Ariel Ortega - Biography

Last Editor: PattiABrown				Ariel Ortega Biography -   Name : Ariel Ortega Date of birth : March 4, 1974 Place of birth : Ledesma

Ariel Ortega Trivia -

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Ariel Ortega Detailed Biography -

Ariel Arnaldo Ortega (born March 4, 1974 in Ledesma) is an Argentinian footballer, who currently plays for Newell's Old Boys. Ortega's previous clubs have included Fenerbahçe, Parma A.C., U.C. Sampdoria, Valencia C.F., and River Plate. He has been capped 89 times for the Argentinian national team, scoring 17 goals (as of the end of 2004). 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. His nickname is El Burrito. He is widely recognised for his blinding pace and outstanding ability from dead ball situations. Even though he is also infamously temperamental and never remained at one club for an extended period of time, he always had a big feeling towards his first team, River Plate. After he resigned his contract with Fenerbahce on 2003, he was suspended by the FIFA, and not allowed to step on a soccer field for about one year and a half. 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 soccer, he went to Newell's Old Boys (his current team), as he was called by his friend Américo Gallego, who at that time was Newell's' coach. Together, they won the Apertura 2004.