Ariel Ortega

Football player infobox
playername = Ariel Ortega


fullname = Ariel Arnaldo Ortega
nickname = "El Burrito" - The Little Donkey
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1974|3|4
cityofbirth = Ledesma, Jujuy
countryofbirth = Argentina
height = height|m=1.70
currentclub = Independiente Rivadavia
clubnumber =
position = Attacking midfielder, Striker
youthyears =
youthclubs =
years = 1990-1996
1996-1998
1998-1999
1999-2000
2000-2002
2002-2003
2004-2006
2006-2008
2008-
clubs = River Plate
Valencia
Sampdoria
Parma
River Plate
Fenerbahçe
Newell's Old Boys
River Plate
Independiente Rivadavia
caps(goals) = 132 (37)
032 0(9)
027 0(8)
018 0(3)
055 (24)
015 0(5)
053 (13)
045 (14)
0|008 0(2)
nationalyears = 1993-
nationalteam = Argentina
nationalcaps(goals) = 097 (19)
pcupdate = 8 September 2008
ntupdate = 17 August 2007

Ariel Arnaldo Ortega (born March 4, 1974 in Ledesma, Jujuy) is an Argentine footballer, who plays in Independiente Rivadavia as an attacking midfielder. His nickname is "El Burrito" ("The Little Donkey"), thus called "Burrito Ortega".

Ortega's previous clubs include Fenerbahçe, Parma, Sampdoria, Valencia, and Newell's Old Boys. He has been capped 97 times for the Argentinian national team, scoring 19 goals (as of 2008). Ortega played for his country in the 1994, 1998, and 2002 World Cups. He was also a member of the team that won the silver medal at the 1996 Summer Olympics.

He is widely recognized for his blinding pace and outstanding ability from dead ball situations, but most of all for his incredible dribbling ability. At his prime he was one of the best dribblers in the world. He is also famous for his lobbed shots.

Along with his skills, Ortega is infamously temperamental. During the 1998 World Cup, in the quarter-finals against the Netherlands, Ortega received a red card for headbutting Dutch goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar after van der Sar confronted him after a perceived dive. Shortly after Ortega's sending off, Dennis Bergkamp scored the winning goal to make it 2-1, eliminating Argentina.

Due to his volatility, Ortega never remained at one club for an extended period of time. After he resigned his contract with Fenerbahçe in 2003, he was suspended by the FIFA, and not allowed to step on a football field for approximately one and a half years. While he was trying to deal with the situation he asked many times about the possibility of playing for free in River Plate. However, his petition was denied, and in 2004, when he finally could come back to football, he went to Newell's Old Boys, as he was called by his friend Américo Gallego, who at that time was Newell's' coach. Together, they won the Apertura 2004.

On June 2006 he went back to his first team River Plate, where he played for about half of the Apertura 2006 [cite web|title=Tactical Formation|work=Football-Lineups.com
url=http://www.football-lineups.com/players/player.php?route=4983 | accessdate=January 26 | accessyear=2007] , and then he stopped to start a treatment for alcoholism. On January 2007, during River's pre-season in Mar del Plata, and one day after playing an excellent game in which he even scored, he surprised everyone with another alcoholic episode, after which River Plate's doctors suggested to the coach that Ortega should go back to Buenos Aires to resume the treatment against his problem.

Coach Daniel Passarella brought back Ortega stating he was ready for a comeback. On March 15, 2007, in a Copa Libertadores 2007 match against LDU Quito, Ortega formed part of River's bench but was not given a chance to play. However three days later, in a league match versus Quilmes, he came in the second half to help break the opposing team's defense in a tight 0-0 up to that point. Ortega would score a controversial goal with his hand on the 48th minute to give River the victory and a great personal comeback.

At the arrival of Diego Simeone as head coach of River, Ortega would eventually lose some "protections" he was rumoured to have and, despite being an important part of the team that achieved the Clausura 2008 title, Simeone left him out of the squad for the upcoming season, backing his decision on several times not coming to train as well as some episodes of alcoholism [es icon Citation |last=|first= |title=Ortega said: I will leave River|url=http://www.clarin.com/diario/2008/06/23/deportes/d-01401.htm |publisher=Clarín] [es icon Citation |last=|first= |title=Aguilar forced Ortega and Simeone to an agreement|url=http://www.clarin.com/diario/2008/07/05/deportes/d-07501.htm |publisher=Clarín] [es icon Citation |last=|first= |title=Ortega is left out of River squad|url=http://www.clarin.com/diario/2008/08/01/um/m-01727899.htm |publisher=Clarín] . After some controversy [es icon Citation |last=|first= |title=New scandal by Ariel Ortega|url=http://www.lanueva.com/edicion_impresa/nota/2/08/2008/882023.html |publisher=La Nueva] and rumours [es icon Citation |last=|first= |title=Ariel Ortega is too close to UAE|url=http://espndeportes.espn.go.com/news/story?id=707940&s=arg&type=story |publisher=ESPN] [es icon Citation |last=|first= |title=Dallas FC aims on Ariel Ortega|url=http://www.lanacion.com.ar/nota.asp?nota_id=1032102 |publisher=La Nación] in the winter window of Argentine market, he was sold to Nacional B side Independiente Rivadavia [es icon Citation |last=|first= |title= Ortega signs for Independiente Rivadavia|url=http://www.lanacion.com.ar/nota.asp?nota_id=1037038 |publisher=La Nación] , signing a one year contract where a twice a week trip to a Chilean Special Treatment Center for alcoholics [es icon Citation |last=|first= |title= Ortega signs for Independiente Rivadavia|publisher=La Nación] is one of the clauses.

Titles

References

External links

* [http://www.national-football-teams.com/v2/player.php?id=348 Career details] at National Football Teams
*es [http://www.futbolxxi.com/Futbolista.aspx?ID=8116&SEOFutbolista=Ortega+Arnaldo+Ariel Argentine Primera statistics]
* [http://www.cariverplate.com.ar/tpl.php?cat=es&url=ficha-jugador.php&id=99 River Plate player profile]

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