Markus Kolke (born 18 August 1990) is a German professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for club Werder Bremen.
After playing in the lower tiers of German football, Kolke established himself as a starter for Wehen Wiesbaden in 2011. He played at the club for eight years, making 232 appearances and experiencing promotion to the 2. Bundesliga in his final season at the club. In 2019, Kolke moved to 3. Liga club Hansa Rostock, where he became team captain after one season.
Born in Erlenbach am Main, Bavaria, Kolke played youth football at TSV GroÃÂheubach and Viktoria Aschaffenburg. In 2009, he moved to the second team of Eintracht Frankfurt. There, he was mainly a backup. After a year in Frankfurt, he went to fifth-tier Oberliga Baden-Württemberg club Waldhof Mannheim. He immediately became the starting goalkeeper and played all matches for the club during the 2010âÂÂ11 season, where the club won the championship and promoted to the Regionalliga.
In the summer of 2011, Kolke moved to SV Wehen Wiesbaden. He won the starting job over Michael Gurski in October 2013 and has featured as the team's regular goalkeeper since. He became notorious for saving penalties while at Wehen, saving six out of seven penalties during the 2016âÂÂ17 season. Through promotion play-offs, Kolke, who was also team captain at times, was able to help the club reach promotion to the 2. Bundesliga. In his eight-year tenure with Wehen Wiesbaden, he made 232 appearances as the main goalkeeper, 210 of them in league games.
Nevertheless, he joined Hansa Rostock for the 2019âÂÂ20 3. Liga season, where he signed a two-year contract as the successor to the outgoing goalkeeper Ioannis Gelios. Kolke immediately established himself as the starting goalkeeper under Hansa manager Jens Härtel, making all 38 league appearances for Rostock. He kept a clean sheet and also played in the DFB Pokal against 2. Bundesliga outfit VfB Stuttgart (1âÂÂ0). Kolke became the new record-holding goalkeeper in 3. Liga appearances in a 1âÂÂ1 draw at Mannheim with 220 appearances, taking over the top spot from previous record holder Robert Wulnikowski. At the end of the season, Hansa finished sixth in the league table and won the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Cup. In the final, Torgelower FC Greif was defeated 3âÂÂ0. Ahead of the 2020âÂÂ21 season, Kolke was appointed team captain. As in the previous season, the team faced VfB Stuttgart, now a Bundesliga side, in the DFB Pokal, and again lost the matchup (1âÂÂ0).
On 7 June 2024, Kolke signed with Werder Bremen as a third goalkeeper.
Wehen Wiesbaden
Hansa Rostock