{{Short description|German football manager}} {{Use dmy dates|date=November 2020}} {{Infobox football biography | name = Torsten Lieberknecht | image = Torsten Lieberknecht DFB Pokal Pressekonferenz.JPG | caption = Lieberknecht with Eintracht Braunschweig in 2015 | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1973|8|1}} | birth_place = Bad Dürkheim, West Germany | height = 1.74 m<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mainz05.de/spieler/lieberknecht.htm |title=Torsten Lieberknecht |language=de |publisher=1. FSV Mainz 05 |access-date=4 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19980613145423/http://www.mainz05.de/spieler/lieberknecht.htm |archive-date=13 June 1998 |url-status=dead}}</ref> | position = Midfielder | currentclub = 1. FC Kaiserslautern (head coach) | youthyears1 = | youthclubs1 = FV Haßloch | youthyears2 = | youthclubs2 = 1. FC 08 Haßloch | youthyears3 = {{0|0000}}–1990 | youthclubs3 = VfL Neustadt/Weinstraße | youthyears4 = 1990–1992 | youthclubs4 = 1. FC Kaiserslautern | years1 = 1992–1994 | clubs1 = 1. FC Kaiserslautern | caps1 = 13 | goals1 = 1 | years2 = 1994–1995 | clubs2 = Waldhof Mannheim | caps2 = 22 | goals2 = 0 | years3 = 1995–2002 | clubs3 = Mainz 05 | caps3 = 89 | goals3 = 3 | years4 = 2002–2003 | clubs4 = 1. FC Saarbrücken | caps4 = 7 | goals4 = 0 | years5 = 2003–2007 | clubs5 = Eintracht Braunschweig | caps5 = 82 | goals5 = 2 | totalcaps = 213 | totalgoals = 6 | nationalyears1 = | nationalteam1 = Germany U-19 | nationalyears2 = 1994–1995 | nationalteam2 = Germany U-21 | nationalcaps1 = 3 | nationalgoals1 = 0 | nationalcaps2 = 9 | nationalgoals2 = 0 | manageryears1 = 2008–2018 | managerclubs1 = Eintracht Braunschweig | manageryears2 = 2018–2020 | managerclubs2 = MSV Duisburg | manageryears3 = 2021–2024 | managerclubs3 = Darmstadt 98 | manageryears4 = 2025– | managerclubs4 = 1. FC Kaiserslautern }} '''Torsten Lieberknecht''' (born 1 August 1973) is a German football manager and former player who is the head coach 2. Bundesliga club of 1. FC Kaiserslautern.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.kicker.de/torsten-lieberknecht/spieler/2-bundesliga/2005-06/eintracht-braunschweig | title = Lieberknecht, Torsten | language = German | publisher = kicker.de | access-date = 17 June 2012}}</ref>
==Playing career== Lieberknecht began his senior career at 1. FC Kaiserslautern, where he made his Bundesliga debut on 26 August 1992 in a game against SG Wattenscheid 09.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.kicker.de/klautern-gegen-wattenscheid-1992-bundesliga-11243/schema | title = 1. FC Kaiserslautern – SG Wattenscheid 09 4:1 | language = German | publisher = Kicker | access-date = 9 December 2012}}</ref> He left Kaiserslautern after the 1993–1994 season to join SV Waldhof Mannheim and went on to play a total of ten seasons in the 2. Bundesliga for Mannheim, 1. FSV Mainz 05 and Eintracht Braunschweig before retiring as a player in 2007.
Lieberknecht also represented Germany nine times at the U-21 level and was part of the German squad for the 1993 FIFA World Youth Championship in Australia.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.fifa.com/tournaments/archive/tournament=104/edition=191252/teams/team=1888263.html | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070707185231/http://www.fifa.com/tournaments/archive/tournament=104/edition=191252/teams/team=1888263.html | url-status = dead | archive-date = 7 July 2007 | title = Germany | publisher = FIFA | accessdate = 9 December 2012}}</ref>
==Managerial career== [[File:TorstenLieberknecht 2023 (cropped).jpg|thumb|upright=0.85|Lieberknecht with Darmstadt 98 in 2023]] After retiring as a player, Lieberknecht became a youth coach at his last club, Eintracht Braunschweig. At the end of the 2007–08 Regionalliga season the club was in serious danger of missing out on qualification for Germany's new nationwide third-tier league 3. Liga, which would have meant Braunschweig's first ever relegation to the fourth level of Germany's football league system. When Benno Möhlmann, at the time the manager of Eintracht Braunschweig's first team, stepped down in May 2008, Lieberknecht was named his successor.<ref name=braunschweigjob>{{cite web | url = http://www.braunschweiger-zeitung.de/sport/eintracht/eintracht-trainer-moehlmann-gibt-auf-id272674.html | title = Eintracht-Trainer Möhlmann gibt auf | language = German | publisher = braunschweiger-zeitung.de | accessdate = 9 December 2012 | date = 12 May 2008 | first = Reiner | last = Albring}}</ref> Under him the club not only secured 3. Liga qualification on the last match day of the season, but since then has started a steady climb back up the ladder of German football. In 2010–11 Lieberknecht and his team were promoted back into the 2. Bundesliga, and quickly established themselves at this level. After having finished the previous season comfortably midtable, the club was even more successful during the 2012–13 season and in the end won promotion to the Bundesliga. This marked Eintracht Braunschweig's return into Germany's top-flight after a 28-year absence.<ref>{{cite news|title=Braunschweig nach 28 Jahren zurück in Liga eins|url=https://www.welt.de/sport/fussball/2-bundesliga/article115655221/Braunschweig-nach-28-Jahren-zurueck-in-Liga-eins.html|accessdate=26 April 2013|newspaper=Die Welt|date=26 April 2013|language=German}}</ref> Lieberknecht was widely recognized in the media both in Germany and abroad as one of the key figures in the club's resurgence after years in the second and third tier.<ref>{{cite web | url =https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/european/local-hero-torsten-lieberknecht-draws-praise-for-his-eintracht-braunschweig-approach-from-borussia-8929560.html | title = Local hero Torsten Lieberknecht draws praise for his Eintracht Braunschweig approach from Borussia Dortmund manager Jürgen Klopp | work = The Independent | date = 8 November 2013 | accessdate = 30 November 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.spiegel.de/sport/fussball/traditionsclub-braunschweig-die-ewige-tochter-blueht-wieder-auf-a-754331.html | title = Die ewige Tochter blüht wieder auf | language = German | work = Der Spiegel | accessdate = 9 December 2012 | date = 1 April 2011 | first = Detlef | last = Hacke}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.faz.net/aktuell/sport/fussball/eintracht-braunschweig-im-zweifel-gegen-den-trend-11924820.html| title = Im Zweifel gegen den Trend | language = German | work = Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung | accessdate = 9 December 2012| date = 20 October 2012 | first = Christian | last = Otto}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.sueddeutsche.de/sport/zweitligist-eintracht-braunschweig-auferstanden-vom-rande-des-untergangs-1.1475082| title = Auferstanden vom Rande des Untergangs | language = German | work = Süddeutsche Zeitung | accessdate = 9 December 2012 | date = 23 September 2012 | first = Boris | last = Herrmann}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.fr-online.de/sport/eintracht-braunschweig-spagat-auf-der-baustelle,1472784,20706956.html| title = Spagat auf der Baustelle | language = German | work = Frankfurter Rundschau | accessdate = 9 December 2012| date = 25 October 2012 | first = Michael | last = Jahn}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.welt.de/print/wams/sport/article115068512/Braunschweigs-grosser-Klimmzug.html| title = Braunschweigs großer Klimmzug | language = German | work = Die Welt | accessdate = 7 April 2013| date = 7 April 2013 | first = Anja | last = Schramm}}</ref> After ten years, his spell at Braunschweig ended in 2018.<ref name="Nach zehn Jahren und zwei Tagen: Lieberknechts Ära endet">{{Cite web|url=https://www.kicker.de/nach-zehn-jahren-und-zwei-tagen_lieberknechts-aera-endet-723801/artikel|title=Nach zehn Jahren und zwei Tagen: Lieberknechts Ära endet|website=Kicker|date=14 May 2018|access-date=14 May 2018}}</ref> He finished with a record of 151 wins, 99 draws, and 120 losses.<ref name="Eintracht Braunschweig record">{{cite web|title=Eintracht Braunschweig – Trainerhistorie|url=https://www.kicker.de/eintracht-braunschweig/team-trainer/bundesliga/2013-14|publisher=kicker|access-date=18 November 2016|language=German}}</ref>
In October 2018, he was appointed by MSV Duisburg as the new head coach.<ref name="MSV Duisburg - Trainerhistorie">{{cite web |title=MSV Duisburg |url=https://www.kicker.de/msv-duisburg/team-trainer/2-bundesliga/2018-19 |website=Kicker |publisher=kicker |access-date=24 October 2018 |language=German}}</ref> He was sacked on 10 November 2020.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.msv-duisburg.de/aktuelles/artikel/msv-stellt-torsten-lieberknecht-frei-neuer-chef-coach-am-sonntag/|title=MSV stellt Torsten Lieberknecht frei – Neuer Chef-Coach am Sonntag|date=10 November 2020|website=msv-duisburg.de|access-date=10 November 2020}}</ref> He moved to Darmstadt 98 in June 2021.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.kicker.de/lieberknecht-uebernimmt-in-darmstadt-806913/artikel |title=Lieberknecht übernimmt in Darmstadt |website=Kicker |publisher=kicker |date=8 June 2021 |access-date=8 June 2021 |language=de}}</ref> In September 2024, he resigned.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.sv98.de/lilien-und-lieberknecht-beenden-zusammenarbeit/|title=Lilien und Lieberknecht beenden Zusammenarbeit|language=de |publisher=SV Darmstadt 98 |date=1 September 2024 |accessdate=1 September 2024}}</ref>
In April 2025, he was appointed as head coach of 1. FC Kaiserslautern.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://fck.de/de/anfang-freigestellt-lieberknecht-neuer-cheftrainer/ |title=FCK stellt Markus Anfang frei – Torsten Lieberknecht wird neuer Cheftrainer |publisher=1. FC Kaiserslautern |language=de |date=22 April 2025 }}</ref>
==Managerial statistics== {{updated|17 May 2026}}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center" |- !rowspan="2"|Team!!rowspan="2"|From!!rowspan="2"|To!!colspan="6"|Record |- !{{Tooltip|G|Games managed}}!!{{Tooltip|W|Games won}}!!{{Tooltip|D|Games drawn}}!!{{Tooltip|L|Games lost}}!!{{Tooltip|Win %|Winning percentage}}!!{{Tooltip|Ref.|Reference}} |- |Eintracht Braunschweig||12 May 2008<ref name=braunschweigjob/>||14 May 2018<ref name="Nach zehn Jahren und zwei Tagen: Lieberknechts Ära endet"/> {{WDL|371|151|99|121}} |<ref name="Eintracht Braunschweig record"/> |- |MSV Duisburg||1 October 2018<ref name="MSV Duisburg - Trainerhistorie"/>||10 November 2020 {{WDL|77|27|21|29}} |<ref name="MSV Duisburg - Trainerhistorie"/> |- |Darmstadt 98||1 July 2021||1 September 2024 {{WDL|112|44|22|46}} | |- | 1. FC Kaiserslautern||22 April 2025||Present {{WDL|41|20|5|16}} | |- ! colspan="3"| Total {{WDLtot|599|242|145|212}} !— |} {{clear}}
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== *{{cci}} *{{Sports links}}
{{1. FC Kaiserslautern squad}} {{2. Bundesliga managers}} {{Navboxes top | title = Managerial positions }} {{Eintracht Braunschweig managers}} {{MSV Duisburg managers}} {{SV Darmstadt 98 managers}} {{1. FC Kaiserslautern managers}} {{navboxes bottom}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lieberkhecht, Torsten}} Category:1973 births Category:Living people Category:People from Bad Dürkheim Category:Footballers from Rhineland-Palatinate Category:German men's footballers Category:Germany men's youth international footballers Category:Germany men's under-21 international footballers Category:Men's association football midfielders Category:German football managers Category:1. FC Saarbrücken players Category:1. FC Kaiserslautern II players Category:1. FC Kaiserslautern players Category:SV Waldhof Mannheim players Category:1. FSV Mainz 05 players Category:Eintracht Braunschweig players Category:Eintracht Braunschweig managers Category:MSV Duisburg managers Category:SV Darmstadt 98 managers Category:1. FC Kaiserslautern managers Category:Eintracht Braunschweig non-playing staff Category:Bundesliga players Category:2. Bundesliga players Category:Bundesliga managers Category:2. Bundesliga managers Category:3. Liga managers