Leonardo Bittencourt
{{Short description|German footballer (born 1993)}}
{{Portuguese name|Loureiro|Bittencourt}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2022}}
{{Infobox football biography
|name = Leonardo Bittencourt
|image = LeonardoBittencourt (cropped).jpg
|upright =
|caption = Bittencourt with Werder Bremen in 2019
|full_name = Leonardo Jesus Loureiro Bittencourt
|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1993|12|19|df=y}}
|birth_place = Leipzig, Germany
|position = Midfielder
|currentclub = Werder Bremen
|clubnumber = 10
|youthyears1 = 2005–2010
|youthclubs1 = Energie Cottbus
|years1 = 2010–2012
|clubs1 = Energie Cottbus II
|caps1 = 4
|goals1 = 2
|years2 = 2010–2012
|clubs2 = Energie Cottbus
|caps2 = 29
|goals2 = 2
|years3 = 2012–2013
|clubs3 = Borussia Dortmund II
|caps3 = 12
|goals3 = 1
|years4 = 2012–2013
|clubs4 = Borussia Dortmund
|caps4 = 5
|goals4 = 1
|years5 = 2013–2015
|clubs5 = Hannover 96
|caps5 = 57
|goals5 = 5
|years6 = 2015–2018
|clubs6 = 1. FC Köln
|caps6 = 67
|goals6 = 11
|years7 = 2018–2020
|clubs7 = 1899 Hoffenheim
|caps7 = 22
|goals7 = 1
|years8 = 2019–2020
|clubs8 = → Werder Bremen (loan)
|caps8 = 28
|goals8 = 4
|years9 = 2020–
|clubs9 = Werder Bremen
|caps9 = 125
|goals9 = 12
|nationalyears1 = 2011
|nationalteam1 = Germany U19
|nationalcaps1 = 2
|nationalgoals1 = 0
|nationalyears2 = 2012–2015
|nationalteam2 = Germany U21
|nationalcaps2 = 20
|nationalgoals2 = 3
|club-update = 13 April 2025 (UTC)
|nationalteam-update =
}}
Leonardo Jesus Loureiro Bittencourt (born 19 December 1993) is a German professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for {{German football updater|WerderBr}} club Werder Bremen.
Personal life
Bittencourt was born in Leipzig, Germany. He is the son of Franklin Bittencourt, a Brazilian former professional player who played in Germany, and is now active as a coach.
Club career
Bittencourt began his career with Energie Cottbus.{{fussballdaten|id=bittencourtleonardo|name=Leonardo Bittencourt}}{{soccerway|leonardo-bittencourt/179905}} On 1 December 2011, it was announced that Bittencourt had signed a four-year contract with Borussia Dortmund, effective from 1 July 2012.{{cite web |url=http://www.ruhrnachrichten.de/sport/bvb/bvbnews/Juergen-Klopp-Bin-stolz-dass-er-sich-uns-ausgesucht-hat;art11635,1484707 |title=Bittencourt wechselt zum BVB |first = Sascha | last = Fligge |date=1 December 2011 |publisher=RuhrNachrichten.de |language=German |accessdate=1 December 2011}} He moved to Hannover 96 at the end of the 2012–13 season.{{cite web | url = http://www.hannover96.de/CDA/aktuelles/alle-news/detailansicht.html?tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=53499&cHash=6efb49dc49bdf06544add4461fe12d77 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130621203956/http://www.hannover96.de/CDA/aktuelles/alle-news/detailansicht.html?tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=53499&cHash=6efb49dc49bdf06544add4461fe12d77 | url-status = dead | archive-date = 21 June 2013 | title = Hannover 96 verpflichtet Bittencourt | language = German | publisher = Hannover 96 | date = 18 June 2013 | accessdate = 24 July 2013 }}
On 13 July 2015, Bittencourt joined 1. FC Köln on a four-year deal keeping him at the club until 2019.{{Cite news |title=LEONARDO BITTENCOURT SIGNS FOR 1. FC KÖLN |url=http://www.fc-koeln.de/en/fc-info/news/detailpage/details/leonardo-bittencourt-signs-for-1-fc-koeln/ |publisher=1. FC Köln |date=14 July 2015 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150714230410/http://www.fc-koeln.de/en/fc-info/news/detailpage/details/leonardo-bittencourt-signs-for-1-fc-koeln/ |archivedate=14 July 2015 }}
On 28 April 2018, he played as Köln lost 3–2 to SC Freiburg which confirmed Köln's relegation from the Bundesliga.{{cite web |title=Cologne relegated after dramatic loss in Freiburg |url=https://www.bundesliga.com/en/news/Bundesliga/freiburg-cologne-line-ups-stats-pizarro-jonas-hector-nils-petersen-timo-horn-479345.jsp |website=Bundesliga |accessdate=17 November 2019}} After the team's relegation, Bittencourt was transferred to TSG 1899 Hoffenheim for a fee of €6 million.{{cite press release |title=Bittencourt wechselt zur TSG Hoffenheim |url=https://www.tsg-hoffenheim.de/aktuelles/news/2018/05/bittencourt-wechselt-zur-tsg-hoffenheim/ |website=TSG 1899 Hoffenheim |access-date=23 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210302045001/https://www.tsg-hoffenheim.de/aktuelles/news/2018/05/bittencourt-wechselt-zur-tsg-hoffenheim/ |archive-date=2 March 2021 |language=de-DE |date=14 May 2018}}{{cite news |title=Fix! Leonardo Bittencourt wechselt vom 1. FC Köln zur TSG Hoffenheim |url=https://www.sport1.de/news/transfermarkt/2018/05/fix-leonardo-bittencourt-wechselt-vom-1-fc-koeln-zur-tsg-hoffenheim |access-date=23 February 2023 |work=SPORT1 |date=14 May 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230223105534/https://www.sport1.de/news/transfermarkt/2018/05/fix-leonardo-bittencourt-wechselt-vom-1-fc-koeln-zur-tsg-hoffenheim |archive-date=23 February 2023 |language=de}}
On 2 September 2019, Werder Bremen announced the signing of Bittencourt on a season-long loan deal.{{cite web|url=https://www.werder.de/en/news/news/werder-bremen-news/20192020/leonardo-bittencourt-loan/|title=Leonardo Bittencourt joins on loan from Hoffenheim|publisher=SV Werder Bremen|date=2 September 2019|accessdate=2 September 2019}} It was reported the transfer included an obligation for Werder Bremen to sign him permanently for an estimated transfer fee of €7 million.{{cite web |last1=Philippsen |first1=Petra |title=Werder zaubert im Transferendspurt Bittencourt aus dem Hut |url=https://www.butenunbinnen.de/sport/werder-hoffenheim-transfer-bittencourt-100.html |website=Buten und Binnen |publisher=Radio Bremen |accessdate=2 September 2019 |language=German |date=2 September 2019}} The obligation took effect in July 2020.{{cite web |title=Auslaufende Verträge, Kaufpflicht von Toprak, Bittencourt und Selke: So geht es mit dem Werder-Kader weiter |url=https://www.sportbuzzer.de/artikel/werder-bremen-kader-auslaufende-vertrage-kaufpflicht-toprak-bittencourt-selke/ |website=Sportbuzzer |accessdate=9 July 2020 |language=German |date=7 July 2020}}
International career
Bittencourt has represented Germany's youth teams, under 19 and under 21. He was first called up to under 21 in 2012, for the friendly against Turkey on 14 November 2012.{{Cite web |date=2012-12-03 |title=DFB - Deutscher Fußball-Bund e.V. - Team |url=http://www.dfb.de/index.php?id=500109 |access-date=2025-04-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121203095426/http://www.dfb.de/index.php?id=500109 |archive-date=3 December 2012 }}
Career statistics
{{Updated|match played 13 April 2025}}{{cite web |title=Leonardo Bittencourt » Club matches |url=https://www.worldfootball.net/player_summary/leonardo-bittencourt/2/ |website=worldfootball.net |language=German |accessdate=17 November 2019}}{{cite web |title=Leonardo Bittencourt |url=https://www.kicker.de/leonardo-bittencourt/spieler/bundesliga/2019-20/werder-bremen |website=kicker Online |access-date=18 November 2019}}
| 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"|Continental !colspan="2"|Other !colspan="2"|Total | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| Energie Cottbus II
|4 | 2 | colspan="2"|– | colspan="2"|– | colspan="2"|– | 4 | 2 | ||||
| rowspan="3"|Energie Cottbus
|rowspan="2"|2. Bundesliga |3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | colspan="2"|– | colspan="2"|– | 3 | 0 | |||
| 2011–12
|26 | 2 | 1 | 0 | colspan="2"|– | colspan="2"|– | 27 | 2 | |||
| colspan="2"|Total
!29 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 30 | 2 | |
| Borussia Dortmund II
|12 | 1 | 0 | 0 | colspan="2"|– | colspan="2"|– | 12 | 1 | |||
| Borussia Dortmund
|5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1{{efn|name=UCL|Appearance(s) in UEFA Champions League}} | 0 | colspan="2"|– | 7 | 1 | ||
| rowspan="3"|Hannover 96
|rowspan="2"|2. Bundesliga |31 | 4 | 2 | 0 | colspan="2"|– | colspan="2"|– | 33 | 4 | |||
| 2014–15
|26 | 1 | 2 | 0 | colspan="2"|– | colspan="2"|– | 28 | 1 | |||
| colspan="2"|Total
!57 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 61 | 5 | |
| rowspan="4"|1. FC Köln
|rowspan="3"|Bundesliga |29 | 3 | 1 | 0 | colspan="2"|– | colspan="2"|– | 30 | 3 | |||
| 2016–17
|16 | 3 | 2 | 0 | colspan="2"|– | colspan="2"|– | 18 | 3 | |||
| 2017–18
|22 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 4{{efn|Appearances in UEFA Europa League}} | 0 | colspan="2"|– | 28 | 6 | ||
| colspan="2"|Total
!67 | 11 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 76 | 12 | |
| rowspan="3"|1899 Hoffenheim
|rowspan="2"|Bundesliga |21 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3{{efn|name=UCL}} | 0 | colspan="2"|– | 26 | 1 | ||
| 2019–20
|1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | colspan="2"|– | colspan="2"|– | 1 | 0 | |||
| colspan="2"|Total
!22 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 27 | 1 | |
| Werder Bremen (loan)
|Bundesliga |28 | 4 | 3 | 2 | colspan="2"|– | 1{{efn|Appearance in Bundesliga relegation play-offs}} | 0 | 32 | 6 | ||
| rowspan="6"|Werder Bremen
|Bundesliga |27 | 4 | 2 | 1 | colspan="2"|– | colspan="2"|– | 29 | 5 | |||
| 2021–22
|2. Bundesliga |22 | 2 | 0 | 0 | colspan="2"|– | 0 | 0 | 22 | 2 | ||
| 2022–23
|Bundesliga |25 | 3 | 2 | 1 | colspan="2"|– | colspan="2"|– | 27 | 4 | |||
| 2023–24
|Bundesliga |29 | 1 | 1 | 0 | colspan="2"|– | colspan="2"|– | 30 | 1 | |||
| 2024–25
|Bundesliga |22 | 2 | 4 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 26 | 2 | |||
| colspan="2"|Total
!125 | 12 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 134 | 14 | |
| colspan="3"|Career total
!349 | 39 | 25 | 5 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 383 | 44 |
{{notelist}}
References
{{reflist}}
{{SV Werder Bremen squad}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bittencourt, Leonardo}}
Category:Footballers from Leipzig
Category:German people of Brazilian descent
Category:German men's footballers
Category:Men's association football midfielders
Category:Germany men's youth international footballers
Category:Germany men's under-21 international footballers
Category:FC Energie Cottbus players
Category:FC Energie Cottbus II players
Category:Borussia Dortmund players
Category:Borussia Dortmund II players
Category:TSG 1899 Hoffenheim players
Category:SV Werder Bremen players
Category:2. Bundesliga players
Category:21st-century German sportsmen
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