Herbert Paul (footballer)

Herbert Paul (born 11 February 1994) is a German professional footballer who plays as a right-back for Bayernliga Nord club FC Ingolstadt 04 II.

Club career
Paul began his career in the youth system of FC Ingolstadt 04 before moving to the Greuther Fürth academy in the summer of 2010. After making his debut for Fürth's reserve team in senior competition, he transferred to the reserve team of Bayern Munich in the summer of 2014, playing in the Regionalliga Bayern.

Following the end of his contract with Bayern Munich, Paul was without a club for almost a year until joining 1. FC Schweinfurt 05 in the same league in the summer of 2016. After two seasons with Schweinfurt, he signed with 1860 Munich in the 3. Liga in the summer of 2018, where he made his professional debut on the first day of the season in a match against 1. FC Kaiserslautern.

Paul made 55 appearances in the 3. Liga over two seasons with 1860 Munich before leaving the club at the end of the 2019–20 season. He then signed a contract with SK Austria Klagenfurt, a second-division team in Austria, in October 2020. He played 15 matches for Klagenfurt in the 2020–21 season, helping the team gain promotion to the Austrian Bundesliga. He appeared in 11 matches in the top tier of Austrian football before suffering a torn anterior cruciate ligament in December 2021, which sidelined him for the rest of the season. Paul left Klagenfurt after the 2021–22 season.

In January 2023, Paul joined Regionalliga Bayern club FC Pipinsried as a player, after having already become the team's player coach in November 2022. After the club suffered relegation from the Regionalliga at the end of the season, Paul joined the second team of his youth club FC Ingolstadt 04 II, competing in the Bayernliga Nord.

International career
Paul is a German youth international, having gained two caps for the national under-18s in 2011.

Managerial career
On 22 December 2022, Paul was appointed the new head coach of FC Pipinsried after former coach Frank Peuker had quit after only five days in charge. Paul also continued as a player of the club. He left after the club suffered relegation to the Bayernliga Süd at the end of the season.

Personal life
In an interview with tz from 2019, Herbert discussed how he struggled to find a team after his contract with Bayern Munich ended, leading to a period of unemployment. He uses meditation as a tool for mental preparation and self-reflection, something he began doing during his time with 1860 Munich to focus and stay calm under pressure.