Lars Ricken
Lars Ricken in 2008
Lars Ricken (* July 10, 1976 in Dortmund ) is a former German football player.
He played from 1993 to 2007 as a professional at Borussia Dortmund and scored 49 goals in 301 Bundesliga games and gave 28 assists. Ricken won three German championships, the Champions League and the Football World Cup 1997. 2002 he became vice - world champion. He ran 16 times for the German national football team and scored there on 13 February 2002 in Kaiserslautern, Germany in a friendly against Israel his only goal for a 7-1 final score. In early 2009 he finished after almost 16 years of his career as a player with Borussia Dortmund. Most recently, he played for Borussia amateurs in the Regionalliga West.
Career
Lars Ricken began playing football at age six at TuS Eving - Lindenhorst, where he consecutively special class champion three times. About the TSC Eintracht Dortmund 1990, he joined Borussia Dortmund. He was U-16 European Championship in 1992 with the German U-16 selection in Cyprus.
Under Ottmar Hitzfeld he advanced with 17 years in the first team squad. Until 26 November 2005, as the also -playing midfielder Nuri Sahin BVB scored his first Bundesliga goal, Ricken was the youngest scorer in the history of the Bundesliga. Parallel to his professional career at Borussia Dortmund, he also graduated from high school with a grade of 2.4 and then studied Business Administration at the University of Hagen.
Ricken scored at the beginning of his career several important goals. In December 1994, he scored in the quarter-finals of the UEFA Cup against Deportivo de La Coruña in the 118th minute, the decisive 3:1. In the Champions League season 1996/97 Ricken succeeded each in the second leg of the quarter-and semi-finals of the 1-0 winner against AJ Auxerre or Manchester United. In the final on 28 May 1997 against Juventus he overcame some ten seconds after coming off the bench in the 71st minute with his first touch the placed too far in front of goal keeper with a fantastic effort from 25 yards and scored the game-winning 3:1. The hit was in 1997 Goal of the Year and was elected to the 100 - year celebration of Borussia Dortmund fans of the club on 19 December 2009 as the " BVB Goal of the Century ".
In the following years, however, Ricken could not go on his early successes. In the national squad, he could not prevail. In the first half of the 2004/05 season he was even sorted out temporarily at BVB, but he was again in the second half regulars. On 14 November 2005, Ricken suffered a torn ACL and fell for the rest of the season out.
In March 2007 he was transferred by the then coach Thomas Doll in the second team, in which he took over the captaincy. Was finally sorted out of the squad Ricken on July 5, 2007. His professional contract was finally dissolved on 31 December of the same year. In February 2009, he finished his final football career.
Achievements
National team:
- U-16 European Champion 1992
- U-18 European Vice-Champion in 1994
- Vice World Champion 2002 ( without insert)
Borussia Dortmund:
- German Champion 1995, 1996 and 2002
- Champions League winners in 1997
- World Cup winners in 1997
- UEFA Cup finalists in 2002
- No. 1 in the poll for " BVB Goal of the Century " ( scored in the Champions League final in 1997 against Juventus Turin)
Others
For a great stir caused a 1997 -produced with the sports equipment supplier Nike television commercial that caused partly violent opposition in the soccer world. This was the view expressed in the spot criticism Ricken at his view, lack of youth development and the alleged adverse business practices of many football clubs. Quote: "I see clubs, buy the expensive professionals, without promoting the next generation. I see types in pinstripes, I see profiteering without end. "
After ending his playing career Lars Ricken sought even then to a function of the club management. From January to July 2008, he was a staff member of the BVB office in which he completed a leader across all areas of management trainee program, which should be completed on 30 June 2009. The program was terminated prematurely when Ricken was appointed as successor to Edwin Boekamp to Offspring manager of Borussia Dortmund in July 2008.
From July 2009 to June 2011 Ricken worked as an expert for the pay - TV broadcaster Sky. There he analyzed games of the Bundesliga and the UEFA Europa League.
In April 2011, Lars Ricken graduated in Sports Oberhaching with other ex-league professionals a coaching course of the DFB for the acquisition of A- and B- license.
Ricken is married to the television presenter Andrea Kaiser since July 2010. In August 2013, the past separation was announced.