis-zu-Holstein-Kiel-18513k/ |archive-date=20 March 2018 }} After playing the upcoming second-division season with Kiel, Lenz returned to Union Berlin's squad for the 2018–19 season. Following Berlin's first-ever promotion to the Bundesliga, he made his debut in the league on Matchday 1 in the 0–4 home defeat against RB Leipzig.
For the 2021–22 season, after his contract with Union expired, Lenz made a free transfer within the Bundesliga to Eintracht Frankfurt In the Main metropolis, he signed a contract until 2024.[https://profis.eintracht.de/news/detail/?id=record-130543-de Ab Sommer ein Adler], eintracht.de, retrieved 28 January 2021. Initially deployed as a left-back in Frankfurt's back four, Lenz had to take a break from September 2021 for over two months due to injury. Upon his return, especially with a shift to a back three system and the presence of Filip Kostić as a key player on the left flank, he mainly served as a substitute. Throughout the season, he made 18 appearances in various competitions. Lenz gained his first international experience in the Europa League, and his team reached the final after topping the group and securing victories in the knockout stages against Real Betis, FC Barcelona, and West Ham United. In the final, on 18 May 2022 against the Rangers, the defender came on as a substitute in extra time and played a direct role in his team's title win by converting the first [[Penalty shoot-out (association football)|
penalty in the subsequent shootout]].
In the 2022–23 season, he gained experience in the Champions League for the first time and made a total of 35 appearances across different competitions.[https://www.weltfussball.de/spieler_profil/christopher-lenz/2/ Christopher Lenz
On 30 August 2023, Lenz signed with RB Leipzig for one year, with an option for a second year.{{cite web|publisher=RB Leipzig|url=https://rbleipzig.com/en/news/2023-2024/christopher-lenz-joins-rb-leipzig/|title=Christopher Lenz Joins RB Leipzig |date=30 August 2023|access-date=30 August 2023}} He left RB Leipzig on 1 July 2024.{{cite web|publisher=RB Leipzig|url=https://rbleipzig.com/en/news/2024-2025/rb-leipzig-christopher-lenz-transfer-departure/|title=RB LEIPZIG PART WAYS WITH CHRISTOPHER LENZ|date=1 July 2024|access-date=1 July 2024}}
On 12 September 2024, Lenz joined TSG Hoffenheim.{{cite web|url=https://www.tsg-hoffenheim.de/aktuelles/news/2024/09/tsg-hoffenheim-verpflichtet-christopher-lenz|trans-title=TSG Hoffenheim signs Christopher Lenz|title=TSG Hoffenheim verpflichtet Christopher Lenz|language=German|website=www.tsg-hoffenheim.de|date=12 September 2024|accessdate=12 September 2024}}
= International career =
Lenz played two test matches for the Germany U18 national team in May 2012. Additionally, from August 2012 to June 2013, he was also featured in ten international matches for the U19 national team.[https://www.dfb.de/datencenter/personen/christopher-lenz/spieler Christopher Lenz] in der Datenbank des Deutschen Fußball-Bundes, retrieved 21 January 2021.
Career statistics
{{updated|match played 11 May 2024}}{{Soccerway|christopher-lenz/229818}}
| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
|+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition | ||||||||||
| rowspan="2"|Club
!rowspan="2"|Season !colspan="3"|League !colspan="2"|DFB-Pokal !colspan="2"|Europe !colspan="2"|Other !colspan="2"|Total | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| rowspan="5"|Borussia Mönchengladbach II
|rowspan="4"|Regionalliga West |18 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 18 | 0 | ||||
| 2013–14
|29 | 4 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2" |— | colspan="2"|— | 29 | 4 | ||||
| 2014–15
|31 | 3 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 2{{efn|Appearances in Regionalliga promotion play-offs}} | 0 | 33 | 3 | |||
| 2015–16
|31 | 1 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 31 | 1 | ||||
| colspan="2"|Total
!109 | 8 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 2 | 0 | 111 | 8 | |||
| rowspan="5"|Union Berlin
|rowspan="2"|2. Bundesliga |1 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 1 | 0 | ||||
| 2018–19
|11 | 0 | 2 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 13 | 0 | |||
| 2019–20
|rowspan="2"|Bundesliga |26 | 0 | 4 | 1 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 30 | 1 | |||
| 2020–21
|27 | 0 | 1 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 28 | 0 | |||
| colspan="2"|Total
!65 | 0 | 7 | 1 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 72 | 1 | |||
| rowspan="3"|Holstein Kiel (loan)
|19 | 2 | 2 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 21 | 2 | |||
| 2017–18
|2. Bundesliga |11 | 0 | 1 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 12 | 0 | |||
| colspan="2"|Total
!30 | 2 | 3 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 33 | 2 | |||
| rowspan="4"|Eintracht Frankfurt
|rowspan="3"|Bundesliga |15 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2{{efn|name=UEL|Appearances in UEFA Europa League}} | 0 | colspan="2"|— | 18 | 0 | ||
| 2022–23
|24 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 5{{efn|name=UCL}} | 0 | 1{{efn|Appearance in UEFA Super Cup}} | 0 | 34 | 0 | |
| 2023–24
|1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | 1 | 0 | ||
| colspan="2"|Total
!40 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 53 | 0 | |
| RB Leipzig
|Bundesliga |5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2{{efn|name=UCL|Appearances in UEFA Champions League}} | 0 | colspan="2"|— | 8 | 0 | ||
| colspan="3"|Career total
!249 | 10 | 16 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 277 | 11 |
{{notelist}}
Honours
Eintracht Frankfurt
- UEFA Europa League: 2021–22{{citation needed|date=August 2023}}
- UEFA Super Cup runner-up: 2022{{Cite web |title=Alaba und Benzema ganz cool: Real im Supercup eine Nummer zu groß für Frankfurt |url=https://www.kicker.de/real-madrid-gegen-frankfurt-2022-uefa-supercup-4772230/analyse |access-date=2024-12-27 |website=kicker |language=de-DE}}
- DFB-Pokal runner-up: 2022–23{{Cite web |title=RB Leipzig gewinnt DFB-Pokal: Nkunku der Matchwinner |url=https://www.kicker.de/leipzig-gegen-frankfurt-2023-dfb-pokal-4844336/ticker |access-date=2024-12-27 |website=kicker |language=de-DE}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
{{Commons category}}
- [https://rbleipzig.com/en/first-team/team/christopher-lenz/ Profile] at the RB Leipzig website
- {{UEFA player}}
{{TSG 1899 Hoffenheim squad}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lenz, Christopher}}
Category:Footballers from Berlin
Category:German men's footballers
Category:Men's association football fullbacks
Category:Germany men's youth international footballers
Category:Hertha BSC II players
Category:Borussia Mönchengladbach II players
Category:1. FC Union Berlin players
Category:Holstein Kiel players
Category:Eintracht Frankfurt players
Category:TSG 1899 Hoffenheim players
Category:UEFA Europa League–winning players