Sascha Kirschstein

Sascha Kirschstein
	Kirschstein playing for Greuther Fürth in 2008
Personal information
Date of birth	9 June 1980 (age 43)
Place of birth	Braunschweig, West Germany
Height	1.96 m (6 ft 5 in)
Position(s)	Goalkeeper
Youth career
1985–1992	FSB Braunschweig
1992–1994	SV Olympia 92 Braunschweig
1994–1996	BSC Braunschweig
1996–1999	Eintracht Braunschweig
Senior career*
Years	Team
1999–2002	Eintracht Braunschweig
2002–2004	Rot-Weiss Essen
2004–2006	Hamburger SV II
2004–2009	Hamburger SV
2007–2009	→ Greuther Fürth (loan)
2009–2010	Rot-Weiss Ahlen
2010–2013	FC Ingolstadt 04
2013–2015	Erzgebirge Aue
2015–2016	Poli Timișoara
2017	Rot Weiss Ahlen
Total
	*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Sascha Kirschstein (born 9 June 1980) is a German former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper.^[1]

Career

Born in

Regionalliga North in December 2001. He moved to the league rivals Rot-Weiss Essen

in the summer of 2002 and subsequently spent two seasons with club as their first-choice goalkeeper.

In 2004, Kirschstein was signed by Bundesliga side Hamburger SV to serve as understudy to Martin Pieckenhagen and Stefan Wächter. He did not play in the Bundesliga during his first season with the club, but made 12 Regionalliga Nord appearances for Hamburg's reserve team. Kirschstein eventually made his Bundesliga debut against Bayer Leverkusen on 26 November 2005, following an injury to Wächter, and secured his place in the starting XI with a string of impressive performances in the second half of the season. He was initially chosen as Hamburg's first-choice goalkeeper for the 2006–07 season and also made his UEFA Champions League debut against Arsenal on 13 September 2006. However, he was sent off only 10 minutes into the game. Despite that, he remained Hamburg's first choice in the Bundesliga and made two more Champions League appearances, before eventually being replaced by Wächter in early November 2006.

During the winter break of the 2006–07 season, Hamburg signed Frank Rost as their new first-choice goalkeeper and Kirschstein was eventually sent on a two-season loan to 2. Bundesliga side Greuther Fürth in the summer of 2007. At Greuther Fürth, he established himself as the first-choice goalkeeper and only missed one league match during the entire season due to a yellow-card suspension.

On 4 April 2009, he signed a contract with

Rot-Weiss Ahlen. When Ahlen were relegated in 2010, he signed for FC Ingolstadt 04

on 19 May 2010.

Kirschstein retired in 2018, having been released by Rot Weiss Ahlen.^[2]