Birmingham City amuse fans this weekend with a hilarious ‘Dumb and Dumber’ inspired transfer announcement video for Christoph Klarer.
The 24 year old Austrian defender joins from Darmstadt 98, and unveiled him in the best way, going viral at the same time too.
He started his career at SV Böheimkirchen before moving to Rapid Wien and then Southampton. He also played for Fortuna Düsseldorf and SV Darmstadt 98 before landing at Birmingham, hoping to get them out of League One and back to the Championship.
With his experience in both the Bundesliga and elsewhere, he’s sure to bring some much-needed defensive prowess to the Blues.
And let’s not forget about his international career, with Klarer also representing Austria at various youth levels, including the U15, U16, U17, U18, U19, and U21 teams.
G’day mate, let’s put another shrimp on the barbie… 🇦🇹 pic.twitter.com/PQEgexTALH
— Birmingham City FC (@BCFC) July 20, 2024
CLUB STATEMENT:
Blues can confirm the signing of Christoph Klarer.
The 24-year-old defender joins from Darmstadt 98 for an undisclosed fee and has agreed terms on a three-year contract at Birmingham City, subject to league, FA and international clearance.
During his single season with Die Lilien, after joining from 2. Bundesliga side Fortuna Dusseldorf, he missed just four top-flight matches and scored two goals, one of which came in a win away to Koln in April.
This was the third successive campaign the Austrian had made more than 30 or more appearances in German football.
Speaking to BluesTV at the Birmingham City Elite Performance and Innovation Centre, Klarer discussed his transfer to St. Andrew’s @ Knighthead Park.
“I am very happy to be here. There was a lot going on in the last couple of hours, but I am excited to get it done.
“Obviously, it is a very big club and I got very excited about the project that the owners are trying to bring into this club.”
Although born in Boheimkirchen, Klarer completed his youth career on these shores with Southampton, joining them as a 16-year-old in July 2016 and later signing a deal to keep him at the Saints until 2021.
However, during this period, he would join St Polten on loan and after accumulating 76 appearances across the Under-18s and Under-21s, the centre-back made a permanent departure from St. Mary’s when he signed for Fortuna.
During three seasons in Dusseldorf, he earned 10 of his dozen caps for his nation’s Under-21s team, having represented them since Under-15s level.
Welcome to Blues, Christoph!
HIS INTERVIEW:
Interviewer: Well Kristoff, welcome to Birmingham City Football Club you must be delighted to get this move over the line
Kristoff: Yeah I’m very happy to be here, a lot going on the last few days and last few hours but um obviously very excited to get it done and uh really happy to be here
Interviewer: You join us from Darmstadt having spent the last season in the Bundesliga how do you look back on that as an experience
Kristoff: Obviously it was great for me to play at such a high level 23 years of age obviously in the end we got relegated but I still gained a lot of experience in that year and yeah it’s going to help me a lot in the future moving forward
Interviewer: So what was it then about Birmingham City that appealed to you this summer
Kristoff: Obviously it’s a very big club, I just got very excited by the project the new owners are trying to bring into this club had some good talks with Craig and the gaffa and that’s what really wanted me to come here
Interviewer: And for supporters who are yet to see you play how do you describe yourself as a defender?
Kristoff: Well I’ll give everything for the club put 100% in every day and obviously work harder and try to achieve our goals that we all have and I’ll definitely do that day in day out
Interviewer: Standing at 6ft 3in tall as well do you relish the physical challenge as well
Kristoff: Yeah of course I do that’s just god-given present my height and try to used that as good as possible defending our goal and try to score some goals as well so yeah definitely something I can use for us
Interviewer: You’ve only just turned 24 as you say do you feel like your best years are are still ahead of you you can still develop further
Kristoff: Of course I can still develop yeah I was very lucky and fortunate to gain a lot of experience so far but I’m very hungry to keep improving keep learning and take on this challenge
Interviewer: You’re not a complete stranger to English football you spent some time as a teenager at Southampton how do you look back on your time there
Kristoff: Yeah it was my was a big step back in the day when I was 16 came over to England for the first time obviously getting used to for foreign country for the first time but I had a great footballing education there and grew a lot as a person as well and look back on these years and they were really good years and I really enjoyed them
Interviewer: Three seasons with Fortuna Dusseldorf in Bundesliga 2 is that really where you had the platform to kick on as a professional is that where you established yourself as a as a professional footballer
Kristoff: Yeah Dusseldorf off was a great time for me as well really big club in the second division in Germany unfortunately we couldn’t couldn’t get promoted but I still learned a lot on and off the pitch there and still keep in touch with a few of the lads and people in charge and definitely place and time in my career that I really enjoy looking back on
Interviewer: You’ve represented Austria at various youth levels how proud a moment is that whenever you pulled on the jersey
Kristoff: Yeah obviously every time you put on that national team kit it’s a special moment representing your country up until from the under 15s till the 21s there’s still one level missing and I’ll work very hard towards that goal
Interviewer: That was my next question do you still have big Ambitions to make that that first appearance at senior level
Kristoff: Yeah that’s something that keeps keeps me going keeps me driving forward that’s something I want to achieve in the future but I’ll my main focus is definitely on here putting some good performances in here for this club and then everything else will come with time
Birmingham amuse fans with their hilarious ‘Dumb and Dumber’ inspired transfer announcement video…
@brumforward: STOP IT
@Ashleybcfc1: Jesus christ we are pissing all over everything
@Bradley_AJ: ADMINNNNN THESE JUST GET BETTER AND BETTER (the pictures from yesterday make sense now)
@KroB91875: 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 gday Christoph
@MRMAXCB: Top-tier content!!
@theAdamMeredith: Best one yet love it 🇦🇹
@melcastle1875: Admin keeps producing 💙
@jon_pearce: That’s amazing 🤣
@PRH0121: Outstanding announcement 👏👏👏 Welcome to blues fella
@Jakebcfc_: We are taking the piss hahahahaha
@JakeURSS: Admins smashed it there tbf
@JoeBCFC24: Sensational 😂😂
@cal210804: That’s quality 😂😂
@LewisKelly5: 😂😂😂😂😂🙏🏻 admin 👏🏻👏🏻
@Mista_Blue_Sky: Beautifully done!
@GarringtonMiles: Unreal
@madd182: Amazing 😂😂
@CalCal_BCFC_39: Best one yet
@bcfcski: ADMINNNNNN
@MikeyBCFC: Momentum. Keep it coming.
@AyJay66: We are so back
@aers1985: Admin’s having a blinder with these 😂
@Duffers100: Lol, the best one yet…. 🤣🤣🤣
@PC1875: This is unreal hahahahah
@guymw69: They get better every time 😂💙
@Darren081273: Admin should be winning creativity awards with these… BRAVO 👏 👏
@HPSWFCFKCCC: Could be the best announcement video of all time tbf
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