Player : (3) Arne Friedrich

Arne FRIEDRICH



• Date of Birth: 29 May 1979
• Height: 185 cm
• Shirt number: 3
• Position: Defender
• Current club: Hertha Berlin (GER)
• International Caps: 76
• International Goals: 0
 First international: Bulgaria - Germany
(21 August 2002)
Club History
Arminia Bielefeld (GER): From 2000 to 2002
SC Verl (GER): From 1999 to 2000
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Arne Friedrich has proven to be one of the most reliable members of the Germany national team in recent years, so it came as no surprise that the 31-year-old defender, who is just as comfortable at right back as in the centre, was included in Joachim Low's squad for the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™.
As well as boasting plenty of international experience, the Hertha Berlin captain is also excellent in the air and strong in the tackle. Friedrich is blessed with a personable demeanour off the field too, and loyalty is more than just a word for him, given that he has now been with the capital club for over eight years.
The Bad Oeynhausen-born defender joined Hertha from Arminia Bielefeld in 2002 and only had two Bundesliga appearances under his belt when he made his international debut under Rudi Voller in a friendly against Bulgaria in August of that year. Since then, Friedrich has gone on to make over 60 further appearances for Die Mannschaft, taking part at UEFA EURO 2004 and 2008 and the FIFA Confederations Cup 2005, as well as Germany 2006.
German fans still fondly remember the 3-2 EURO 2008 quarter-final victory over Portugal in Basel, in which Friedrich, at right-back, marked his opposite number Cristiano Ronaldo out of the game and played a massive role in Joachim Low's side reaching the last four. It is these kind of performances which have made 'Mr Reliable' an indispensable part of the Germany squad, and the likeable defender will no doubt once again be integral to Low's plans for South Africa 2010.