Thomas Hitzlsperger
German midfielder and executive, Bundesliga winner with Stuttgart, later board member at Hellas Verona.
Thomas Hitzlsperger (born 5 April 1982) is a German football executive and former professional player who played as a midfielder. He is currently a board member at Serie B club Hellas Verona.
- Role
- Midfielder
- Affiliation
- Bayern Munich (Junior Team, 1988–1999/2000)
- First Appearance
- Aston Villa vs Liverpool on 13 January 2001
- Status
- Retired (September 2013)
- Key Attribute
- Powerful left-foot shot from long-range
Verified Timeline
Lore & Background
Hitzlsperger joined the Bayern Munich Junior Team after signing from VfB Forstinning youth team in 1988, but agreed to leave at the end of the 1999–2000 season. He later played for Aston Villa, Stuttgart, Lazio, West Ham United, Wolfsburg, and Everton. He won the Bundesliga with Stuttgart in 2007. He earned 52 caps for Germany and was selected for the 2006 World Cup and Euro 2008. He retired in September 2013 and came out as gay in January 2014. He became head of sport at VfB Stuttgart in February 2019, later CEO, stepping down in March 2022. In 2025, he joined Hellas Verona as a board member.
In Their Own Story
The narrative of Hitzlsperger's career is one of resilience and reinvention rather than a long tenure at his boyhood club. After leaving Bayern, he found fame in England, earning the nickname 'Der Hammer' (The Hammer) for his powerful left-foot shot from long range while playing for Aston Villa. His career saw him return to Germany to lead Stuttgart to a title, then move to Lazio and West Ham United before brief spells at Wolfsburg and Everton. In September 2013, citing injuries and the strain of transfers, he retired at age 31. Months later, in January 2014, he made history by coming out as gay, becoming the highest-profile male footballer to do so at the time. His post-playing life saw him serve as Head of Sport and CEO for VfB Stuttgart before joining Hellas Verona's board in 2025.
Reader's Guide
Hitzlsperger scored his first senior goal on 20 April 2002 in a 2–2 draw at Leicester City, from a solo run. He scored Germany's 9th and 11th goals in a 13–0 win against San Marino on 6 September 2006. He was nicknamed 'Der Hammer' at Aston Villa for his powerful left-foot shot.
Did You Know?
- Hitzlsperger scored Germany's 9th and 11th goals in a 13–0 win against San Marino.
- He was nicknamed 'Der Hammer' at Aston Villa due to his powerful left-foot shot.
- He came out as gay in January 2014, the highest-profile male footballer to do so at the time.
More in Legendary Players & Coaches
Related in Bayern Munich
Links follow this subject's own source article.
Elsewhere in the Bayern Munich universe
Spotted an error? Know more?
This is a living reference — every entry is fact-audited, and reader corrections feed straight into our audit queue. Suggest an edit · See this site's audit record