Inka Grings (born 31 October 1978) is a German former international footballer who played as a striker. She played sixteen years for FCR 2001 Duisburg before joining FC Zürich Frauen. She also played for the Germany national team. Grings is the second all-time leading goalscorer in Germany's top division, the Frauen-Bundesliga, with 195 goals and claimed the league's top-scorer award for a record six seasons. Playing for Germany, she was the top-scorer at two UEFA European Championships. Grings was named Women's Footballer of the Year (Germany) in 1999, 2009 and 2010.
She is currently the manager of Club Brugge after previously coached FC Zürich and Switzerland national team
Early life As a child, Grings wanted to be a tennis player. However, after no tennis club had accepted her, she instead started playing football at TSV Eller 04 in 1984. She later played for Garather SV.
Club career
Duisburg, 1995–2011 Grings signed with FCR 2001 Duisburg in 1995. She quickly became an important player for the club and in the following years one of the most successful goalscorers in Germany. In 1998, Grings won the German Cup, her first major title. She scored three goals in the final against FSV Frankfurt. The following year in the 1998–99 season she became the Bundesliga's top-scorer for the first time. Grings was named Women's Footballer of the Year (Germany) in 1999 by the country's sports journalists.
Over the next decade, Grings became the Bundesliga all-time leading goalscorer, hitting the mark of 350 goals in January 2011. She won the Bundesliga title with Duisburg in the 1999–00 season; that year she also set the all-time record for goals in a Bundesliga season by scoring 38 goals. She won the German Cup on two more occasions in 2009 and 2010, and lifted the UEFA Women's Cup in the 2008–09 season. Grings was the Bundesliga top-scorer for three years in a row from 2008 to 2010 and was again voted Women's Footballer of the Year (Germany) in 2009 and 2010.
FC Zürich, 2011–13 She ended her contract at Duisburg one year early in an agreement with the club and announced transferring to an international club. On 1 September 2011 she joined Swiss side FC Zürich Frauen. In the first season she won the championship as well as the cup.
Chicago Red Stars, 2013
In May 2013, Grings signed with the Chicago Red Stars for the inaugural season of the National Women's Soccer League in the United States alongside Sonja Fuss. On 4 August 2013, she scored a brace against Seattle Reign FC helping the Red Stars win 3–1. Grings was on the starting lineup in 14 of the 16 games in which she played for the Red Stars and scored three goals on the season. The Red Stars finished the 2013 season sixth in the standings with an 8–6–8 record.
She was waived by the Red Stars in September 2013.
International career
Grings made her debut for the Germany national team in May 1996 against Finland. She appeared for Germany at the 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup, scoring three goals. However, Germany was eliminated in the quarter-final. At the 2000 Summer Olympics, she won the bronze medal with the German team, scoring once against Australia in the group stage. Grings' career, particularly at international level, has repeatedly been affected by injuries. She missed the 2001 European Championship on home soil and the 2003 FIFA Women's World Cup due to injury. When she tore the anterior cruciate ligament in her knee shortly before the 2004 Summer Olympics, Grings initially announce to end her career. However, she changed her mind during physical therapy.
With four goals, Grings was the top-scorer at the 2005 European Championship, when Germany claimed its sixth European title. At the 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup and the 2008 Summer Olympics, Grings was not part of the German squad, because of disagreements with head coach Silvia Neid. She returned for Germany at the 2009 European Championship, claiming her second European title. With six goals Grings again was the tournament's top-scorer. She has been called up for the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup.
Grings has scored 64 international goals and is ranked third behind Birgit Prinz (128) and Heidi Mohr (83) for Germany's all-time top goalscorers. During 93 appearances, she has averaged 0.69 goals per games, which makes her the team's second most prolific scorer.Deutscher Fußball-Bund. Top scorers. DFB.de. Accessed 1 March 2010.
Personal life Grings is openly bisexual, she had a well publicized relationship with women's team colleague Linda Bresonik, and also dated male Holger Fach, former head coach of VfL Wolfsburg.Who has scored the most hat-tricks in a single season? Plus: famous football twins (2); the bisexual German international love triangle; and where does 'Villa' come from?Best. Lesbian. Week. Ever. (August 8, 2008)The wonderful (and out) players of the Women's World CupSeries: Foul Play: Seven Deadly Sins of Football
Career statistics Club + Appearances and goals by club, season and competitionClubSeasonLeagueCupContinentalTotalDivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsDuisburg1995–96Frauen-Bundesliga1811000018111996–971814100019141997–9814131+3+0015+16+1998–991925100020251999–002138000021382000–011516000015162001–021111000011112002–0319203+2+0021+22+2003–0491100009112004–051525000015252005–061727000017272006–071422320017242007–0820275110025382008–0919291291229432009–102128558932422010–111923358133041Total27034023+30+2534318+404+Zürich2011–12Swiss Women's Super League13182+4+0015212012–132040512442956Total33587+16+4444+77+Chicago Red Stars2013National Women's Soccer League1630000163Total1630000163FC Köln2013–142. Frauen-Bundesliga192332002225Total192332002225Career total32742233+46+2938406+506+
International Scores and results list Germany's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Grings goal.
+ List of international goals scored by Inka GringsNo.DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition1 28 May 1998 ? 2–0 8–0 Friendly26–038–04 28 June 1998 Soldier Field, Chicago, United States 1–3 2–45 22 April 1999 Ludwigsparkstadion, Saarbrücken, Germany 1–0 3–1 6 30 May 1999 Städtisches Sportzentrum Nonnenholz, Weil am Rhein, Germany 1–1 4–173–18 3 June 1999 Stadion Rheinbach im Freizeitpark, Rheinbach, Germany 1–0 2–09 24 June 1999Civic Stadium, Portland, Oregon, United States 1–0 6–0 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup104–0116–012 2 September 1999 Sternquell Arena, Plauen, Germany 3–1 3–1 Friendly13 23 September 1999Playmobil-Stadion, Fürth, Germany 1–0 3–0 UEFA Women's Euro 2001 qualifying142–015 14 October 1999Marschweg-Stadion, Oldenburg, Germany 1–0 5–0 16 11 November 1999Stadio Mario Lancellotta, Isernia, Italy 2–0 4–4 173–118 6 April 2000 Stadion am Bornheimer Hang, Frankfurt, Germany 2–0 3–0 19 11 May 2000 NSC Olimpiyskiy, Kyiv, Ukraine 4–1 6–120 16 July 2000 Bremer Brücke, Osnabrück, Germany 1–1 1–3 Friendly21 27 August 2000 Old Tivoli, Aachen, Germany 1–0 7–0222–023 13 September 2000 Bruce Stadium, Canberra, Australia 1–0 3–0 2000 Summer Olympics24 4 May 2002 Estádio Adelino Ribeiro Novo, Barcelos, Portugal 7–0 8–0 2003 FIFA Women's World Cup qualifying25 14 November 2002 Nattenberg Stadion, Lüdenscheid, Germany 2–0 4–0Friendly26 6 March 2003 Sportzentrum Große Wiese, Arnsberg, Germany 3–0 3–12727 March 2003Karl-Liebknecht-Stadion, Potsdam, Germany 2–0 5–0 UEFA Women's Euro 2005 qualifying283–0294–0307 February 2004 Estádio Municipal de Albufeira, Albufeira, Portugal 3–0 11–0 UEFA Women's Euro 2005 qualifying316–0327–0338–0349–035 21 April 2005 Stadion an der Bremer Brücke, Osnabrück, Germany 3–1 3–1 Friendly36 9 June 2005 Halliwell Jones Stadium, Warrington, England 1–0 3–0 UEFA Women's Euro 20053715 June 2005 Deepdale, Preston, England 1–0 4–1383–039 19 June 2005 Ewood Park, Blackburn, England 1–0 3–140 25 September 2005 Leimbachstadion, Siegen, Germany 2–0 5–1 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup qualifying41 20 October 2005 Hans-Walter-Wild-Stadion, Bayreuth, Germany 1–0 4–042 25 February 2009 Bielefelder Alm, Bielefeld, Germany 1–0 1–1 Friendly43 9 March 2009 Estádio Algarve, Faro, Portugal 1–3 2–3 2009 Algarve Cup44 25 July 2009 Rhein-Neckar-Arena, Sinsheim, Germany 2–0 6–0 Friendly45 27 August 2009Ratina Stadium, Tampere, Finland 1–0 5–1 UEFA Women's Euro 200946 30 August 2009 1–0 1–0474 September 2009 Lahti Stadium, Lahti, Finland 1–0 2–1 482–04910 September 2009 Olympic Stadium, Helsinki, Finland 4–2 6–2 505–251 24 February 2010Complexo Desportivo Belavista, Parchal, Portugal 2–0 4–0 2010 Algarve Cup524–053 28 February 2010Complexo Desportivo Belavista, Parchal, Portugal 1–0 7–0 543–0555–056 3 March 2010Estádio Algarve, Faro, Portugal 1–2 2–3 572–358 15 September 2010 Rudolf-Harbig-Stadion, Dresden, Germany 1–0 5–0 Friendly5928 October 2010 Volkswagen Arena, Wolfsburg, Germany 1–1 2–16025 November 2010BayArena, Leverkusen, Germany 1–0 8–0613–0627 June 2011 New Tivoli, Aachen, Germany 5–0 5–063 5 July 2011Borussia-Park, Mönchengladbach, Germany 2–0 4–2 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup643–1
Goals by competition Competition Goals Matches Friendlies/Algarve Cup 30 50 FIFA World Cup58 UEFA Women's Euro 1011 World Cup qualifiers39 Euro qualifiers1513 Olympics15Total6496
Matches and goals scored at World Cup and Olympic tournaments Inka Grings competed in two FIFA Women's World Cup: USA 1999, and Germany 2011; one Olympics: Sydney 2000; played in 13 matches and scored 6 goals. Along with her Germany team, Grings is a bronze medalist from Sydney 2000.
Goal Match Date Location Opponent Lineup Min Score Result Competition USA 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup 1999-06-20 Los Angeles Start Group match 1 2 1999-06-24 Portland Start 10 1–0 Group match 57 4–0 90+2 6–0 1999-06-27 Washington Group match 1999-07-01 Washington Quarter-final Sydney 2000 Olympic Women's Football Tournament 2000-09-13 Canberra Start 35 1–0 Group match 2000-09-16 Canberra Start Group match 2000-09-19 Melbourne Group match 2000-09-24 Sydney Start Semifinal 2000-09-28 Sydney Bronze medal match Germany 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup 2011-06-26 Berlin Group match 2011-06-30 Frankfurt Group match 12 2011-07-05 Moenchengladbach Start 32 2–0 Group match 68 pk 3–1 2011-07-09 Wolfsburg Quarter-final
Honours FCR 2001 Duisburg Bundesliga: 1999–00; runner-up (7) 1996–97, 1998–99, 2004–05, 2005–06, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2009–10 German Cup: 1997–98, 2008–09, 2009–10; runner-up 1998–99, 2002–03, 2006–07 UEFA Women's Cup: 2008–09
FC Zürich Frauen Nationalliga A: 2012, 2013 Swiss Women's Cup: 2012, 2013
Germany UEFA European Championship: 2005, 2009 Summer Olympic Games: Bronze medal 2000
Individual Women's Footballer of the Year (Germany): 1999, 2009, 2010 Top-scorer Bundesliga (6): 1998–99, 1999–00, 2002–03, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2009–10 Top-scorer UEFA Women's Championship: 2005, 2009 Top-scorer UEFA Women's Champions League: 2010–11
See also List of women footballers with 300 or more goals List of 2000 Summer Olympics medal winners List of UEFA Women's Championship goalscorers List of German women's football champions List of LGBT sportspeople
References
Match reports
External links
Profile at the German Football Association