Olaf Marschall facts for kids
Marschall in 2005
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 19 March 1966 | ||
| Place of birth | Torgau, East Germany | ||
| Height | 1.86 m | ||
| Playing position | Forward | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1972–1978 | BSG Chemie Torgau | ||
| 1978–1983 | 1. FC Lok Leipzig | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1983–1990 | 1. FC Lok Leipzig | 135 | (43) |
| 1990–1993 | SCN Admira/Wacker | 97 | (40) |
| 1993–1994 | Dynamo Dresden | 32 | (11) |
| 1994–2002 | 1. FC Kaiserslautern | 160 | (59) |
| 2002 | Al-Ittihad | 12 | (5) |
| National team | |||
| East Germany U-21 | 18 | (7) | |
| 1984–1989 | East Germany | 4 | (0) |
| 1994–1999 | Germany | 13 | (3) |
| Teams managed | |||
| 2005–2007 | 1. FC Kaiserslautern (assistant) | ||
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Olaf Marschall, born on March 19, 1966, is a famous German former football player. He was a forward, which means he played at the front of the team to score goals.
Olaf started his professional football journey in East Germany. He played for 1. FC Lokomotive Leipzig. With this team, he even reached the final of a big European competition in 1987. Later, he moved to Austria to play for SCN Admira/Wacker. In 1993, he came back to Germany to join Dynamo Dresden. A big highlight was in 1998 when he became German champion with 1. FC Kaiserslautern. Olaf also played for the East German national team and later for the German national team. He even played in the 1998 FIFA World Cup in France.
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Olaf Marschall's Club Career
Early Days in East Germany (1972–1990)
Olaf Marschall began playing football in East Germany. He started at a club called BSG Chemie Torgau. Soon, he moved to 1. FC Lok Leipzig. There, he became a very good scorer in the top league of East Germany. He also played for the East German national team.
Olaf made his first appearance in the top league on October 22, 1983. He was only 17 years old. His team played against Dynamo Dresden. He became a regular player and helped his club achieve great things.
In 1987, Olaf and his team reached the final of the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup. They also won the FDGB Cup twice, in 1986 and 1987. In 1986 and 1988, his club finished second in the league. Olaf was known for being good at heading the ball. He could play in different attacking positions. He scored 43 goals in 135 league games for Lok Leipzig.
Playing in Austria (1990–1993)
After Germany became one country again, Olaf moved to Austria in 1990. He joined a team called SCN Admira/Wacker in the Austrian league. He played there for three years.
During this time, his team finished sixth, fourth, and then third in the league. Olaf's own performance got better each year. In the 1992–93 season, he was the second-best scorer in the Austrian league. He scored 19 goals that season. In the summer of 1993, he returned to Germany.
Time at Dynamo Dresden (1993–1994)
Olaf Marschall moved back to his home region in Saxony. He signed with Dynamo Dresden, a team in the German Bundesliga. He followed his former coach, Siegfried "Siggi" Held, to Dresden.
In his very first game for Dynamo, Olaf played against his old club, which was now called VfB Leipzig. He had an amazing start, scoring three goals in that game! The match ended in a 3-3 draw. Only a few other players have ever scored three goals in their first Bundesliga game.
Olaf scored 11 goals in 32 games in his first Bundesliga season. He was the top scorer for his team. He helped Dresden avoid being sent down to a lower league. However, because of money problems, the club sold him after just one year. He moved to 1. FC Kaiserslautern.
Success with 1. FC Kaiserslautern (1994–2002)
In 1994, Olaf joined 1. FC Kaiserslautern (FCK). Here, he became one of the best scorers in the Bundesliga. He won the DFB-Pokal (German Cup) in 1996. Then, in 1998, he helped his team win the Bundesliga title. Olaf was the second-highest goal scorer in the 1997–98 season. He played a huge part in FCK winning the championship.
FCK paid 2.8 million marks for Olaf, which was a lot of money for the club at that time. In his first year, he scored seven goals in 26 games. His team finished fourth. The next season, he had some injuries. He still played in 19 games, scoring two goals.
In 1996, Olaf won the DFB Cup with Kaiserslautern. This happened just after the team was surprisingly sent down to the second division. But Olaf stayed loyal to the club. He helped them get back to the top league right away in 1997. He scored ten goals in 16 games that season, even with another injury break.
After returning to the top league, FCK won the German championship in 1998. Olaf Marschall scored 21 goals in just 24 games that season! He was almost the top scorer in the league, just one goal behind Ulf Kirsten. Injuries kept him from playing even more. By this time, Olaf was a huge favorite with the fans. He often played alongside Jürgen Rische, his old teammate from Lok Leipzig.
In the 1998–99 season, Olaf Marschall won the "Goal of the Year (Germany)" award. He scored a fantastic Bicycle kick goal. He scored 12 goals that season. However, his club finished fifth, missing out on a spot in the Champions League.
After this, Olaf found it harder to score as many goals. He had three less successful seasons from 1999 to 2002. He only scored seven goals in 47 games. He also lost his regular starting spot to younger players like Miroslav Klose. His contract ended in 2002 and was not renewed. In his last season, fans cheered him loudly when he scored a winning goal in the DFB Cup.
At the end of his career, Olaf received an offer from a club in Qatar, Al-Ittihad. He played 12 games and scored 5 goals there. After retiring as a player, he continued to work for FCK in different roles, including as a scout.
Olaf Marschall's International Career
Olaf Marschall played for two different national teams. From 1985 to 1989, he played four times for the East German national team. He made his first appearance on February 6, 1985, in a game against Ecuador.
After Germany was reunified, he played for the German national team. He played 13 games and scored three goals for Germany between 1994 and 1999. His first game for Germany was a friendly match against Hungary on October 12, 1994.
Because of his great scoring record in 1997–98, Olaf was chosen for the German squad for the 1998 FIFA World Cup in France. He played once in the World Cup. This was in the quarter-finals against Croatia.
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 11 October 1997 | Niedersachsenstadion, Hanover, Germany |  Albania |
3–2 | 4–3 | 1998 World Cup qualifier |
| 2 | 22 February 1998 | King Fahd International Stadium, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia |  Saudi Arabia |
3–0 | 3–0 | Friendly |
| 3 | 18 November 1998 | Parkstadion, Gelsenkirchen, Germany |  Netherlands |
1–1 | 1–1 | Friendly |
Managerial and Coaching Roles
After his playing career, Olaf Marschall returned to 1. FC Kaiserslautern in 2004. He worked as an assistant to the chairman. From 2004 to 2006, he was a team manager for the club.
He also worked as an assistant coach for the amateur team. He even became the interim coach for the second team for two months. Later, he also served as an assistant coach for the first team for a short period.
Olaf also studied to get his coaching license. He did an internship with the Hannover 96 team. After his time at FCK, he worked as an assistant manager for Al-Nasr Sports Club Dubai. Today, he works as a scout for the German club FSV Frankfurt.
Achievements and Awards
Olaf Marschall had a very successful career.
With Locomotive Leipzig
- FDGB-Pokal (East German Cup): 1986, 1987
- Finalist in UEFA Cup Winners' Cup: 1987
With 1. FC Kaiserslautern
- German football championship: 1998
- DFB-Pokal (German Cup): 1996
Personal Awards
- Goal scorer of Goal of the Year (Germany): 1998
- Chosen for the "Admira Century Eleven" of FC Admira Wacker Mödling
See also
In Spanish: Olaf Marschall para niños
