Intro Argentine footballer
A.K.A. Ariel Arnaldo Ortega
Is Athlete
Football player
Association football player
From Argentina
Type Sports
Gender male
Birth 4 March 1974, Libertador General San Martín, Jujuy
Age: 46 years
Ariel Arnaldo Ortega is a retired Argentine footballer who played as an attacking midfielder. His nickname is “El Burrito” (“The Little Donkey”), thus he is called “Burrito Ortega”.
Ariel Ortega first played for Club Atlético River Plate on 14 December 1991 and until 1996 and returned in 2000–02, 2006–08 and 2009–11. Ortega’s other clubs include Fenerbahçe, Parma, Sampdoria, Valencia, and Newell’s Old Boys. A former Argentina international, 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.
Table of Contents
– Biography and career
– Beginnings in Argentina
– Europe
– Fenerbahçe and ban
– Return to Argentina
– International
– Style of play
– Career statistics
– Club
– National team statistics
– International
– Honours
– Club
– National team
– Individual
Biography and career
Beginnings in Argentina
Ortega began his professional football career in 1991 with Argentine club River Plate. With the club, he won the Primera División in 1991, 1993, 1994 and 1996, as well as the Copa Libertadores in 1996. He lost out on the 1996 Intercontinental Cup final to Juventus.
Europe
Ortega left Argentina in 1996. He played 1½ seasons for Valencia CF before being signed by Sampdoria in 1998 for 23 billion Italian lire (£8 million), replacing Juan Sebastián Verón. After the club was relegated to Serie B, Ortega joined Parma AC, rejoining national and former club team-mate Hernán Crespo, replacing Verón again who left for Lazio. Parma paid Sampdoria 28 billion lire (£9.4 million). However, in the following season he returned to Argentina with River Plate, to compensate unpaid 12 billion lire transfer fees of Crespo. (The 10% of the transfer fees to Lazio) Claudio Husaín also joined the club. River Plate acquired 50% registration rights of Ortega for a reported 5.5 million dollars. While, in Parma AC annual filing to Italian government, Ortega was sold for 11 billion lire.
Fenerbahçe and ban
In May 2002, Fenerbahçe signed Ortega from River Plate for a fee of USD 7,500,000 (USD 2,500,000 of which was paid to Parma). Fenerbahçe also bought his image rights for a further USD 1,500,000. Ortega signed a 4-year contract. He was one of the key players of the team, scoring 5 goals in 14 matches.
Fenerbahçe were forced to file a complaint to FIFA in April 2003 as Ortega had failed to return from international duty since 12 February 2003. In June 2003 the FIFA Dispute Resolution Committee (DRC) ordered Ortega to pay Fenerbahçe USD 11,000,000 as compensation for breach of an employment contract and suspended him until 30 December 2003. Ortega appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport in July 2003 but the case was dismissed on 5 November. Ortega served a 4-month suspension from that day. After the ban he was without a club.
Return to Argentina
In 2004, when he could finally come back to football, he joined Newell’s Old Boys after he was called by his friend Américo Gallego, who at the time was Newell’s’ coach. Newell paid an unknown sum to Fenerbahçe as part compensation for what Ortega owed the club. They won the Apertura 2004.
In June 2006, he went back to his first team River Plate, where he played for about half of the Apertura 2006, before he stopped to begin 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 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 treatment for his problem.
Coach Daniel Passarella later brought Ortega back, stating he was ready for a comeback. On 15 March 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 on during the second half to help break the opposing team’s defense in a tight 0-0 up to that point. Ortega scored a controversial goal with his hand, in the 93rd minute, to give River the victory and himself a great comeback.
Upon the arrival of Diego Simeone as head coach of River, Ortega allegedly lost 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, reasoning his decision on Ortega having several times not come to train as well as some episodes of alcoholism. After some controversy and rumours in the winter window of Argentine market, he was loaned to Nacional B side Independiente Rivadavia, signing a one-year contract where a twice a week trip to a Chilean Special Treatment Center for alcoholics is one of the clauses. On 1 May 2009 the player has been let go by Independiente officials. The club decided to terminate his contract in advance. Ortega was on loan from River Plate. On his first game back in River Plate, 25 July 2009, he scored an outstanding chip shot goal to give River a 1-0 victory over Everton F.C. of England in Edmonton, Canada during the preseason. In the 2009 Apertura, Ortega scored a wonder lobbed goal against Chacarita Juniors to give River Plate a 4-3 victory. Later in the tournament, he scored a last minute equalizer against Estudiantes.
In the 2010 Clausura, Ortega started River’s first two matches, but suffered another alcoholic relapse and missed the next ten games before returning against Newell’s Old Boys in the 13th round of matches.
In 2011, he was loaned to Defensores de Belgrano.
On 8 April 2012, Fox Sports Argentina journlist Juan José Buscalia, confirmed that Ortega would join Chilean Primera División club Unión San Felipe in June 2012.
International
Ortega was included in the squad for the 1994 World Cup. His debut in the starting eleven occurred on 3 July 1994 when Argentina was knocked out of the competition by Romania. He also reached the final of the 1995 King Fahd Cup with Argentina, and he won a Silver Olympic medal at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta.
Ortega was handed the #10 shirt for the 1998 FIFA World Cup, where he was expected to carry the mantle of the team’s playmaker, and it was his first World Cup as an established star. Despite impressing in the early rounds to be considered a favorite as player of the tournament, Ortega was most notable for his sending-off in the quarter-finals against the Netherlands. Ortega received a second yellow card for head-butting Dutch goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar when van der Sar confronted him after a dive in the penalty area, for which Ortega was just getting his first yellow card. Shortly after Ortega’s sending-off, Dennis Bergkamp scored the winning goal to make it 2–1, eliminating Argentina.
Ortega was also a member of the squad for the 2002 World Cup. Ortega missed a penalty in the last match against Sweden, which was then followed up and converted into the back of the net by Hernan Crespo), nonetheless the result meant that Argentina was knocked out in the first round.
On 24 September 2009, he was recalled to the Argentina national first-team squad, but a couple of days later, it was announced that Ariel Ortega would miss the friendly match against Ghana due to an injury he picked up during the weekend in the Argentine Domestic League.
In April 2010, 17 years after his Argentina debut, Ortega received a call-up again, this time against Haiti. All the players in Diego Maradona’s squad were from the Primera División Argentina. He played the match as starting XI on 5 May.
Style of play
A highly creative player with excellent technical ability, Ortega was well known for his pace, mobility, dribbling, and skills from dead ball situations, as well as his ball trickery, clever body feints, and lobbed shots. At his prime he was one of the best dribblers in the world; primarily deployed as an attacking midfielder, Ortega was an effective playmaker due to his vision and passing ability, which earned him comparisons with Maradona as a youth. Along with his skills, Ortega was infamously temperamental, and he was criticised throughout his career for not living up to his potential.
Career statistics
Club
Club performance League Cup Continental Total
Season Club League Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Argentina League Cup South America Total
1991–92 River Plate Primera División 14 1 ? ? ? ?
1992–93 27 5 ? ? ? ?
1993–94 29 4 ? ? ? ?
1994–95 25 7 ? ? ? ?
1995–96 23 7 ? ? ? ?
1996–97 16 6 ? ? ? ?
Spain League Copa del Rey Europe Total
1996–97 Valencia La Liga 12 7 0 0 0 0 12 7
1997–98 20 2 3 0 23 2
Italy League Coppa Italia Europe Total
1998–99 Sampdoria Serie A 27 8 ? ? ? ? ? ?
1999–2000 Parma 18 3 ? ? 2 0 ? ?
Argentina League Cup South America Total
2000–01 River Plate Primera División 27 9 ? ? ? ?
2001–02 29 14 ? ? ? ?
Turkey League Türkiye Kupası Europe Total
2002–03 Fenerbahçe Süper Lig 14 5 0 0 6 0 20 5
Argentina League Cup South America Total
2004–05 Newell’s Old Boys Primera División 24 5 ? ?
2005–06 29 6 7 0 36 6
2006–07 River Plate 18 4 3 0 21 4
2007–08 26 4 9 2 35 6
2008–09 Independiente Rivadavia Primera B Nacional 25 4 25 4
2009–10 River Plate Primera División 13 2 2 0 2
Total Argentina 325 78 ? ? ? ?
Spain 32 9 ? ? ? ? ? ?
Italy 45 11 ? ? ? ? ? ?
Turkey 14 5 0 0 6 0 20 5
Career total 416 103 ? ? ? ? ? ?
National team statistics
Argentina national team
Year Apps Goals
1993 1 0
1994 10 0
1995 16 2
1996 7 3
1997 9 1
1998 13 5
1999 7 2
2000 11 3
2001 7 0
2002 4 0
2003 1 0
2004 0 0
2005 0 0
2006 0 0
2007 0 0
2008 0 0
2009 0 0
2010 1 0
Total 87 16
International
International appearances and goals
# Date Venue Opponent Result Goal Competition
1993–94
1. 15 December 1993 Miami, United States Germany 2–1 0 Friendly
2. 23 March 1994 Recife, Brazil Brazil 0–2 0
3. 20 April 1994 Salta, Argentina Morocco 3–1 0
4. 31 May 1994 Tel Aviv, Israel Israel 3–0 0
5. 4 June 1994 Zagreb, Croatia Croatia 0–0 0
6. 21 June 1994 Boston, United States Greece 4–0 0 1994 FIFA World Cup
7. 30 June 1994 Dallas, United States Bulgaria 0–2 0
8. 3 July 1994 Los Angeles, United States Romania 2–3 0
1994–95
9. 16 November 1994 Santiago, Chile Chile 3–0 0 Friendly
10. 21 December 1994 Buenos Aires, Argentina Romanian League 1–0 0
11. 27 December 1994 Buenos Aires, Argentina Yugoslavia 1–0 0
12. 8 January 1995 Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Japan 5–1 1 1995 King Fahd Cup
13. 10 January 1995 Nigeria 0–0 0
14. 13 January 1995 Denmark 0–2 0
15. 14 February 1995 Mendoza, Argentina Bulgaria 4–1 0 Friendly
16. 13 May 1995 Johannesburg, South Africa South Africa 1–1 0
17. 31 May 1995 La Plata, Argentina Peru 1–0 0
18. 22 June 1995 Mendoza, Argentina Slovakia 6–0 0
19. 30 June 1995 Quilmes, Argentina Australia 2–0 0
20. 8 July 1995 Paysandú, Uruguay Bolivia 2–1 0 1995 Copa América
21. 11 July 1995 Chile 4–0 0
22. 14 July 1995 United States 0–3 0
23. 17 July 1995 Rivera, Uruguay Brazil 2-2
(2–4 PSO) 0
1995–96
24. 20 September 1995 Madrid, Spain Spain 1–2 1 Friendly
25. 11 October 1995 Buenos Aires, Argentina Colombia 0–0 0
26. 8 November 1995 Buenos Aires, Argentina Brazil 0–1 0
27. 21 December 1995 Mendoza, Argentina Venezuela 6–0 0
28. 24 April 1996 Buenos Aires, Argentina Bolivia 3–1 2 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification
29. 2 June 1996 Quito, Ecuador Ecuador 0–2 0
30. 7 July 1996 Lima, Peru Peru 0–0 0
20 July 1996 Birmingham, Alabama, United States United States 3–1 0 1996 Olympics (Argentina U23)
22 July 1996 Washington, D.C., United States Portugal 1–1 1
24 July 1996 Birmingham, Alabama, United States Tunisia 1–1 1
27 July 1996 Spain 4–0 0
30 July 1996 Athens, Georgia, United States Portugal 2–0 0
3 August 1996 Nigeria 2–3 0
1996–97
31. 1 September 1996 Buenos Aires, Argentina Paraguay 1–1 0 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification
32. 9 October 1996 San Cristóbal, Venezuela Venezuela 5–2 1
33. 15 December 1996 Buenos Aires, Argentina Chile 1–1 0
34. 28 December 1996 Mar del Plata, Argentina Yugoslavia 2–3 0 Friendly
35. 12 January 1997 Montevideo, Uruguay Uruguay 0–0 0 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification
36. 12 February 1997 Barranquilla, Colombia Colombia 1–0 0
37. 2 April 1997 La Paz, Bolivia Bolivia 2–1 0
38. 30 April 1997 Buenos Aires, Argentina Ecuador 2–1 1
39. 8 June 1997 Peru 2–0 0
40. 20 July 1997 Buenos Aires, Argentina Venezuela 2–0 0
1997–98
41. 10 September 1997 Santiago, Chile Chile 2–1 0 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification
42. 12 October 1997 Buenos Aires, Argentina Uruguay 0–0 0
43. 16 November 1997 Colombia 1–1 0
44. 19 February 1998 Mendoza, Argentina Romanian League 2–1 0 Friendly
45. 24 February 1998 Mar del Plata, Argentina Yugoslavia 3–1 0
46. 15 April 1998 Jerusalem, Israel Israel 1–2 0
47. 22 April 1998 Dublin, Republic of Ireland Republic of Ireland 2–1 1
48. 29 April 1998 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Brazil 1–0 0
49. 14 May 1998 La Plata, Argentina Bosnia and Herzegovina 5–0 1
50. 19 May 1998 Mendoza, Argentina Chile 1–0 0
51. 25 May 1998 Buenos Aires, Argentina South Africa 2–0 1
52. 14 June 1998 Toulouse, France Japan 1–0 0 1998 FIFA World Cup
53. 21 June 1998 Paris, France Jamaica 5–0 2
54. 26 June 1998 Bordeaux, France Croatia 1–0 0
55. 30 June 1998 Saint-Étienne, France England 2–2 (AET)
4–3 (PSO) 0
56. 4 July 1998 Marseilles, France Netherlands 1–2 0
1998–99
57. 31 March 1999 Amsterdam, The Netherlands Netherlands 1–1 0 Friendly
58. 26 June 1999 Buenos Aires, Argentina Lithuania 0–0 0
59. 11 July 1999 Ciudad del Este, Paraguay Brazil 1–2 0 1999 Copa América
1999–2000
60. 4 September 1999 Buenos Aires, Argentina Brazil 2–0 0 Friendly
61. 7 September 1999 Porto Alegre, Brazil Brazil 2–4 1
62. 13 October 1999 La Plata, Argentina Colombia 2–1 1
63. 17 November 1999 Seville, Spain Spain 2–0 0
64. 23 February 2000 London, England, United Kingdom England 0–0 0
65. 29 March 2000 Buenos Aires, Argentina Chile 4–1 0 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification
66. 26 April 2000 Maracaibo, Venezuela Venezuela 4–0 2
67. 4 June 2000 Buenos Aires, Argentina Bolivia 1–0 0
68. 29 June 2000 Bogotá, Colombia Colombia 3–1 0
69. 19 July 2000 Buenos Aires, Argentina Ecuador 2–0 0
70. 26 July 2000 São Paulo, Brazil Brazil 1–3 0
2000–01
71. 16 August 2000 Buenos Aires, Argentina Paraguay 1–1 0 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification
72. 3 September 2000 Lima, Peru Peru 2–1 0
73. 15 November 2000 Santiago, Chile Chile 2–0 1
74. 20 December 2000 Los Angeles, United States Mexico 2–0 0 Friendly
75. 28 March 2001 Buenos Aires, Argentina Venezuela 5–0 0 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification
76. 25 April 2001 La Paz, Bolivia Bolivia 3–3 0
2001–02
77. 15 August 2001 Quito, Ecuador Ecuador 2–0 0 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification
78. 5 September 2001 Buenos Aires, Argentina Brazil 2–1 0
79. 7 October 2001 Asunción, Paraguay Paraguay 2–2 0
80. 8 November 2001 Buenos Aires, Argentina Peru 2–0 0
81. 14 November 2001 Montevideo, Uruguay Uruguay 1–1 0
82. 2 June 2002 Ibaraki, Japan Nigeria 1–0 0 2002 FIFA World Cup
83. 7 June 2002 Sapporo, Japan England 0–1 0
84. 12 June 2002 Rifu, Miyagi, Japan Sweden 1–1 0
2002–03
85. 20 November 2002 Saitama, Japan Japan 2–0 0 Friendly
86. 12 February 2003 Amsterdam, The Netherlands Netherlands 0–1 0
2009–10
87. 5 May 2010 Cutral Có, Argentina Haiti 4–0 0 Friendly
Honours
Club
River Plate
– Primera División: 6 1991 Apertura, 1993 Apertura, 1994 Apertura, 1996 Apertura, 2002 Clausura, 2008 Clausura
– Copa Libertadores: 1 1996
Parma
– Supercoppa Italiana: 1 1999
Newell’s Old Boys
– Primera División: 1 2004 Apertura
National team
Argentina U-23
– Pan American Games Gold Medal: 1 1995
– Summer Olympics Silver Medal: 1 1996
Individual
– South American Team of the Year: 4 1994, 1996, 2001, 2002
– FIFA XI: 1 2001
– “South American Team of the Year”. 16 January 2009. Archived from the original on 21 January 2015. Retrieved 10 March 2015.
– FIFA XI´s Matches – Full Info Archived 17 November 2015 at the Wayback Machine.