Johann Hipper

Johann Hipper's route to professional football ran through a spell abroad that few German goalkeepers of his generation have taken. After coming through FC Ismaning's youth ranks and a stint with TSV 1860 München II's under-21 side, he moved in July 2021 to the United States, where he studied at Limestone College and played for the Limestone Saints in the NCAA Division II South Atlantic Conference. He returned to Germany in January 2022 to join TSV Rain/Lech.

His time at Türkgücü München, where he made 36 appearances between 2022 and 2023, ended with a knee injury. He signed for FC Würzburger Kickers on a free transfer in January 2024, putting pen to paper on a contract running until June 2027. Hipper had to wait for his debut, which came in the DFB-Pokal semi-final against FC Pipinsried in the 2024/25 season — a match he kept a clean sheet in, against the very club whose Regionalliga side he had played for years earlier.

Since then he has made seven appearances for the Kickers, keeping four clean sheets. Known to teammates as "Hippo", he has never been capped by Germany at any level, but his career includes a Regionalliga Bayern championship and a Bavarian Cup win. Across his career he has made 227 matches in total, picking up 13 yellow cards along the way, and his numbers include 38 penalty saves.