Hans Sarpei

Hans Sarpei

Sarpei in 2019
Personal information
Full name	Hans Adu Sarpei
Date of birth	(1976-06-28) 28 June 1976
Place of birth	Tema, Ghana
Height	1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Position(s)	Full-back
Youth career
1984–1996	Chorweiler
1996–1997	Preußen Köln
1997–1998	Winfriedia Mülheim
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1998–2000	Fortuna Köln	44	(2)
2000–2001	MSV Duisburg	20	(1)
2001–2007	VfL Wolfsburg	139	(2)
2001–2007	VfL Wolfsburg II	10	(0)
2007–2010	Bayer Leverkusen	142	(1)
2008–2009	Bayer Leverkusen II	3	(0)
2010–2012	Schalke 04	29	(0)
Total		367	(6)
National team
2000–2010	Ghana	36	(1)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Hans Adu Sarpei (born 28 June 1976) is a Ghanaian former professional footballer who played as a full-back. Regarded as one of the best Ghanaian left-backs of all time. He was a skillful defender with his great tackling and his stamina. He was known for his pace and versatility. He also stood out for his leadership qualities on the pitch. He also was a long time regular for the Ghana national team. Sarpei most recently played for his country at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.

Club career

In his youth, Sarpei played at SV Fühlingen Chorweiler, CfB Ford Niehl and SC Viktoria Köln , later at Winfriedia Mülheim, Siegburger SV 04 and VfL Rheinbach.

As an amateur at Fortuna Cologne, he made it into the professional squad (2nd Bundesliga) in 1998. In 2000 he moved to MSV Duisburg, and from 2001 he played for VfL Wolfsburg in the Bundesliga. In the summer of 2007, Sarpei moved to Bayer 04 Leverkusen on a free transfer and in the summer of 2010 to FC Schalke 04, where he signed a two-year contract. After Sarpei made regular appearances at the beginning of the season, he often had to be content with a place on the bench or in the stands. He was even suspended by coach Felix Magath due to insufficient training and had to train with the second team. After a change of coach, Ralf Rangnick brought him back to the professional team. Although he only played nine Bundesliga games for Schalke, he was always involved in the decisive games. In 2011 he was in the starting line-up in the semi-finals of the DFB Cup against FC Bayern Munich and in the final against MSV Duisburg. He also contributed to Schalke's good performance in the Champions League, during which he was used, among other things, in the round of 16 against FC Valencia and in the quarter-finals against defending champions Inter Milan. Sarpei was dismissed from Gelsenkirchen at the end of the 2011/12 season, and ended his playing career. 

International career

Sarpei was a Ghana international. He made his first international appearance on October 8, 2000 in Ghana's 4-1 victory over Zimbabwe. He also took part in the 2010 World Cup in South Africa as a regular player.

As part of the national team, he participated in two world championships (2006 in Germany and 2010 in South Africa), as well as three African Nations Cups (2006 in Egypt, 2008 in Ghana, where the team won bronze awards, and 2010 in Angola, where together with the team won "silver").

During his career in the national team, he played 36 matches in the form of the main team of the country, scoring 1 goal.

Honours

• German cup winner: Schalke 04: 2010-11
• Winner of the German Super Cup :"Schalke 04": 2011
• African Cup of Nations silver medalist: 2010
• Bronze medalist of the Cup of African Nations: 2008

Other websites

• Official website (in German)
• Hans Sarpei at fussballdaten.de (in German)