1. Overview
Timo Martin Gebhart, born on April 12, 1989, is a German former professional footballer who played primarily as a midfielder. Throughout his career, Gebhart was known for his tenacious play and offensive contributions. He spent significant parts of his career at clubs like TSV 1860 Munich, VfB Stuttgart, and 1. FC Nürnberg in Germany, and also had a stint with FC Steaua București in Romania. Gebhart also represented Germany at various youth international levels, achieving success such as winning the 2008 UEFA European Under-19 Football Championship. After moving between several clubs in the latter part of his career, he retired from professional football in the summer of 2022.
2. Early life and youth career
Timo Gebhart's journey in football began in his hometown, where he developed his skills from a young age.
2.1. Birth and background
Timo Gebhart was born on April 12, 1989, in Memmingen, West Germany. He holds German nationality and grew up with a passion for football. He is 72 in (182 cm) tall and weighs 159 lb (72 kg).
2.2. Youth club career
Gebhart started his youth career at local clubs, beginning with FC Memmingen, followed by BSC Memmingen. His talent was recognized early, leading him to join the youth academy of TSV 1860 Munich in 2004. This move marked a significant step in his development, as he honed his abilities within a professional club's youth system, preparing him for a senior career.
3. Club career
Timo Gebhart's professional club career spanned over a decade, taking him through various German leagues and even an international stint in Romania.
3.1. TSV 1860 Munich (initial stint)
Gebhart was promoted to the first team of TSV 1860 Munich in 2007, making his professional debut during the 2. Bundesliga 2007-08 season. Prior to his senior debut, he also made five appearances and scored one goal for 1860 Munich II in the Regionalliga Süd between 2007 and 2009. For the senior team, he played 21 matches in the 2. Bundesliga during the 2007-08 season, alongside 4 Cup appearances. In the 2008-09 season, he scored 5 goals in 16 2. Bundesliga appearances and played one Cup match before his transfer in January 2009. Overall, he made 42 appearances for 1860 Munich in his initial senior spell, scoring 5 goals.
3.2. VfB Stuttgart
In January 2009, Gebhart transferred from 2. Bundesliga side TSV 1860 Munich to Bundesliga club VfB Stuttgart. He signed a contract that would last until June 30, 2013. During his time at Stuttgart, he played 11 Bundesliga matches in the latter half of the 2008-09 season, also making one appearance in the UEFA Europa League, where he scored 1 goal. In the 2009-10 season, he featured in 28 Bundesliga matches, 1 Cup match, and 8 UEFA Champions League matches, scoring 1 goal in the Champions League. The 2010-11 season saw him play 25 Bundesliga games, 2 Cup games, and 7 Europa League matches, where he scored 4 goals. His final season at Stuttgart, 2011-12, involved 12 Bundesliga appearances and 1 Cup appearance. In total, Gebhart made 96 appearances for VfB Stuttgart across all competitions, scoring 10 goals.
3.3. 1. FC Nürnberg
In July 2012, Gebhart moved to 1. FC Nürnberg. In his first season, 2012-13, he played 18 Bundesliga matches and 1 Cup match, scoring 2 goals. The following season, 2013-14, he made 6 Bundesliga appearances and 1 Cup appearance. During the 2014-15 season, while still with Nürnberg, he played 6 matches and scored 1 goal in the 2. Bundesliga, and also made 2 appearances for 1. FC Nürnberg II in the Regionalliga Bayern. Overall, he played 33 matches for 1. FC Nürnberg, scoring 3 goals.
3.4. FC Steaua București
In January 2016, Gebhart moved internationally to join Romanian club FC Steaua București. During his period with the club in the Liga I 2015-16 season, he made 5 league appearances and 2 appearances in the Romanian league playoff. He also won the League Cup in the 2015-16 season with Steaua București.
3.5. F.C. Hansa Rostock
For the 2016-17 season, Gebhart played for F.C. Hansa Rostock in the 3. Liga. He made 17 appearances and scored 4 goals during his spell with the club. At the end of the season, Hansa Rostock and Gebhart did not reach an agreement for a contract extension, leading to his departure.
3.6. Return to 1860 Munich
Gebhart returned to his former club TSV 1860 Munich for the 2017-18 season, playing in the Regionalliga Bayern. He demonstrated strong form, scoring 5 goals and assisting 4 in 12 matches across all competitions. However, his season was significantly impacted by injuries that kept him out of action for large periods. Due to these injury concerns, 1860 Munich decided not to renew his contract at the end of the season.
He returned to 1860 Munich for a second time, playing in the 2019-20 season. During this period, he made 27 appearances and scored 3 goals for the club in the 3. Liga.
3.7. FC Viktoria 1889 Berlin
On February 4, 2019, it was confirmed that Gebhart had signed with FC Viktoria 1889 Berlin. He played 11 matches and scored 2 goals for the club in the Regionalliga Nordost during the 2018-19 season.
3.8. FC Memmingen
In September 2020, Gebhart signed a one-year contract with his hometown club, FC Memmingen, which played in the fourth-tier Regionalliga Bayern. This move brought him back to where his youth career began. He made 12 appearances for FC Memmingen during the 2021-22 Regionalliga Bayern season, playing as his final professional club.
4. International career
Timo Gebhart represented Germany at multiple youth national team levels, contributing to their success in various tournaments. He played for the Germany U-17 team from 2005 to 2006, participating in the UEFA U-17 European Championship 2006. From 2006 to 2007, he made 2 appearances for the Germany U-18 team. Gebhart was a significant player for the Germany U-19 team from 2007 to 2008, making 14 appearances and scoring 7 goals. A highlight of his youth international career was winning the UEFA European Under-19 Championship in 2008 with the Germany U-19 squad. In 2009, he also played 1 match for the Germany U-20 team, and from 2009 to 2010, he made 3 appearances and scored 1 goal for the Germany U-21 team.
5. Retirement
Timo Gebhart officially retired from playing professional football in the summer of 2022. His retirement marked the end of a career that spanned several leagues and included both domestic and international experiences, characterized by his contributions as a midfielder.
6. Career statistics
6.1. Club statistics
Timo Gebhart's professional club career statistics are detailed below:
| Club | Season | League | Cup | Continental | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| 1860 Munich II | 2007-08 | Regionalliga Süd | 4 | 1 | - | - | - | 4 | 1 | |||
| 2008-09 | Regionalliga Süd | 1 | 0 | - | - | - | 1 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 5 | 1 | - | - | - | 5 | 1 | |||||
| 1860 Munich | 2007-08 | 2. Bundesliga | 21 | 0 | 4 | 0 | - | - | 25 | 0 | ||
| 2008-09 | 2. Bundesliga | 16 | 5 | 1 | 0 | - | - | 17 | 5 | |||
| Total | 37 | 5 | 5 | 0 | - | - | 42 | 5 | ||||
| VfB Stuttgart | 2008-09 | Bundesliga | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | - | 12 | 1 | |
| 2009-10 | Bundesliga | 28 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 1 | - | 37 | 3 | ||
| 2010-11 | Bundesliga | 25 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 4 | - | 34 | 6 | ||
| 2011-12 | Bundesliga | 12 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | - | 13 | 0 | |||
| Total | 76 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 16 | 6 | - | 96 | 10 | |||
| 1. FC Nürnberg | 2012-13 | Bundesliga | 18 | 2 | 1 | 0 | - | - | 19 | 2 | ||
| 2013-14 | Bundesliga | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | - | 7 | 0 | |||
| 2014-15 | 2. Bundesliga | 6 | 1 | 1 | 0 | - | - | 7 | 1 | |||
| Total | 30 | 3 | 3 | 0 | - | - | 33 | 3 | ||||
| 1. FC Nürnberg II | 2014-15 | Regionalliga Bayern | 2 | 0 | - | - | - | 2 | 0 | |||
| Steaua București | 2015-16 | Liga I | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 2 | 0 | 7 | 0 | |
| Hansa Rostock | 2016-17 | 3. Liga | 17 | 4 | - | - | - | 17 | 4 | |||
| 1860 Munich | 2017-18 | Regionalliga Bayern | 11 | 5 | 1 | 0 | - | - | 12 | 5 | ||
| Viktoria Berlin | 2018-19 | Regionalliga Nordost | 11 | 2 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 11 | 2 | ||
| 1860 Munich | 2019-20 | 3. Liga | 27 | 3 | - | - | - | 27 | 3 | |||
| FC Memmingen | 2021-22 | Regionalliga Bayern | 12 | 0 | - | - | - | 12 | 0 | |||
| Career total | 233 | 27 | 13 | 0 | 16 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 264 | 33 | ||
7. Honours
Timo Gebhart achieved several notable honours during his football career:
- Germany Youth
- UEFA European Under-19 Championship: 2008
- FC Steaua București
- League Cup: 2015-16