Inka Grings
Encyclopedia
Inka Grings is a German
footballer. She played sixteen years as a striker for FCR 2001 Duisburg
, today she plays for FC Zürich Frauen
. She also plays for the German national team
. Grings is the all-time leading goalscorer in Germany's top division, the Bundesliga
, having claimed the league's top-scorer award for a record six seasons. Playing for Germany, she has also been the top-scorer at two UEFA European Championships
. Grings was named German Female Footballer of the Year in 1999, 2009 and 2010.
in 1995. She quickly became an important player for the club and in the following years one of the most successful goalscorers in Germany. In 1998, Grings won the German Cup, her first major title. She scored three goals in the final against FSV Frankfurt
. The following year in the 1998–99 season she became the Bundesliga
's top-scorer for the first time. Grings was named German Female Footballer of the Year in 1999 by the country's sports journalists.
Over the next decade, Grings became the Bundesliga all-time leading goalscorer, hitting the mark of 350 goals in January 2011. She won the Bundesliga title with Duisburg in the 1999–00 season; that year she also set the all-time record for goals in a Bundesliga season by scoring 38 goals. She won the German Cup on two more occasions in 2009 and 2010, and lifted the UEFA Women's Cup in the 2008–09 season. Grings was the Bundesliga top-scorer for three years in a row from 2008 to 2010 and was again voted Germany's Female Footballer of the Year in 2009 and 2010.
She ended her contract at Duisburg one year early in an agreement with the club and announced transferring to an international club. On 1 September 2011 she joined Swiss side FC Zürich Frauen
.
in May 1996 against Finland
. She appeared for Germany at the 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup, scoring three goals. However, Germany was eliminated in the quarter-final. At the 2000 Summer Olympics, she won the bronze medal with the German team, scoring once against Australia in the group stage. Grings' career, particularly at international level, has repeatedly been affected by injuries. She missed the 2001 European Championship on home soil and the 2003 FIFA Women's World Cup due to injury. When she tore the anterior cruciate ligament
in her knee shortly before the 2004 Summer Olympics, Grings initially announce to end her career. However, she changed her mind during physical therapy
.
With four goals, Grings was the top-scorer at the 2005 European Championship, when Germany claimed its sixth European title. At the 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup and the 2008 Summer Olympics, Grings was not part of the German squad, because of disagreements with head coach Silvia Neid
. She returned for Germany at the 2009 European Championship, claiming her second European title. With five goals Grings again was the tournament's top-scorer. She has been called-up for the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup.
Grings has scored 64 international goals and is ranked third behind Birgit Prinz
(128) and Heidi Mohr
(83) for Germany's all-time top goalscorers. During 93 appearances, she has averaged 0.69 goals per games, which makes her the team's second most prolific scorer.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
footballer. She played sixteen years as a striker for FCR 2001 Duisburg
FCR 2001 Duisburg
FCR 2001 Duisburg is a German women's football club from Duisburg. The first team plays in the Fußball-Bundesliga . They originate from a women's team formed in 1977 under the umbrella of FC Rumeln-Kaldenhausen and have existed as an independent club since 8th. June 2001...
, today she plays for FC Zürich Frauen
FC Zürich Frauen
FC Zürich Frauen is a women's football Club from Zürich, Switzerland. Its first team plays since the founding of the Swiss national league in 1970 in the first division. The team won 15 national championships and won the Cup 8 times.- History :...
. She also plays for the German national team
Germany women's national football team
The German women's national football team represents Germany in international women's football and is directed by the German Football Association . The team – informally called West Germany in English – played its first international match in 1982...
. Grings is the all-time leading goalscorer in Germany's top division, the Bundesliga
Fußball-Bundesliga (women)
The Women's Football Bundesliga is the main league competition for women's football in Germany. In 1990 the German Football Association created the German Women's Bundesliga, based on the model of the men's Bundesliga. It was first played with north and south divisions, but in 1997 the groups...
, having claimed the league's top-scorer award for a record six seasons. Playing for Germany, she has also been the top-scorer at two UEFA European Championships
UEFA Women's Championship
The UEFA European Women's Championship, also called the UEFA Women's Euro and unofficially the "European Cup", held every fourth year, is the main competition in women's association football between national teams of the UEFA Confederation...
. Grings was named German Female Footballer of the Year in 1999, 2009 and 2010.
Club
As a child Grings wanted to be a tennis player. However, after no tennis club had accepted her, she instead started playing football at TSV Eller 04 in 1984. She later played for Garather SV, before joining FCR 2001 DuisburgFCR 2001 Duisburg
FCR 2001 Duisburg is a German women's football club from Duisburg. The first team plays in the Fußball-Bundesliga . They originate from a women's team formed in 1977 under the umbrella of FC Rumeln-Kaldenhausen and have existed as an independent club since 8th. June 2001...
in 1995. She quickly became an important player for the club and in the following years one of the most successful goalscorers in Germany. In 1998, Grings won the German Cup, her first major title. She scored three goals in the final against FSV Frankfurt
FSV Frankfurt
FSV Frankfurt is a German association football club based in the Bornheim district of Frankfurt am Main, Hesse and founded in 1899. The club plays in the shadow of larger and much more successful Eintracht Frankfurt, which has recently returned to 2nd tier football...
. The following year in the 1998–99 season she became the Bundesliga
Fußball-Bundesliga (women)
The Women's Football Bundesliga is the main league competition for women's football in Germany. In 1990 the German Football Association created the German Women's Bundesliga, based on the model of the men's Bundesliga. It was first played with north and south divisions, but in 1997 the groups...
's top-scorer for the first time. Grings was named German Female Footballer of the Year in 1999 by the country's sports journalists.
Over the next decade, Grings became the Bundesliga all-time leading goalscorer, hitting the mark of 350 goals in January 2011. She won the Bundesliga title with Duisburg in the 1999–00 season; that year she also set the all-time record for goals in a Bundesliga season by scoring 38 goals. She won the German Cup on two more occasions in 2009 and 2010, and lifted the UEFA Women's Cup in the 2008–09 season. Grings was the Bundesliga top-scorer for three years in a row from 2008 to 2010 and was again voted Germany's Female Footballer of the Year in 2009 and 2010.
She ended her contract at Duisburg one year early in an agreement with the club and announced transferring to an international club. On 1 September 2011 she joined Swiss side FC Zürich Frauen
FC Zürich Frauen
FC Zürich Frauen is a women's football Club from Zürich, Switzerland. Its first team plays since the founding of the Swiss national league in 1970 in the first division. The team won 15 national championships and won the Cup 8 times.- History :...
.
International
Grings made her debut for the German national teamGermany women's national football team
The German women's national football team represents Germany in international women's football and is directed by the German Football Association . The team – informally called West Germany in English – played its first international match in 1982...
in May 1996 against Finland
Finland women's national football team
The Finland women's national football team represents Finland in international women's football. The team, controlled by the Football Association of Finland , reached the semi-finals of the 2005 European Championship, surprising the female football world having drawn with Sweden and beaten Denmark...
. She appeared for Germany at the 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup, scoring three goals. However, Germany was eliminated in the quarter-final. At the 2000 Summer Olympics, she won the bronze medal with the German team, scoring once against Australia in the group stage. Grings' career, particularly at international level, has repeatedly been affected by injuries. She missed the 2001 European Championship on home soil and the 2003 FIFA Women's World Cup due to injury. When she tore the anterior cruciate ligament
Anterior cruciate ligament
The anterior cruciate ligament is a cruciate ligament which is one of the four major ligaments of the human knee. In the quadruped stifle , based on its anatomical position, it is referred to as the cranial cruciate ligament.The ACL originates from deep within the notch of the distal femur...
in her knee shortly before the 2004 Summer Olympics, Grings initially announce to end her career. However, she changed her mind during physical therapy
Physical therapy
Physical therapy , often abbreviated PT, is a health care profession. Physical therapy is concerned with identifying and maximizing quality of life and movement potential within the spheres of promotion, prevention, diagnosis, treatment/intervention,and rehabilitation...
.
With four goals, Grings was the top-scorer at the 2005 European Championship, when Germany claimed its sixth European title. At the 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup and the 2008 Summer Olympics, Grings was not part of the German squad, because of disagreements with head coach Silvia Neid
Silvia Neid
Silvia Neid is a former professional soccer player, and, since July 2005, has served as the head coach of the Germany women's national football team after having been assistant to Tina Theune-Meyer for some time...
. She returned for Germany at the 2009 European Championship, claiming her second European title. With five goals Grings again was the tournament's top-scorer. She has been called-up for the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup.
Grings has scored 64 international goals and is ranked third behind Birgit Prinz
Birgit Prinz
Birgit Prinz is a former German female professional association football player. She last played for 1. FFC Frankfurt and the German national team. Prinz is one of the game's most prolific strikers and the FIFA Women's World Cup all-time leading scorer with 14 goals . She has been named FIFA...
(128) and Heidi Mohr
Heidi Mohr
Heidi Mohr is a former German footballer. As a footballer she was renowned for her speed and her ability to shoot with both feet. In 1999 she was voted Europe's Footballer of the Century.-Club career:...
(83) for Germany's all-time top goalscorers. During 93 appearances, she has averaged 0.69 goals per games, which makes her the team's second most prolific scorer.
Club
FCR 2001 Duisburg- BundesligaFußball-Bundesliga (women)The Women's Football Bundesliga is the main league competition for women's football in Germany. In 1990 the German Football Association created the German Women's Bundesliga, based on the model of the men's Bundesliga. It was first played with north and south divisions, but in 1997 the groups...
: Winner (1) 1999–00, Runner-up (7) 1996–97, 1998–99, 2004–05, 2005–06, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2009–10 - German Cup: Winner (3) 1997–98, 2008–09, 2009–10, Runner-up (3) 1998–99, 2002–03, 2006–07
- UEFA Women's Cup: Winner (1) 2008–09
International
- UEFA European ChampionshipUEFA Women's ChampionshipThe UEFA European Women's Championship, also called the UEFA Women's Euro and unofficially the "European Cup", held every fourth year, is the main competition in women's association football between national teams of the UEFA Confederation...
: Winner (2) 2005, 2009 - Summer Olympic GamesSummer Olympic GamesThe Summer Olympic Games or the Games of the Olympiad are an international multi-sport event, occurring every four years, organized by the International Olympic Committee. Medals are awarded in each event, with gold medals for first place, silver for second and bronze for third, a tradition that...
: Bronze medal (1) 2000
Individual
- German Footballer of the Year: (3) 1999, 2009, 2010
- Top-scorer BundesligaFußball-Bundesliga (women)The Women's Football Bundesliga is the main league competition for women's football in Germany. In 1990 the German Football Association created the German Women's Bundesliga, based on the model of the men's Bundesliga. It was first played with north and south divisions, but in 1997 the groups...
: (6) 1998–99, 1999–00, 2002–03, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2009–10 - Top-scorer UEFA Women's ChampionshipUEFA Women's ChampionshipThe UEFA European Women's Championship, also called the UEFA Women's Euro and unofficially the "European Cup", held every fourth year, is the main competition in women's association football between national teams of the UEFA Confederation...
: (2) 2005, 2009 - Top-scorer UEFA Women's Champions League: (1) 2010–112010–11 UEFA Women's Champions LeagueThe 2010–11 UEFA Women's Champions League was the tenth edition of the European women's championship for football clubs. The final was held in London, England on 26 May 2011 at Craven Cottage....
External links
- Profile at the German Football AssociationGerman Football AssociationThe German Football Association is the governing body of football in Germany. A founding member of both FIFA and UEFA, the DFB organises the German football leagues, including the national league, the Bundesliga, and the men's and women's national teams. The DFB is based in Frankfurt and is...
- Profile at Weltfussball.de