Peter Niemeyer

Peter Michael Josef Niemeyer (born 22 November 1983) is a German football manager, executive, and former player. He serves as the sporting director of Preußen Münster. During his playing career, he mainly featured as a defensive midfielder, he also operated as a central defender.

Peter Niemeyer

Niemeyer in 2010
Personal information
Full name	Peter Michael Josef Niemeyer[1]
Date of birth	(1983-11-22) 22 November 1983 (age 41)
Place of birth	Hörstel, West Germany
Height	1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)
Position(s)	Defensive midfielder, centre back
Youth career
0000–1996	Teuto Riesenbeck
1996–1999	Borussia Emsdetten
1999–2002	Twente
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2002–2007	Twente	106	(4)
2007–2011	Werder Bremen	32	(2)
2007–2010	Werder Bremen II	12	(1)
2010–2011	→ Hertha BSC (loan)	28	(3)
2011–2015	Hertha BSC	93	(6)
2015–2018	Darmstadt 98	50	(2)
Total		321	(18)
International career
2005–2006	Germany U21	6	(0)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals

Club career

Although born in Germany, Niemeyer spent the first years of his professional career in the Netherlands, playing for FC Twente in the Eredivisie. In January 2007, he joined Bundesliga side Werder Bremen, appearing in three league games for the main squad in the 2006–07 season.

On 29 September 2007, Niemeyer participated in the 8–1 home crushing of Arminia Bielefeld, scoring the game opener and his first Bundesliga goal. Incidentally, he fell out with an injury in the match after just 33 minutes.

In the 2008–09 season, Niemeyer appeared in a career-best 25 official games, including five in the UEFA Cup, as Werder reached the final against Shakhtar Donetsk, where he started in a 2–1 overtime loss.

On 9 August 2010, Niemeyer moved on loan to Hertha BSC, who were relegated to the second division the season before.^[2]

On 3 August 2015, Niemeyer signed for recently promoted Darmstadt 98 in the Bundesliga on a three-year deal.^[3] On 1 September 2018, after the closing of the 2018 summer transfer window, he announced he had not received an offer to renew his contract and would leave the club.^[4] He retired from football shortly afterwards.^[5]

International career

Niemeyer played six games for the Germany under-21 team under manager Dieter Eilts. In the summer of 2006, he took part in the 2006 UEFA European Under-21 Championship in Portugal.^[6]

Coaching and executive career

Between 2019 and 2020, Niemeyer was the coach of the FC Twente U21 team. At the same time he worked as the assistant coach of the first team under manager Gonzalo García and functioned as head of the youth department.^[7]

In July 2020, Niemeyer signed a contract until 2023 as sports director of Preußen Münster in Regionalliga West.^[8][9]

Career statistics

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition

Club	Season	League			Cup		Continental[a]		Other[b]		Total		Ref.
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Twente	2002–03	Eredivisie	3	0			—		—		3	0	[10]
	2003–04		31	1			—		—		31	1	[10]
	2004–05		27	1			—		—		27	1	[10]
	2005–06		30	2			—		5	0	35	2	[10]
	2006–07		15	0			4	0	—		19	0	[10]
	Total		106	4			4	0	5	0	115	4	—
Werder Bremen	2006–07	Bundesliga	3	0	0	0	0	0	—		3	0	[10]
	2007–08		3	1	1	0	0	0	1	0	5	1	[10]
	2008–09		15	0	4	0	6	0	—		25	0	[10]
	2009–10		11	1	3	0	7	0	—		21	1	[11]
	Total		32	2	8	0	13	0	1	0	54	2	—
Werder Bremen II	2006–07	Regionalliga Nord	3	0	—		—		—		3	0	[10]
	2007–08		6	0	—		—		—		6	0	[10]
	2008–09	3. Liga	3	1	—		—		—		3	1	[10]
	Total		12	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	12	1	—
Hertha BSC	2010–11	Bundesliga	28	3	2	0	—		—		30	3	[12]
	2011–12		31	3	4	0	—		2	0	37	3	[13]
	2012–13	2. Bundesliga	25	2	1	0	—		—		26	2	[14]
	2013–14	Bundesliga	20	0	1	1	—		—		21	1	[15]
	2014–15		17	1	1	0	—		—		18	1	[16]
	Total		121	9	9	1	0	0	2	0	132	10	—
Darmstadt 98	2015–16	Bundesliga	31	2	3	0	—		—		34	2	[17]
	2016–17		15	0	2	0	—		—		17	0	[18]
	2017–18	2. Bundesliga	4	0	0	0	—		—		4	0	[19]
	Total		50	2	5	0	0	0	0	0	55	2	—
Career total			321	18	22	1	17	0	8	0	368	19	—

1. Appearances in UEFA Champions League and UEFA Cup
2. Appearances in Eredivisie playoffs, German League Cup, and German relegation playoff

Honours

Werder Bremen

• DFB-Pokal: 2008–09
• UEFA Cup runner-up: 2008–09

Hertha BSC^[20]

• 2. Bundesliga: 2011–12, 2012–13