Simon Rolfes
From defensive midfielder to managing director of sport at Bayer Leverkusen.
Simon Rolfes (born 21 January 1982) is a German professional football official and a former player who played as a defensive midfielder. He is the managing director of sport for Bayer Leverkusen.
- Position
- Defensive Midfielder
- Origin
- Werder Bremen Academy
- Status
- Retired (Managing Director of Sport)
- International Debut
- 28 March 2007
Verified Timeline
Lore & Background
Rolfes started his career at Werder Bremen after progressing through their academy. He was loaned to SSV Reutlingen for the remainder of the 2002–03 season. In 2004, he moved to Alemannia Aachen. In 2005, Bayer Leverkusen signed him, and he quickly became a fan favorite, winning a regular spot and later the captaincy. He suffered a serious knee injury on 2 July 2009, but despite recovering in time, he was not selected for the final 2010 FIFA World Cup squad. He announced his retirement on 7 December 2014, effective after the 2014–15 season.
In Their Own Story
Before his time at Leverkusen, Rolfes progressed through the Werder Bremen academy. During the 2002–03 season, he made a breakthrough UEFA Cup appearance for the first team against Metalurh Donetsk on 3 October 2002. In that match, an 8–0 win, he came on in the 68th minute to replace Krisztián Lisztes. He also spent time loaned to SSV Reutlingen and played two seasons at Alemannia Aachen starting in 2004, where he scored three goals in 28 league appearances alongside seven UEFA Cup outings. His international career began on 28 March 2007 with a debut against Denmark in Duisburg. He became part of the German squad that finished as runners-up at Euro 2008, starting both the quarter-final against Portugal and the semi-final against Turkey in Basel, where Germany won 3–2 in each match. He scored his first international goal on 6 September 2008 in a 6–0 World Cup qualifier win over Liechtenstein.
Reader's Guide
Rolfes made his international debut for Germany on 28 March 2007 in a friendly against Denmark. He was part of the German team that finished as runners-up at Euro 2008, starting in the quarter-finals and semi-finals. He scored his first international goal on 6 September 2008 in a 6–0 win against Liechtenstein.
Did You Know?
- Rolfes scored five goals in 26 league appearances for Werder Bremen's reserve team during the 2000–01 season.
- His only UEFA Cup appearance for Werder Bremen's first team came on 19 September 2002; he was an unused substitute in the 8–0 win against Metalurh Donetsk on 3 October 2002.
- Rolfes married his wife Jenny on 12 June 2009, and they have three daughters.
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