In February 2016, FC Augsburg faced Liverpool FC in the knockout phase of the Europa League. Despite a 0-0 draw in the first leg, Augsburg narrowly lost 1-0 at Anfield Road in front of 45,000 spectators. This article revisits the players who participated in that campaign, detailing their current endeavors.

The Starting Eleven

Several players from that Augsburg starting lineup have continued to make their mark in football and beyond.

• Marvin Hitz (38 years): The Swiss goalkeeper, who joined FCA from VfL Wolfsburg in 2013, is now with FC Basel.
• Paul Verhaegh (42): The right-back, who arrived at FCA in 2010, ended his career at Twende Enschede in 2020 and now enjoys padel tennis.
• Christoph Janker (41): A central defender who came to Augsburg from Hertha BSC in 2015, Janker is now the technical director at the Bundesliga club.
• Ragnar Klavan (40): The Estonian central defender, who moved to Liverpool FC in 2016, now owns and manages Kalev Tallinn in Estonia.
• Konstantinos Stafylidis (32): Currently plays for Apoel Nicosia in Cyprus after stints with Leverkusen, Hoffenheim, Bochum, and Rostock.
• Ja-Cheol Koo (36): A fan favorite during his time at FCA, Koo now works as a player agent in South Korea.
• Dominik Kohr (32): The central defender currently plays for FSV Mainz 05.
• Alexander Esswein (35): Currently plays for VfR Mannheim in the Oberliga.
• Halil Altintop (43): After leaving FCA in 2017, Altintop ended his career at 1. FC Kaiserslautern in 2018 and now works in the real estate sector in Augsburg, likewise serving as an honorary member of FCA GmbH & Co.KGaA’s supervisory board.
• Tobias Werner (40): After leaving FCA in 2016, Werner’s family remained in Augsburg, and he now works as interim sports manager at VfB Stuttgart.
• Caiuby (37): After playing for FCA from 2014 to 2019, Caiuby now plays football at an amateur level in São Paulo.

The Substituted Players

Players who came off the bench during that Europa League match have also continued their footballing journeys.

• Shawn Parker (32): Parker runs a football school, the Parker Football Academy, in Wiesbaden.
• Jan Moravek (36): After ten years with FCA, Moravek now works in the scouting department for FC Augsburg.
• Raul Bobadilla (38): Bobadilla currently plays for FC Aarau in the Swiss second division.

The Players on the Bench

Even those who didn’t see playing time in that match have continued to pursue diverse paths.

• Alexander Manninger (48): Manninger ended his career at Liverpool FC in 2017 and now lives in Salzburg, working with real estate.
• Philipp Max (32): Max has played for PSV Eindhoven, Eintracht Frankfurt, and Panathinaikos Athens and is reportedly moving to Gamba Osaka in Japan.
• Daniel Opare (35): Opare lives in Belgium and works in consulting and the fruit trade.
• Tim Rieder (32): Rieder plays for Altglienicke in the northern regional league in Berlin.

The Game in Brief

Liverpool FC took a 1-0 lead in the 5th minute thanks to a penalty converted by James Milner. Augsburg goalkeeper Marwin Hitz kept the scoreline respectable, and Konstantinos Stafylidis’ free kick hit the crossbar in the 89th minute. Augsburg was eliminated from the Europa League.