Ends career in Cologne
It’s over on his 33rd birthday. When 1. FC Köln finish the season against FC Bayern Munich on May 27th, it will be the last game for captain Jonas Hector. In an interview with the magazine “11Freunde” (quoted via “goat blog” and “Picture‘) Hector talked about the reasons for his career end.
The native of Saarbrücken was never a thoroughly happy professional. “When I think back on everything, I have to say: No,” says Hector, who can look back on 345 games for the “Effzeh”, which puts him in 16th place among the record players. Overall, he has 442 appearances at club level and “probably the positive outweighs the positive”.
Horn and Hector in the 300 club: Most appearances for 1. FC Köln
© imago images
With the pros since 2011
(as of May 14, 2023)
17 Gerd Strack | 338 games
© imago images
In the club from 1974 to 1985
16 Jonas Hector | 345 games
© imago images
With the pros since 2012
15 Paul Steiner | 355 games
© imago images
In the club from 1981 to 1991
14 Bodo Illgner | 382 games
© Getty Images
With the professionals from 1985 to 1996
13 Matthias Hemmersbach | 384 games
© imago images
In the club from 1961 to 1973
12 Hans Sturm | 387 games
© imago images
With the professionals from 1955 to 1967
11 Karl-Heinz Thielen | 393 games
© imago images
In the club from 1959 to 1973
10 Heinz Fleas | 454 games
© imago images
In the club from 1966 to 1979
9 Harald Konopka | 456 games
© imago images
In the club from 1971 to 1983
8 Bernd Cullman | 460 games
© imago images
In the club from 1969 to 1984
7 Hans Schaefer | 461 games
© imago images
In the club from 1948 to 1966
6 Wolfgang Weber | 468 games
© imago images
In the club from 1962 to 1978
5 Heinz Simmet | 478 games
© imago images
In the club from 1967 to 1978
3 Hannes Loehr | 504 games
© imago images
In the club from 1964 to 1978
3 Pierre Littbarski | 504 games
© imago images
At the club from 1978 to 1986 and from 1987 to 1993
1 Wolfgang Overath | 543 games
© imago images
In the club from 1962 to 1977
1 Tony Schumacher | 543 games
© imago images
In the club from 1972 to 1987
He doesn’t feel like “the public that you inevitably have to face as a professional, the constant pressure”. Hector first thought about ending his career in the 2020/21 season, when the club held the class through relegation. That “was already crisp. That’s when the first thoughts started.”
The unrest in the club at the time in the coaching position and in the management floor also played a role. “As a team councillor, we constantly had to go to some office to have talks. I’m someone who needs time to build trust. But we were constantly getting new contacts and we had the feeling that we were starting from scratch every year,” emphasized Hector. “At FC we have never found ourselves in calm waters in recent years. I don’t want to live with the feeling that I’m always struggling to survive, but devote myself to gardening on Saturdays, then stroll relaxed to the stadium and look at things from a neutral point of view.
Comeback at 1. FC Köln: Hector leaves the back door open
Hector also spoke about the hardest time in his life, when his advisor Rainer Derber died in 2020 and his brother Lucas died shortly afterwards. “The thought of simply throwing it away didn’t exist. But during this time I resigned from the national team. I don’t want to deny that there is a connection,” said Hector, who made 43 appearances for the German national team. National coach Hansi Flick reportedly wanted to convince the 32-year-old of a DFB comeback before the World Cup last year, but Hector refused.
FC coach Steffen Baumgart also recently struggled to persuade the defender to continue his active career. At least Hector left a back door open. “I can’t imagine it, but in football you should never say ‘never’.” Hector came to Cologne in 2010 and made his professional debut in the 2012 DFB Cup. In the following years he made two relegations and promotions and became a national player in 2014. The left-footed player was a regular at the 2016 European Championships and converted the decisive penalty in the quarterfinals against Italy (7:6). He also won the 2017 Confederations Cup. In the same year Hector reached its highest market value with 20 million euros.
Joaquín, Özil, Bale & Co.: These players ended their professional careers in 2023
Jonas Hector (Last club: 1. FC Köln) – End of career in summer
© imago images
On Hector’s performance data – most games for: 1. FC Köln (342 so far); highest market value: 20 million euros
Gallery as of April 22, 2023
Alessandro Diamanti (Last club: Western United) – End of career in summer
© imago images
On Diamanti’s performance data – most games for: Livorno (100); highest market value: 8 million euros
Joaquín (Last club: Real Betis) – End of career in summer
© imago images
On Joaquín’s performance data – most games for: Real Betis Sevilla (480 so far); highest market value: 28 million euros
Gallery as of April 19, 2023
Nils Petersen (Last club: SC Freiburg) – End of career in summer
© imago images
On Petersen’s performance data – most games for: SC Freiburg (272 so far); highest market value: 12 million euros
Gallery as of March 29, 2023
Mesut Özil (Last club: Basaksehir)
© imago images
On Özil’s performance data – most games for: Arsenal FC (254); highest market value: 50 million euros
Sime Vrsaljko (Last club: Olympiacos Piraeus)
© imago images
On Vrsaljko’s performance data – most games for: Atlético Madrid (100); highest market value: 25 million euros
Wesley (Last club: AA Ponte Preta)
© IMAGO
On Wesley’s performance data – most games for: Palmeiras (64); highest market value: 8 million euros
Bojan Krkic (Last club: Vissel Kobe)
© imago images
On Krkic’s performance data – most games for: FC Barcelona (163); highest market value: 15 million euros
Diego Contento (Last club: SV Sandhausen)
© imago images
Regarding Contento’s performance data – most games for: Girondins Bordeaux (94); highest market value: 3 million euros
Lucas Leiva (Last club: Gremio Porto Alegre)
© IMAGO
On Leiva’s performance data – most games for: Liverpool FC (356); highest market value: 17 million euros
Fin Bartels (Last club: Holstein Kiel) – End of career in summer
© imago images
Bartel’s performance data – most games for: Werder Bremen (131); highest market value: 3.75 million euros
Emmanuel Adebayor (Last club: AC Semassi FC)
© TM/imago images
On Adebayor’s performance data – most games for: Arsenal (142); highest market value: 25 million euros
Eljero Elia (Last club: ADO Den Haag)
© imago images
Regarding Elias’ performance data – most games for: Basaksehir FK (86); highest market value: 17 million euros
Fernando Llorente (Last club: SD Eibar)
© imago images
Llorente’s performance data – most games for: Athletic Bilbao (332); highest market value: 30 million euros
Florian Jungwirth (Last club: Vancouver Whitecaps)
© imago images
On Jungwirth’s performance data – most games for: San Jose Earthquakes (131); highest market value: 1.5 million euros
Konstantinos Mitroglou (Last club: Aris Saloniki)
© imago images
On Mitroglou’s performance data – most games for: Olympiacos Piraeus (186); highest market value: 12 million euros
Miranda (Last club: FC Sao Paulo)
© imago images
On Miranda’s performance data – most games for: FC Sao Paulo (238); highest market value: 22 million euros
Gareth Bale (Last club: Los Angeles FC)
© imago images
On Bale’s performance data – most games for: Real Madrid (258); highest market value: 90 million euros
Christian Fuchs (Last club: Charlotte FC)
© imago images
Fuchs’ performance data – most games for: SV Mattersburg (155); highest market value: 7.5 million euros
To home page
ttn-38