Frank Kramer (footballer, born 1972)

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Frank Kramer

| image = Frank-Kramer-07-2015.jpg

| caption = Kramer as a coach of Fortuna Düsseldorf in 2015

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1972|5|3|df=y}}{{cite web|title=Frank Kramer|url=https://www.kicker.de/frank-kramer/trainer|publisher=kicker|access-date=12 March 2013|language=de}}

| birth_place = Memmingen, West Germany

| height = 1.80 m

| currentclub =

| position = Midfielder

| youthyears1 = {{0|0000}}–1990

| youthclubs1 = FC Memmingen

| years1 = 1990–1993

| clubs1 = FC Memmingen

| caps1 = 75

| goals1 = 8

| years2 = 1993–1995

| clubs2 = Bayern Munich II

| caps2 = 27

| goals2 = 2

| years3 = 1995–1996

| clubs3 = TSV Vestenbergsgreuth

| caps3 = 39

| goals3 = 1

| years4 = 1996–1999

| clubs4 = SC Weismain

| caps4 = 82

| goals4 = 3

| years5 = 1999–2001

| clubs5 = 1. FC Nürnberg II

| caps5 = 40

| goals5 = 3

| years6 = 2001–2002

| clubs6 = Greuther Fürth II

| caps6 = 27

| goals6 = 1

| years7 = 2002–2003

| clubs7 = 1. SC Feucht

| caps7 = 26

| goals7 = 1

| years8 = 2003–2005

| clubs8 = Greuther Fürth II

| caps8 = 52

| goals8 = 14

| totalcaps = 368

| totalgoals = 33

| manageryears1 = 2004

| managerclubs1 = Greuther Fürth II

| manageryears2 = 2005

| managerclubs2 = Greuther Fürth II

| manageryears3 = 2005–2009

| managerclubs3 = Greuther Fürth U-19

| manageryears4 = 2009–2011

| managerclubs4 = Greuther Fürth II

| manageryears5 = 2011–2012

| managerclubs5 = TSG Hoffenheim II

| manageryears6 = 2012

| managerclubs6 = TSG Hoffenheim (caretaker)

| manageryears7 = 2012–2013

| managerclubs7 = TSG Hoffenheim II

| manageryears8 = 2013–2015

| managerclubs8 = Greuther Fürth

| manageryears9 = 2015

| managerclubs9 = Fortuna Düsseldorf

| manageryears10 = 2016–2017

| managerclubs10 = Germany U19

| manageryears11 = 2017–2018

| managerclubs11 = Germany U20

| manageryears12 = 2018–2019

| managerclubs12 = Germany U18

| manageryears13 = 2021–2022

| managerclubs13 = Arminia Bielefeld

| manageryears14 = 2022

| managerclubs14 = Schalke 04

}}

Frank Kramer (born 3 May 1972) is a former German football player and coach who last managed Schalke 04.

Player career

From 1990 to 2005 he played as semi-professional for FC Memmingen, Bayern Munich II, TSV Vestenbergsgreuth, SC Weismain, 1. FC Nürnberg II, Greuther Fürth II (two spells) and 1. SC Feucht.

Managerial career

=Early career=

Kramer had three stints as Greuther Fürth II manager before moving to TSG Hoffenheim. At the club, Kramer had two stints as TSG Hoffenheim II manager. In between stints, Kramer was interim manager of the first team after the sacking of Markus Babbel.{{cite news|title=1899 drückt Reset: Babbel entlassen!|url=https://www.kicker.de/1899-drueckt-reset_babbel-entlassen-578605/artikel|access-date=12 March 2013|newspaper=kicker|date=3 December 2012|language=de}}

=Greuther Fürth=

Greuther Fürth appointed Kramer as manager on 12 March 2013.{{cite news|title=Kramers Elf soll "bisschen genießen dürfen"|url=https://www.kicker.de/kramers-elf-soll-bisschen-geniessen-duerfen-583106/artikel|access-date=12 March 2013|newspaper=kicker|date=12 March 2013|language=de}}

He was sacked on 23 February 2015.{{cite news|title=Fürth entlässt Kramer – Büskens übernimmt|url=https://www.kicker.de/fuerth-entlaesst-kramer---bueskens-uebernimmt-621660/artikel|access-date=23 February 2015|publisher=kicker|date=23 February 2015|language=de}}

=Fortuna Düsseldorf=

On 14 April 2015, it was announced that Kramer would be taking over as manager of Fortuna Düsseldorf from the beginning of the 2015–16 season.{{cite news|title=Kramer übernimmt die Fortuna|url=https://www.kicker.de/kramer-uebernimmt-die-fortuna-624982/artikel|access-date=15 April 2015|publisher=kicker|date=14 April 2015|language=de}} He had his first training session on 20 June 2015.{{cite news|last1=Schulze|first1=Thomas|title=Fortunas Spieler müssen bluten|url=http://www.rp-online.de/sport/fussball/fortuna/fortunas-spieler-muessen-bluten-aid-1.5179029|access-date=2 July 2015|date=20 June 2015|location=Düsseldorf|language=de}} He was sacked on 22 November 2015.{{cite web|title=Düsseldorf beurlaubt Trainer Kramer|language=de|date=23 November 2015|access-date=23 November 2015|website=dfb.de|publisher=Deutscher Fußball-Bund e.V.|url=https://www.dfb.de/news/detail/duesseldorf-beurlaubt-trainer-kramer-135551/}}

=Germany youth=

He was appointed as the head coach of the Germany U19 national team on 23 August 2016.{{cite web|title=Kuntz und Kramer neu im DFB-Trainerstab|language=de|date=23 August 2016|access-date=23 August 2016|website=dfb.de|publisher=Deutscher Fußball-Bund e.V.|url=https://www.dfb.de/news/detail/kuntz-und-kramer-neu-im-dfb-trainerstab-152411/}} In the following years, he also managed the U20- and U18 squad.

=Red Bull Salzburg=

Ahead of the 2019–20 season, Kramer was appointed head of the youth academy at FC Red Bull Salzburg.{{cite web |title=U-18-Coach Kramer wird Akademieleiter in Salzburg |url=https://www.kicker.de/u-18-coach-kramer-wird-akademieleiter-in-salzburg-747563/artikel |website=kicker |access-date=2 March 2021 |language=de |date=26 April 2019}}

=Arminia Bielefeld=

Kramer became manager of Bundesliga club Arminia Bielefeld on 2 March 2021, succeeding Uwe Neuhaus. He signed a contract until 2023.{{cite web |title=Bielefeld: Frank Kramer wird neuer Arminia-Trainer |url=https://www.kicker.de/vertrag-bis-2023-kramer-wird-neuer-arminia-trainer-798646/artikel |website=kicker |access-date=2 March 2021 |language=de |date=2 March 2021}}

After a devastating record of six losses in seven games, Kramer was sacked on 20 April 2022.{{cite news |url=https://www.arminia.de/neues/schlagzeilen/detail/dsc-arminia-bielefeld-entbindet-kramer-von-seinen-aufgaben |title=DSC Arminia Bielefeld entbindet Kramer von seinen Aufgaben|publisher=arminia.de |date=20 April 2022 |accessdate=20 April 2022}}

=Schalke 04=

He took over Schalke 04 in June 2022.{{cite web |url=https://schalke04.de/en/team/frank-kramer-is-schalkes-new-head-coach/ |title=Frank Kramer is Schalke’s new head coach |date=7 June 2022 |website=schalke04.de |access-date=7 June 2022}} After Schalke was second to last in the table after ten matchdays and a subsequent 5–1 defeat against 1899 Hoffenheim in the DFB-Pokal, Kramer was sacked on 19 October 2022.{{Cite web|url=https://schalke04.de/en/team/fc-schalke-04-part-ways-with-frank-kramer/|title=FC Schalke 04 part ways with Frank Kramer|date=19 October 2022|website=Schalke 04}}

Managerial record

class="wikitable" style="text-align: center"
rowspan="2"\| Team !rowspan="2"\| From !rowspan="2"\| To !colspan="5"\|Record
G !W !D !L !Win %
Greuther Fürth II \| 11 February 2004 \| 30 June 2004 {{WDL\|12\|5\|2\|5}}
Greuther Fürth II \| 25 May 2005 \| 30 June 2005 {{WDL\|2\|0\|0\|2}}
Greuther Fürth II \| 1 July 2009 \| 30 June 2011 {{WDL\|64\|28\|11\|25}}
TSG Hoffenheim II \| 1 July 2011 \| 2 December 2012 {{WDL\|53\|24\|14\|15}}
TSG Hoffenheim \| 3 December 2012 \| 18 December 2012 {{WDL\|2\|0\|0\|2}}
TSG Hoffenheim II \| 18 December 2012 \| 11 March 2013 {{WDL\|1\|1\|0\|0}}
Greuther Fürth \| 12 March 2013 \| 23 February 2015 {{WDL\|71\|27\|21\|23}}
Fortuna Düsseldorf \| 20 June 2015 \| 22 November 2015 {{WDL\|15\|3\|4\|8}}
Arminia Bielefeld \| 2 March 2021 \| 20 April 2022 {{WDL\|44\|10\|16\|18}}
Schalke 04 \| 7 June 2022 \| 19 October 2022 {{WDL\|12\|2\|3\|7}}
colspan="3"\| Total {{WDLtot\|276\|100\|71\|105}}

class="wikitable" style="text-align: center"

rowspan="2"| Team

!rowspan="2"| From

!rowspan="2"| To

!colspan="5"|Record

!Win %

Greuther Fürth II

| 11 February 2004

| 30 June 2004

Greuther Fürth II

| 25 May 2005

| 30 June 2005