Frank Baumann (born 29 October 1975) is a German former professional footballer, best known for his spell at SV Werder Bremen, and the current sporting director of Werder Bremen. Either a defensive midfielder or a centre-back, he was well known for his tough tackling and defensive positioning. A German international on nearly 30 occasions, he represented his country at one UEFA European Championship and one FIFA World Cup, reaching the 2002 final in the latter tournament. Club career 1. FC Nürnberg Born in Würzburg, Bavaria, Baumann began his career in his youth at TSV Grombühl. In 1991 he then switched to the youth team of 1. FC Nürnberg. Having started out as a midfielder, his talents were soon recognized in a defensive position. On 3 October 1994, he began his professional career at the club on the seventh game day of the 1994–95 2. Bundesliga in the starting line-up in the home game against SG Wattenscheid 09. That same season he played in four other games and by the beginning of the following season he developed into a regular player. He proved loyalty to the club when he accompanied them to the 1996–97 Regionalliga. There he was immediately promoted again and a year later moved up to the Bundesliga. Baumann became a tragic figure in the season final of the 1998–99 Bundesliga season. Before the final game day, 1. FC Nürnberg thought that they would stay in the league. but then they were relegated. Baumann missed a big chance late in the game and the club was relegated. After amassing more than 150 overall appearances and having represented the club in all three major levels of German football, he moved in 1999 to Werder Bremen. Werder Bremen At Werder Bremen, Baumann was the first player to be signed by the new coach Thomas Schaaf and became an instant first choice, netting five goals in his first season; even though the club only finished ninth, it qualified for the UEFA Cup via the second place in the domestic cup, after losing the final to FC Bayern Munich. He became team captain in 2000, which he remained until the end of his career. Due to his calm demeanor and his clear style of play, he enjoyed a high reputation within the team. He was an important building block for the 2003–04 Bundesliga and the 2003–04 DFB-Pokal. In his last active years, he