Georg Niedermeier (born 26 February 1986), nicknamed "Niederstrecker", is a former German professional footballer who played as a defender. A product of the Bayern Munich youth academy, Niedermeier began his senior career with Bayern Munich's reserve team before moving to VfB Stuttgart in 2009 (initially on loan). He signed permanently in February 2010 for a reported fee of €3.5 million. He went on to make over 180 appearances for Stuttgart across eight Bundesliga seasons, becoming a regular starter and serving in the club's leadership group. Niedermeier later played for SC Freiburg in the Bundesliga and had a stint with Melbourne Victory in Australia's A-League, before joining New Zealand's Taranaki Premiership club New Plymouth Rangers in 2023. He also represented Germany at youth level, winning 14 caps for the under-17 national team as well as 3 caps for the under-19 national team. After retiring from playing, Niedermeier pursued coaching education: in 2023 he undertook coaching courses in Australia and obtained his Football Australia “C” and “B”-Diploma.
Early life and youth career Georg Niedermeier was born and raised in Bogenhausen, a district in the north-east of Munich, Bavaria (then West Germany). He began playing football at the local club, SC Bogenhausen, as a child. In 1995, at the age of nine, he joined the youth academy of FC Bayern Munich, where he would spend the next several years progressing through all the youth levels. While training at Bayern's academy, Niedermeier attended the Theodolinden-Gymnasium in Munich and completed his Abitur (secondary school diploma) in 2005. Initially deployed as a striker in his early teens, he was later moved into a defensive role due to his notable strength in tackling, one-on-one duels, and his strong aerial abilities.
By the early 2000s, Niedermeier had established himself as a promising centre-back in Bayern's youth setup. He captained Bayern's Under-19 side and was part of the team that won the German U-19 Bundesliga championship in 2004. After graduating from the youth teams, he joined Bayern Munich II (the club's reserve side) and made his debut in the Regionalliga (then the third tier of German football) in late 2003, aged 17. Niedermeier went on to become captain of Bayern Munich II, leading the reserve team in the inaugural 3. Liga season in 2008. His development at Bayern Munich, combining both academic education and football training, laid the foundation for his professional career.
Club career
Bayern Munich (2003–2009) Niedermeier progressed through all stages of Bayern Munich's academy, eventually captaining the reserve team. He made his Bayern II debut as a 17-year-old on 18 October 2003, in a 0–0 draw against FC Augsburg. In 2004, whilst taking the step to the Seniors team, Niedermeier helped Bayern's Under-19 side win the U19s Youth Bundesliga Championship.
At the start of the 2008–09 season in the newly formed national 3. Liga, Niedermeier was handed the captain's armband for the opening match against Union Berlin, a 2–1 victory. That same year, he began training with the first team and was named in matchday squads for Bundesliga fixtures against Hamburger SV and Borussia Dortmund, as well as for a UEFA Champions League match against Olympique Lyonnais.
In January 2009, Niedermeier signed a new contract, keeping him at Bayern Munich until 2012.
VfB Stuttgart (2009–2016) On 30 January 2009, Niedermeier joined VfB Stuttgart on loan from Bayern Munich until June 2010, seeking regular first-team experience.
2008–09 season He made his Bundesliga debut on 1 March 2009, starting in a 2–0 win over local rivals Karlsruher SC. A week later, he sustained an ankle injury during a match against Borussia Dortmund that sidelined him for a month. He returned to the starting line-up on 9 May 2009 in a 4–1 win over eventual champions VfL Wolfsburg.
Niedermeier made five league appearances in the second half of the season, contributing to Stuttgart's strong run to a third-place Bundesliga finish and qualification for the 2009–10 UEFA Champions League.
2009–10 season In the 2009–10 Bundesliga season, Niedermeier scored his first Bundesliga goal with a header in a 1–1 draw at Signal Iduna Park against Borussia Dortmund on 28 August 2009. Competition from Serdar Tasci, Khalid Boulahrouz, and Matthieu Delpierre limited his starting opportunities, but he returned to the first team in November following injuries to teammates. He made his UEFA Champions League debut in a 2–0 away win against Glasgow Rangers at Ibrox-Park on 24 November 2009. After the winter break, he started the first four league matches of 2010, all of which ended in victory. On 11 February, Niedermeier signed a four-year contract with Stuttgart, making the move permanent and keeping him at the club until June 2014. He featured again in March, including a Champions League round of 16 match against FC Barcelona at Camp Nou. His performances drew praise from manager Christian Gross, who highlighted his composure and confidence.
Stuttgart finished the season in sixth place, qualifying for the UEFA Europa League 2010/11. Niedermeier made 14 appearances in all competitions, scoring once and losing only two matches.
2010–11 season At the start of the 2010–11 Bundesliga season, Niedermeier established himself as a regular starter for Stuttgart, forming a central defensive partnership with either Matthieu Delpierre or Serdar Tasci. He helped the club reach the UEFA Europa League group stage, featuring in qualifying wins over Molde and Slovan Bratislava. During the first half of the season, Niedermeier scored four goals in the Bundesliga, including in victories against Borussia Mönchengladbach, St. Pauli and Werder Bremen, as well as in a narrow defeat to Hannover 96. Despite his individual performances, Stuttgart endured a poor start, collecting only 12 points and sitting bottom of the table at the winter break. However, the team topped their Europa League group and advanced to the knockout stage, with Niedermeier contributing defensively throughout the campaign. He returned to the first team after the break under new head coach Bruno Labbadia and remained a regular starter, missing only one match in the second half of the season due to suspension. On 20 March 2011, he scored his fifth goal of the season in a 1–1 draw against VfL Wolfsburg.
Stuttgart improved in the second half of the season and ultimately finished 12th in the Bundesliga. Niedermeier made 42 appearances in all competitions and scored five goals, making him the highest-scoring defender in the Bundesliga during the 2010–11 season.
2011–12 season Ahead of the 2011–12 Bundesliga season, Niedermeier suffered a knee injury during a friendly match against Stuttgarter Kickers. On 25 July 2011, it was confirmed that he would be sidelined for two months following surgery. He returned to training in September to work on regaining match fitness. Niedermeier made his competitive return on 20 November 2011, starting in a 2–1 win over FC Augsburg. From then on, he reclaimed his place in central defence. During a 4–1 victory over SC Freiburg on 27 February 2012, he was substituted in the 66th minute due to injury, but subsequent scans revealed no fractures in the rib area.
On 16 March 2012, Niedermeier captained Stuttgart for the first time in his career, leading the team to a 2–1 win against TSG 1899 Hoffenheim. He continued as captain in the following two matches, against 1. FC Nürnberg and the dramatic 4–4 draw against Borussia Dortmund.
Stuttgart finished 6th in the Bundesliga, securing qualification for the following season's UEFA Europa League. Despite missing part of the campaign through injury, Niedermeier made 19 appearances in all competitions.
2012–13 season Niedermeier began the 2012–13 Bundesliga season positively, assisting the opening goal in a 5–0 win over SV Falkensee-Finkenkrug in the first round of the DFB-Pokal. He retained his place in the starting line-up from the start of the campaign, playing regularly as a central defender. In Stuttgart's first Europa League group stage match, he scored in a 2–2 draw against Steaua București. On 23 September 2012, in a league match against Werder Bremen, Niedermeier was deployed in an attacking role after coming on for Shinji Okazaki and assisted Cacau's equaliser to make it 2–2, which remained the final result. He continued to feature in Stuttgart's UEFA Europa League run, helping the club progress to the knockout stage.
On 9 January 2013, Niedermeier extended his contract with VfB Stuttgart until June 2016. He scored his second goal of the season on 17 March 2013, netting the winner in a 2–1 victory over Eintracht Frankfurt. In the following match against Borussia Dortmund, he was sent off for a second bookable offence on Mario Götze in a 2–1 defeat. After serving a one-match suspension, he returned to the starting line-up and helped Stuttgart secure a 2–0 win over Borussia Mönchengladbach. In the subsequent fixture, he played in a 2–1 victory over SC Freiburg, which sent Stuttgart to the DFB-Pokal final — their first since 2007 and sixth in club history.
Niedermeier started in the DFB-Pokal final against Bayern Munich on 1 June 2013, where Stuttgart lost 3–2.
Stuttgart finished 12th in the Bundesliga but qualified again for the following season's UEFA Europa League by reaching the DFB-Pokal final. Despite missing five matches during the campaign for various reasons, Niedermeier made 40 appearances in all competitions and scored two goals.
2013–14 season At the start of the 2013–14 Bundesliga season, Niedermeier suffered a knee injury during the second leg of the UEFA Europa League third qualifying round against Botev Plovdiv. He was substituted in the 64th minute as Stuttgart drew 0–0, resulting in elimination on away goals after a 1–1 draw in the first leg. After completing rehabilitation in late September, he returned to the starting line-up on 25 October 2013 in a 1–1 draw against 1. FC Nürnberg. However, later in the year he was dropped to the bench. Amid defensive struggles, Niedermeier returned to the starting line-up as captain in a 4–1 loss to TSG 1899 Hoffenheim, and also wore the captain's armband in the following match against Hertha BSC, which ended in a 2–1 defeat. On 15 March 2014, he scored his first goal of the season in a 1–1 draw against Werder Bremen. Two weeks later, during a 3–2 loss to Borussia Dortmund on 29 March, he was sent off in the 67th minute for unsportsmanlike conduct. Despite the red card, Niedermeier regained a regular starting role under new head coach Huub Stevens and featured consistently throughout the remainder of the season.
Stuttgart finished 15th in the Bundesliga, narrowly avoiding relegation after a turbulent season. Niedermeier made 20 appearances in all competitions and scored one goal.
2014–15 season