Yes, I'd like to see videos dispalyed.
While still a youth player at Karlsruhe, he tore the cruciate ligament in his left knee for the first time in 1991. In May 1992, Jens made his first Bundesliga appearance for KSC in a 1-0 away win at Hamburger SV. In four years, he made a total of 103 Bundesliga appearances and scored seven goals for the club.
In 1996, he arrived at Bayer 04 Leverkusen as a U21 international. Coach Christoph Daum lost no time in making the then 22-year-old 'libero' his captain. 'Jenne', as he was known to his teammates, developed into the driving force behind a team that caused a sensation in Germany in the following years. With Nowotny as captain, Bayer 04 finished runners-up in the German championship four times and also made it to the DFB Cup final and the Champions League final in 2002. Unfortunately, Jenne was unable to play in both of these high-profile matches because he tore his cruciate ligament for the second time in the semi-final second leg against Manchester United on 30 April 2002. He also missed the 2002 World Cup, where he would have been a first-choice pick in the Germany back line. When he finally returned to the pitch in January 2003 in the home game against Energie Cottbus in the difficult 2002/2003 season, in which Bayer 04 were battling against relegation, it happened again: the cruciate ligament, which had just healed, tore again without any involvement by any opposition player, and Jenne faced another difficult six months.
In October 2003, he made it back into the Bayer 04 starting XI and remained an integral part of the Werkself for the next year and a half. But on 19 February 2005, in another incredible stroke of bad luck, he suffered the next cruciate ligament rupture. During the following months, disputes arose between Nowotny and Bayer 04 concerning sick pay. Although Jens was fit, he wasn't used by the club. It wasn't until the second half of the 2005/2006 season, in the home game against VfL Wolfsburg on 8 February 2006, that he came off the bench in the 80th minute and earned himself a place in the starting XI for the rest of the season. He also earned a World Cup call-up and played the full 90 minutes as a centre-back in Germany's 3-1 win over Portugal in the third vs. fourth play-off. Following the World Cup in Germany, Nowotny moved to Dinamo Zagreb. After a few months in Croatia, he decided to retire due to persistent problems with his knees.
Jenne made a total of 233 Bundesliga appearances for Bayer 04, scoring four goals. He made his debut for the German national team on 30 April 1997 in Bremen in a 2-0 win against Ukraine, and went on to gain a total of 48 international caps.
Today, Jens Nowotny works as assistant coach of the Germany U19s and, when time permits, still turns out for the Bayer 04 veterans' team.
All the best for your 50th, Jenne!!! Have a great celebration!
Dieter Bast was born in Oberhausen on 28 August 1951. He began playing football in the youth team at DJK Arminia Klosterhardt, a local club in Oberhausen. Whilst training as a toolmaker, he moved to neighbouring club Sterkrade 06/07 to play for their U19s, where he caught the eye of Bundesliga sides Rot-Weiss Essen and Borussia Mönchengladbach. Bast opted for Rot-Weiss and played in the Bundesliga from 1970 onwards. In his very first year, he made 22 appearances as a right winger, scoring three goals. Nevertheless, Essen were unable to avoid relegation.
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José Vítor Roque Júnior was born on 31 August 1976 in Santa Rita do Sapucaí, in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais. As a youth, he played for São José EC, a club in the east of the state of São Paulo. His professional career began in 1995 with Palmeiras São Paulo. There, Roque Júnior quickly established himself as a key player in the team, making more than 200 appearances and enjoying significant success. With the club, he won the Copa do Brasil in 1998 and the Copa Libertadores in 1999, the South American equivalent of the European Champions League.
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In this video you can see impressive and important goals in the history of Bayer 04 from the month of August. It's not always about the beauty of the goals, but also a reminder of special games and players.
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The Werkself play their first top-flight match in Bayer 04’s history away at Sportfreunde Katernberg. 7,000 spectators turn up at the Am Lindenbruch stadium in that district of Essen. The Katernbergers have transformed the once ‘barren’ pitch into a real gem. On this Sunday afternoon, 19 August 1951, the lush turf provides the perfect conditions for a good game of football.
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Following a thoroughly successful start with a 2–1 home win against VfL Wolfsburg, the Werkself are organising a team event. On Wednesdays, they head to the Nürburgring together and do a few laps at speed. Manager Klaus Toppmöller welcomes this initiative, as it promotes team spirit and integration. During weekly training sessions, the team works extensively on various defensive tactics, as the manager was dissatisfied with his players’ pressing in the final minutes of the match against the Wolves.
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