Hanno Balitsch (born January 2, 1981) is a German former professional footballer who played primarily as a defensive midfielder or right-back. He currently works in coaching and sports broadcasting.
Balitsch began his professional career at Waldhof Mannheim in 1999. He subsequently moved to the Bundesliga, playing for 1. FC Köln (2001–2002) before joining Bayer Leverkusen (2002–2005). He spent a significant portion of his career at Hannover 96, where he made over 140 league appearances between 2005 and 2010. His later career included returns to Bayer Leverkusen and spells at 1. FC Nürnberg and FSV Frankfurt. Over the course of his career, he made 343 appearances in the Bundesliga and 74 in the 2. Bundesliga.
At the international level, Balitsch represented Germany across various youth categories and was the captain of the German U21 national team during the 2004 UEFA European Under-21 Championship. He earned one senior cap for the Germany national team, appearing as a substitute in a friendly match against Spain on February 12, 2003.
Since retiring from professional play in 2016, Balitsch has served as a football analyst and commentator for the German television network ZDF. He has also pursued a coaching career, holding various positions within the German Football Association (DFB) youth development programs.
