Patrick Sontheimer

Patrick Sontheimer
Personal information
Date of birth	3 July 1998 (age 26)
Place of birth	Marktoberdorf, Germany
Height	1.68 m (5 ft 6 in)
Position(s)	Midfielder
Team information
Current team	1. FC Saarbrücken
Number	6
Youth career
2003–2009	FC Ebenhofen
2009–2013	FC Memmingen
2013–2017	Greuther Fürth
Senior career*
Years	Team
2016–2020	Greuther Fürth II
2017–2020	Greuther Fürth
2019–2020	→ Würzburger Kickers (loan)
2020–2021	Würzburger Kickers
2021–2023	Viktoria Köln
2023–	1. FC Saarbrücken
International career
2014	Germany U17
2017	Germany U19
	*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 7 October 2024

Patrick Sontheimer (born 3 July 1998) is a German professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for 3. Liga club 1. FC Saarbrücken.^[1]

Club career

Sontheimer, born and raised in Marktoberdorf, Ostallgäu, progressed through the youth departments of the clubs FC Ebenhofen and FC Memmingen, already starting at the age of 5.^[2] In 2013, Bavarian club SpVgg Greuther Fürth signed him to their youth academy.^[2] Sontheimer played with the Fürth youth teams as a regular starter in the Under 17 Bundesliga and Under 19 Bundesliga, before he made his first brief appearance in the senior division in October 2016 at the age of 18 when he played for the Greuther Fürth II team in the Regionalliga against FC Augsburg II.

In the winter training camp of the 2016–17 season, Sontheimer was temporarily allowed to practice with the first-team squad under head coach János Radoki, who knew him from the U19s.^[2] In the first match of the new year against 1860 Munich, Sontheimer was in the starting line-up and made another ten appearances during the spring. In March 2017, he signed a professional contract valid until 2020.^[3]

For the second half of the 2018–19 season, Sontheimer was sent on loan to 3. Liga club Würzburger Kickers.^[4] With the team he won the final of the Bavarian Cup against Viktoria Aschaffenburg with a 3–0 score. Following the season, the loan agreement between Fürth and Würzburg was extended by a year and an option to buy was added.^[5] At the end of February 2020, the Kickers triggered the option to buy and Sontheimer, who had become a regular starter for the team, stayed in Würzburg permanently.^[6] At the end of the 2019–20 season, in which he was used various places in midfield, Sontheimer reached promotion to the 2. Bundesliga with the Kickers. He had only missed one league game due to a yellow card suspension and was named the second best defensive midfielder in the 3. Liga for the season.^[7] In June 2021, his contract was not extended.^[8]

In July 2021, Sontheimer moved to 3. Liga club Viktoria Köln on a free transfer.^[9]

On 26 June 2023, Sontheimer moved to 1. FC Saarbrücken.^[10] On 2 November 2023, he would score the first goal in a historic upset against Bayern Munich in the DFB-Pokal Round of 32.