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Frank Ordenewitz
Personal information
Date of birth (1965-03-25) 25 March 1965 (age 60)
Place of birth Dorfmark, West Germany
Height 1.80 m
Playing position Forward
Youth career
1979–1981 TSV Dorfmark
1981–1983 Werder Bremen
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1983–1985 Werder Bremen (A) 61 (51)
1983–1989 Werder Bremen 125 (37)
1989–1993 1. FC Köln 126 (30)
1993–1994 JEF United Ichihara 55 (37)
1995 Hamburger SV 21 (1)
1996 Brummell Sendai 28 (20)
1997–1998 VfB Oldenburg 28 (3)
Total 426 (178)
National team
1987 West Germany 2 (0)
  • Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.
† Appearances (Goals).

Frank Ordenewitz (born 25 March 1965) is a German former professional footballer. He played as a forward, which means he was one of the main goal scorers for his team. Frank Ordenewitz is known for his exciting career and for a special moment of sportsmanship that won him an award.

Frank Ordenewitz: A Football Star

Frank Ordenewitz played for many different football clubs during his career. He was a very good goal scorer. In the Bundesliga, which is Germany's top football league, he scored 68 goals in 272 matches. This shows he was a key player for his teams.

Playing for Different Teams

Frank started his youth career with TSV Dorfmark and then joined Werder Bremen. He played for Werder Bremen's main team from 1983 to 1989. After that, he moved to 1. FC Köln and played there until 1993.

The Fair Play Moment

One of the most famous moments in Frank Ordenewitz's career happened on 7 May 1988. He was playing for Werder Bremen against 1. FC Köln. During the game, Frank accidentally touched the ball with his hand in the penalty area. This is called a handball and usually results in a penalty kick for the other team.

The referee didn't see it, but Frank honestly told the referee what happened. Because of his honesty, Köln was given a penalty kick. They scored and won the match 2–0. For this amazing act of sportsmanship, Frank Ordenewitz won the FIFA Fair Play Award that season. This award celebrates players who show respect and honesty in the game.

A Rule-Changing Decision

A few years later, in 1991, Frank was playing for 1. FC Köln. His team was in the semi-final of the DFB-Pokal, a big German cup competition. Frank received a yellow card in that game. This meant he would miss the final match if his team won.

His coach, Erich Rutemöller, had an idea. He told Frank to get himself sent off (get a red card) in that game. This way, Frank would serve his suspension in the next league game instead of the important cup final. Frank followed the advice and intentionally knocked the ball away, getting a red card.

After the game, the coach admitted their plan. This caused a big discussion in German football. Because of this incident, the DFB changed the rules. They made sure that players could not avoid suspensions in important matches this way. Frank was still banned from playing in the final, which his team lost. This event became famous with the saying "Mach et, Otze!", meaning "Do it, Otze!" (Otze was Frank's nickname).

Playing for His Country

Frank Ordenewitz also had the honor of playing for his national team. He played two matches for the West Germany national team in 1987. Representing your country is a big achievement for any footballer.

What He Won

Frank Ordenewitz achieved several important things during his football career:

  • Werder Bremen
    • Bundesliga: 1987–88 (This means his team won the top German league title)
    • DFL-Supercup: 1988 (A cup played between the league champions and cup winners)
  • Individual
    • J-League Top Scorer: 1994 (He scored the most goals in Japan's top league that year with 30 goals)
    • 1988 FIFA Fair Play Award (For his honesty on the field)

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Frank Ordenewitz para niños

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