Arne Maier

Arne Maier has always been a little further ahead than others his age. At the age of 16, he was already training with the Hertha BSC professionals, and at 17 he was awarded the Fritz Walter Bronze Medal. At 18, he made his Bundesliga debut for the Old Lady and a few months later, at 19, he was already playing in Hertha's midfield.

After not playing as often at Hertha due to injury, he was loaned out to Arminia Bielefeld. He managed to stay in the league with the promoted team in 2021 - and also matured off the pitch at the Alm. “I had to take on responsibility, but that's exactly what I wanted,” Maier looks back. “The loan and the relegation battle helped me personally.”

Maier was also allowed to take on responsibility at the 2021 European Under-21 Championship. Alongside Niklas Dorsch, Maier captained the German team to the European Championship title. Maier had played for all of the DFB's German junior teams since the U15s.

After the U21 European Championship, Maier moved to FCA on loan. In the 2021/22 season, the midfielder played 29 Bundesliga games for the Fuggerstädter and recorded seven assists. Maier was then signed permanently and given a long-term contract.