Roland Linz

Roland Linz

Linz playing with Austria Wien in 2011
Personal information
Full name	Roland Gunther Linz
Date of birth	9 August 1981 (1981-08-09)
Place of birth	Leoben, Austria
Height	1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Playing position	Striker
Club information
Current club	Austria Wien
Number	9
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–	Austria Wien	62	(33)
National team‡
2002–	Austria	39	(8)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 25 May 2011. † Appearances (Goals). ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 1 December 2010

Roland Gunther Linz (born 8 August 1981 in Leoben, Styria) is an Austrian footballer who plays for FK Austria Wien as a striker.

Club career

Early career / Germany

Linz started in the youth teams of local club DSV Leoben. Aged 15, he left for Germany to finish his football grooming, with Bavaria's 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 next two years there he scored 27 goals in 53 games. His good form in the second division attracted the attention of higher clubs and, in 2001, Linz joined one of the country's major football teams, Vienna's FK Austria Wien.

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

Second move abroad / return

In 2004, aged 23, Linz left Austria for the second time, moving to France to play for Ligue 1 club OGC Nice on loan. 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 well as Linz being the league's top goalscorer. 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.

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 first season with ten top division goals, and subsequently moved to Sporting de Braga.

In the 2007–08 UEFA Cup, Linz netted five goals before his side was eventually ousted by SV Werder Bremen, and added 11 in the league, relegating veteran goal-getter João Tomás to the bench, 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 SC, in September 2008, Linz lost his importance in the Braga squad and, on 30 January 2009, moved on loan to Grasshopper Club Zürich, until the end of the season. In his first competitive fixture for Grasshoppers, in the Zürich derby against FC Zürich, Linz scored a goal but was sent off after two yellow cards, in the 39th and 41st minutes.

Linz joined Gaziantepspor during the 2009 summer, on a three-year contract, signing 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.

International career

Linz made his debut for Austria in a 27 March 2002 friendly match against Slovakia, a 2–0 win in Graz, and remained a regular in the following years.

In September 2007, Linz made a public outburst against former Austrian Football Association president Friedrich Stickler, and for the next 18 months was cast into the international wilderness. He 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 finished goalless as the side crashed out at the first hurdle.

Club statistics

Club performance			League		Cup		League Cup		Continental		Total
Club	League	Season	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Austria			League		Austrian Cup		—		Europe		Total
DSV Leoben	First League	1999–00	0	0	2	0	—		—		2	0
		2000–01	12	3	1	0			—		13	3
Austria Wien	Bundesliga	2001–02	29	8	3	3			—		32	11
		2002–03	21	3	3	0			1	1	25	4
Admira Mödling		2003–04	31	15	0	0			—		31	15
France			League		Coupe de France		Coupe de la Ligue		Europe		Total
OGC Nice	Ligue 1	2004–05	15	0					—
Austria			League		Austrian Cup		—		Europe		Total
Sturm Graz	Bundesliga	2004–05	13	4	0	0	—		0	0	13	4
Austria Wien		2005–06	31	15	1	1			4	3	36	19
Portugal			League		Taça de Portugal		Taça da Liga		Europe		Total
Boavista	Primeira Liga	2006–07	28	10			—		—
Sporting Braga		2007–08	27	11					8	5
		2008–09	6	0					7	3
Switzerland			League		Swiss Cup		—		Europe		Total
Grasshopers	Super League	2008–09	16	7	1	0	—		0	0	17	7
Turkey			League		Turkish Cup		—		Europe		Total
Gaziantepspor	Süper Lig	2009–10	5	0	1	0	—		—		6	0
Austria			League		Austrian Cup		—		Europe		Total
Austria Wien	Bundesliga	2009–10	15	6	1	0	—		0	0	16	6
		2010–11	36	21	4	2			6	3	46	26
		2011–12	15	7	2	2			9	2	26	11
Career totals	Austria		195	74	19	8	—		20	9	234	91
	France		15	0					0	0
	Portugal		61	21					15	8
	Switzerland		16	7	1	0	—		0	0	17	7
	Turkey		5	0	1	0	—		0	0	6	0
	Career statistics		292	102					35	17

Honours

Team

• Austrian League: 2002–03, 2005–06
• Austrian Cup: 2002–03, 2005–06

Individual

• Austrian League: Top scorer 2005–06

Personal

• Away from football, Linz enjoys surfing the Internet and shopping.
• His favourite band is U2.
• Linz enjoys building Lego dinosaurs.

External links

• Austria Wien archives (German)
• L'Équipe stats (French)
• Roland Linz French league stats at LFP.fr (French)
• Stats and profile at Zerozero
• Stats at ForaDeJogo (Portuguese)
• Stats at Fussballdaten (German)
• Grasshoppers profile (German)
• Transfermarkt profile (German)
• Roland Linz at National-Football-Teams.com
• Official website (German)