Roland Linz

Roland Gunther Linz (born 9 August 1981) is an Austrian former footballer who played as a striker.

Roland Linz
Linz playing with Austria Wien in 2011
Personal information
Full name Roland Gunther Linz
Date of birth (1981-08-09) 9 August 1981
Place of birth Leoben, Austria
Height 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Position(s) Striker
Youth career
1995–1997 DSV Leoben
1997–1999 1860 München
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1999–2001 DSV Leoben 53 (27)
2001–2006 Austria Wien 81 (26)
2003–2004 → Admira Mödling (loan) 31 (15)
2004 → Nice (loan) 15 (0)
2005 → Sturm Graz (loan) 13 (4)
2006–2007 Boavista 28 (10)
2007–2009 Braga 33 (11)
2009 → Grasshoppers (loan) 16 (7)
2009–2010 Gaziantepspor 5 (0)
2010–2013 Austria Wien 86 (40)
2013–2014 Muangthong United 4 (1)
2014 Belenenses 3 (0)
Total 368 (141)
National team
2002–2010 Austria 39 (8)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

He spent most of his extensive professional career with Austria Wien, winning five major titles including three Bundesliga championships. He also competed in France, Portugal, Turkey and Thailand.

Linz earned 39 caps for Austria, appearing for the nation at Euro 2008.

Club career

Early career / Germany

Born in Leoben, Styria, Linz started in the youth teams of local DSV Leoben. Aged 15, he left for Germany to finish his football development on Bavaria with TSV 1860 München.

Two years later, Linz returned to Austria to rejoin his hometown club, this time being featured in the professional squad. Over the two following seasons, he scored 27 goals in 53 games combined, and his good form in the second division attracted the attention of bigger sides in the country, which led to him signing with FK Austria Wien.

Linz had his first taste of success at his new team, winning both the Bundesliga and cup in the 2002–03 campaign. One year later, he moved on loan to VfB Admira Wacker Mödling, located in the southern outskirts of the capital.

Second move abroad / return

Linz left Austria for the second time in 2004, joining Ligue 1 club OGC Nice on loan.[1] However, he failed to establish himself and returned home after just six months, to play for SK Sturm Graz until the end of the season.

Linz then returned to Austria Wien for a final campaign, which again ended with the double as the player was crowned league top scorer. It was around this time that he established himself in the national team, with two goals in a 2–3 defeat against Poland at the Silesian Stadium in Chorzów in the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.

Portugal / Later years

After excellent performances for both club and country, interest in Linz's services increased, and he eventually joined Boavista F.C. during the 2006 summer, on a three-year contract. He finished his debut season with ten Primeira Liga goals, and subsequently moved to S.C. Braga.[2]

In the 2007–08 UEFA Cup, Linz netted five goals before his team was eventually ousted by SV Werder Bremen,[3][4] and added 11 in the league, relegating veteran goal-getter João Tomás to the bench[5] as Braga finished seventh and again reached the UEFA Cup, through the UEFA Intertoto Cup.

After a run-in with manager Jorge Jesus, following a substitution during a 0–2 loss at Leixões S.C. in September 2008, Linz lost his importance in the Braga squad[6][7] and, on 30 January 2009, signed for Grasshopper Club Zürich on loan until June.[8] In his first competitive fixture for his new club, in the local derby against FC Zürich, he scored but was also sent off after two yellow cards, in the 39th and 41st minutes.

Linz joined Gaziantepspor during the 2009 summer on a three-year contract, moving alongside Braga teammate Jorginho. In January 2010, however, he returned to his country and Austria Vienna, scoring on his debut – a 4–3 home win against Kapfenberger SV – to make the Bundesliga Team of the Week.[9]

In 2013, Linz switched teams and countries again, after agreeing to a transfer to Muangthong United F.C. in the Thai Premier League. He netted his first official goal on 30 March, contributing to a 3–0 win over Songkhla United FC.

International career

Linz made his debut for Austria in a friendly match with Slovakia, a 2–0 win in Graz on 27 March 2002. He remained a regular until September 2007, when he made a public outburst against Austrian Football Association president Friedrich Stickler which meant that, for the next 18 months, he was cast into the international wilderness.[10][11]

Linz returned to the national side in time for UEFA Euro 2008 on home soil, starting in all three of Austria's matches during the tournament but finishing goalless as the nation crashed out at the first hurdle.

Career statistics

Club
ClubSeasonLeagueCup1Continental2Other3Total
LeagueAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
DSV Leoben1999–2000First League0020—20
2000–0112310133
Totals12330—153
Austria Wien2001–02Bundesliga29833——3211
2002–032133010253
Totals50116310—5714
Admira Mödling2003–04Bundesliga311533—3418
Nice2004–05Ligue 1150001010170
Sturm Graz2004–05Bundesliga1340000—134
Austria Wien2005–06311510433618
Boavista2006–07Primeira Liga281041—3211
2007–0800001010
Totals281041—103311
Braga2007–08Primeira Liga27114085003916
2008–0960316300154
Totals331171148005420
Grasshopers (loan)2008–09Super League16710——177
Gaziantepspor2009–10Süper Lig500050
Austria Wien2009–10Bundesliga15610166
2010–11362142634626
2011–122812321024116
2012–137122—93
Totals8640106165—11251
Muangthong United2013Thai League T1410060—101
Belenenses2013–14Primeira Liga3000—2050
Career totals3271173514411640407147
References:[12][13][14][15][16]

Honours

Club

Austria Wien

Braga

Individual

References
  1. Linz is a Nice man; UEFA, 2 June 2004
  2. Linz boosts Braga strike force; UEFA, 21 August 2007
  3. Braga blunt Bayern ambitions; UEFA, 30 November 2007
  4. Braga book Round of 32 berth; UEFA, 20 December 2007
  5. Hickersberger has room for latecomers; UEFA, 27 January 2008
  6. Travão à indiscipline (Indiscipline stopped in its tracks); Record, 24 September 2008 (in Portuguese)
  7. Linz continua de fora dos convocados (Linz still not selected); Record, 9 November 2008 (in Portuguese)
  8. Linz wechselt zu den Grasshoppers (Linz moves to Grasshoppers); Kurier, 3 February 2009 (in German)
  9. Heimkehr mit Licht und Schatten (Homecoming with lights and shadows); Der Standard, 14 February 2010 (in German)
  10. "Der Teamchef bin ich" ("I am the boss"); Der Standard, 5 October 2007 (in German)
  11. Austrians awarded second chance; UEFA, 24 January 2008
  12. "R. Linz". Soccerway. Retrieved 25 January 2014.
  13. "Roland Linz » Club matches". World Football. Retrieved 17 February 2017.
  14. "Roland Linz" (in French). L'Équipe. Retrieved 26 September 2016.
  15. "Roland Linz". ForaDeJogo. Retrieved 26 September 2016.
  16. "Roland Linz". Footballdatabase. Retrieved 5 April 2015.
  17. Österreichs Torschützenkönige (Austria top scorers) Archived 15 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine; at Oberliga (in German)
  18. Season review: Austria; UEFA, 13 June 2011
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