 Schmitz with 1. FC Köln (2021) | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 17 November 1994[1] | ||
| Place of birth | Munich, Germany | ||
| Height | 1.82 m (6 ft 0 in)[1] | ||
| Position(s) | Defender | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Bayern Munich II | ||
| Youth career | |||
| –2001 | SV Waldperlach | ||
| 2001–2013 | Bayern Munich | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2012–2014 | Bayern Munich II | 46 | (3) |
| 2014 | FC Liefering | 7 | (0) |
| 2014–2016 | Red Bull Salzburg | 45 | (0) |
| 2016–2018 | RB Leipzig | 18 | (0) |
| 2018−2024 | 1. FC Köln | 130 | (1) |
| 2024−2025 | Grasshopper | 26 | (0) |
| 2025− | Bayern Munich II | 5 | (0) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2013 | Germany U20[2] | 11 | (0) |
|
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 23 August 2025 ‡ National team caps and goals as of 25 August 2014 | |||
Benno Schmitz (born 17 November 1994) is a German professional footballer who plays as a defender for Regionalliga Bayern club Bayern Munich II.
Career
[edit]Schmitz started playing football at local Munich club SV Waldperlach. In 2001, he joined the youth ranks of Bayern Munich where he eventually was promoted to their reserve team in 2012. Having failed to establish himself at the first team, he left the club and signed for Austrian champion Red Bull Salzburg in the summer of 2014.[3]
On 23 August 2014, he made his league debut in a 5–0 home win against Rheindorf Altach by coming on as a substitute for Christian Schwegler after 83 minutes.[4] In 2018, after a quiet stint with Leipzig, Schmitz was transferred to newly relegated side 1. FC Köln for a fee of €1.5 million.[5] In March 2022, having established himself in the club's starting line-up during the 2021–22 season, Schmitz extended his contract at Köln until June 2024.[6]
On 25 July 2024, he joined Swiss Super League side Grasshopper on a free transfer.[7] He joins the Swiss record champions on a three-year deal until 2027. On 23 June 2025, it was confirmed that Schmitz would return to his native Germany and join Bayern Munich II with immediate effect, the same team with whom he made his professional debut.[8] This moves comes due to familial reasons. He made 30 appearances for Grasshopper and supplied seven assists.[9]
Career statistics
[edit]- As of 23 August 2025
| Club | Season | League | Cup | Continental | Other | Total | Ref. | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |||
| Bayern Munich II | 2012–13 | Regionalliga Bayern | 9 | 0 | — | — | — | 9 | 0 | [10] | |||
| 2013–14 | 35 | 3 | — | — | 2[a] | 0 | 37 | 3 | [11] | ||||
| Total | 44 | 3 | — | — | 2 | 0 | 46 | 3 | — | ||||
| FC Liefering | 2014–15 | Erste Liga | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 7 | 0 | [11] | ||
| Red Bull Salzburg | 2014–15 | Austrian Bundesliga | 21 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 2[b] | 0 | — | 28 | 0 | [11] | |
| 2015–16 | 24 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 3[c] | 0 | — | 32 | 0 | [11] | |||
| Total | 45 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 5 | 0 | — | 60 | 0 | — | |||
| RB Leipzig | 2016–17 | Bundesliga | 16 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 17 | 0 | [12] | ||
| 2017–18 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | [13] | |||
| Total | 18 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 19 | 0 | — | |||
| 1. FC Köln II | 2018−19 | Regionalliga West | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 1 | 0 | ||||
| 2019−20 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 1 | 0 | ||||||
| 1. FC Köln | 2018−19 | 2. Bundesliga | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 15 | 0 | [13] | ||
| 2019−20 | Bundesliga | 18 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 19 | 0 | [13] | |||
| 2020−21 | 12 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 1[d] | 0 | 15 | 0 | [13] | |||
| 2021−22 | 31 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 33 | 0 | [13] | ||||
| 2022−23 | 31 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4[e] | 0 | — | 36 | 1 | [13] | |||
| 2023−24 | 22 | 0 | 2 | 1 | — | — | 24 | 1 | [13] | ||||
| Total | 129 | 1 | 8 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 142 | 2 | — | ||
| Grasshopper | 2024−25 | Swiss Super League | 26 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 2[f] | 0 | 30 | 0 | [13] | |
| Total | 26 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | 30 | 0 | — | |||
| Bayern Munich II | 2025−26 | Regionalliga Bayern | 5 | 0 | — | — | — | 5 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 5 | 0 | — | — | — | 5 | 0 | — | |||||
| Career total | 276 | 4 | 21 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 311 | 5 | — | ||
- Notes
- ^ Appearances in the Regionalliga promotion play-offs
- ^ Appearances in the Europa League
- ^ Two appearances in the Champions League and one in the Europa League
- ^ Appearances in the Relegation play-off
- ^ Appearances in the Europa Conference League
- ^ Appearances in the relegation playoff
Honours
[edit]- RB Salzburg (4)
References
[edit]- ^ a b "Benno Schmitz | Playerprofile | Bundesliga". bundesliga.com. DFL. Archived from the original on 2 October 2021. Retrieved 5 October 2021.
- ^ "U 20-Männer: Spielerprofil Benno Schmitz" [Men's U20: Player's profile Benno Schmitz] (in German). dfb.de. 7 May 2014. Retrieved 30 August 2014.
- ^ "Bayern II rightback Benno Schmitz signs pre-contract with Red Bull Salzburg". bavarianfootballworks.com. 9 February 2014. Retrieved 30 August 2014.
- ^ "Red Bull Salzburg vs. SC Rheindorf Altach - 23 August 2014 - Soccerway". soccerway.com. Retrieved 24 August 2014.
- ^ https://www.sport.de/news/ne3202464/1-fc-koeln-schnappt-sich-benno-schmitz-von-rb-leipzig/. sport.de. Retrieved 1 July 2018.
- ^ "Baumgart lobt "starke Entwicklung": Köln verlängert mit Schmitz". kicker.de (in German).
- ^ "GC Zurich signs Bundesliga player Benno Schmitz". Grasshopper Club Zürich. 25 July 2024. Retrieved 25 July 2024.
- ^ https://fcbayern.com/de/news/2025/06/fc-bayern-amateure-verpflichten-benno-schmitz
- ^ "Benno Schmitz wechselt zum FC Bayern München II". Grasshopper Club Zurich. 23 June 2025. Retrieved 23 June 2025.
- ^ "Benno Schmitz". Kicker (in German). kicker. Retrieved 22 August 2015.
- ^ a b c d "Benno Schmitz". World Football. Retrieved 22 August 2015.
- ^ "Benno Schmitz". Kicker (in German). kicker. Retrieved 28 January 2017.
- ^ a b c d e f g h "B. Schmitz". Soccerway. Perform Group. Retrieved 17 January 2018.