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!
Michael Ballack was born on 26 September 1976 in Görlitz, in what was then East Germany. His talent for football became apparent at an early age. After his family moved to Karl-Marx-Stadt – now Chemnitz – he began playing football for BSG Motor ‘Fritz Heckert’ Karl-Marx-Stadt, where he steadily developed his skills. From Year 7 onwards, he attended the Children’s and Youth Sports School and received systematic sporting support, which, in 1988 – due to his growing skill as a player – led to a move to FC Karl-Marx-Stadt. At the age of 16, he had to take a six-month break due to growth problems, but after that, Michael was unstoppable.
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José Elias Moedim Júnior, known as Zé Elias, was born on 25 September 1976 in São Paulo. He received his football training at Sport Club Corinthians Paulista, or Corinthians for short, and was promoted to the first team at the age of just 17. PSV Eindhoven had already taken notice of him by this stage, but the move to Europe was still too early for him. The tenacious defensive midfielder established himself in the first team over the following three years. With Corinthians, Zé Elias won the São Paulo City Championship and the Brazilian Cup in 1995. With his excellent vision, his determination and his assured ball control, he made a significant contribution to his team’s success.
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In their second season in Bundesliga 2 North, the Werkself face Fortuna Köln at their home ground, the Ulrich Haberland Stadium, on matchday 7. Both teams are level on seven points, sitting eighth and ninth in the table.
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In this video you can see impressive and important goals in the history of Bayer 04 from the month of September. It's not always about the beauty of the goals, but also a reminder of special games and players.
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September gets off to a disastrous start, though not for the Werkself: the German national team, featuring Bayer 04 players Jens Nowotny, Michael Ballack and Oliver Neuville, suffer a 5-1 thrashing at the hands of England in a World Cup qualifier at the Olympic Stadium in Munich. Jens Nowotny, in particular, came in for sharp criticism. With this defeat, Germany’s direct qualification is now hanging in the balance.
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