Uwe Rösler

Infobox Football biography
playername = Uwe Rösler


fullname = Uwe Rösler
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1968|11|15|df=y
cityofbirth = Altenburg
countryofbirth = East Germany
height = height|m=1.85
position =Centre Forward
youthyears =
youthclubs = Traktor Starken
Chemie Leipzig
years = 1988-1991
1991-1994
1992-1993
1994-1998
1998-1999
1999-2000
2000-2002
2001
2002
2002-2003
clubs = 1. FC Magdeburg
Dynamo Dresden
→ 1. FC Nuremberg (loan)
Manchester City
1. FC Kaiserslautern
Tennis Borussia Berlin
Southampton
→ West Bromwich Albion (loan)
SpVgg Unterhaching
Lillestrøm
caps(goals) = 062 (22)
040 0(4)
028 0(0)
153 (50)
027 0(8)
028 0(6)
024 0(0)
005 0(1)
014 0(5)
011 (10)
nationalyears = 1988-1990
nationalteam = East Germany
nationalcaps(goals) = 006 0(0)
manageryears = 2005-2006
2006-
managerclubs = Lillestrøm
Viking|

Uwe Rösler (born 15 November 1968 in Altenburg, East Germany) is a German football manager, who, as of January 2007, is in charge of Viking in the Norwegian Premier League.

Rösler was previously a successful player who played for several clubs, most notably Manchester City (1994-1998), where he was the leading goalscorer for three consecutive seasons from 1995-96 to 1997-98, and Kaiserslautern, where he played in the UEFA Champions League. In addition, Rösler played six times for his country (East Germany).

Playing career

Germany

Rösler started his career in his native country, joining 1. FC Magdeburg in 1988 where he spent 3 seasons before moving on to Dynamo Dresden in August 1991. He spent the 1992-93 season on loan with 1. FC Nuremberg where he failed to score once in 28 games.

Manchester City

In March 1994 Rösler joined Manchester City for a fee of £750,000. The start of 1994-95 season proved bountiful for Rösler. Another German striker, Jürgen Klinsmann was also scoring prolifically for Tottenham Hotspur. Uwe was famously asked by the TV commentator Clive Tyldesley after an early league match against Everton (4-0), "There are inevitable comparisons with yourself and Jürgen Klinsmann at the moment - do you know him?" ""Yes, urgh, from the telly".", Uwe replied. Another quote from Rösler when asked about his popularity with fans was, ""I work everytime hard and the supporters like this"." Such was his popularity that a group of fans even carried an 'inflatable Uwe' doll around on pre-season tours of the Isle of Man and Norway.

Despite the topsy-turvy nature of City's campaign in 1994-95, Rösler managed 22 league and cup goals despite missing several games through injury. Rösler's partnership with fellow city hero Paul Walsh, and their supply line from winger Peter Beagrie were a source of delight for Blues in a highly emotional season. Many believe that if City's defence had been stronger that season, things would have ended very differently.

At the start of the 1995-96 season, Alan Ball became manager and immediately changed the nature of the side. Despite City's obvious strengths down the flanks, the team was adapted to play through the middle of the park. With no supply line from the wings (City's other winger Nicky Summerbee often playing at right-back), and with the loss through injury of Beagrie and the shocking sale of Walsh, Rösler struggled in this season. Many felt that he and fellow striker Niall Quinn were too similar to play in a system that didn't feed strikers effectively and Rösler clearly became unhappy. Much publicised disagreements with the manager culminated in Rösler being dropped from the side, only to be brought on as a sub in the Manchester derby and immediately score a phenomenal goal. Rösler's goal celebrations saw him running to the bench, shouting at Ball and pointing to his name and squad number on the back of his shirt. City were relegated at the end of the campaign but opted to stay with the Blues. Despite another difficult campaign, Rösler again finished top scorer and clearly benefited from the return to a 4-4-1-1 formation. After another spell out with injury, Rösler would eventually leave the Blues in May 1998 on a free transfer following relegation to Division 2. In his 4 years at City he played 181 games, scoring 65 goals.

Despite the heartbreak of Rösler's years at Maine Road, he will remain forever a hero in the eyes of the City faithful, a fighter, an entertainer and a gentleman. The esteem in which he is held was made clear when he was given a standing ovation on returning to the club for a visit and the show of support from fans during his fight against cancer.

Return to Germany

In the summer of 1998, Rösler returned to Germany joining Kaiserslautern for one season. His most remarkable game there was on 9 December 1998 when he came on as a substitute against HJK Helsinki and scored a second half hat-trick as Kaiserslautern won 5-2, helping them to win their group in the 1998-99 UEFA Champions League, before going out in the quarter-finals to Bayern Munich. He then moved on to Tennis Borussia Berlin for the 1999-2000 seaon.

outhampton

When TeBe Berlin went bankrupt in the summer of 2000, Glenn Hoddle snapped Rösler up on a free transfer, but he was unable to become a regular in Saints' first team as James Beattie started to find his form (scoring 10 goals in 10 games in November and December). Rösler also suffered a groin injury which required surgery, keeping him out for several weeks. Although he was a whole-hearted and committed player, he only managed to score once for the Saints, in a Worthington Cup game at Mansfield.

Rösler scored the last ever goal at The Dell on 26 May 2001 in a friendly against Brighton and Hove Albion as Saints won 1-0.

In the following season, he only made a handful of appearances before spending November on loan at West Bromwich Albion, and then moving back to Germany joining Unterhaching on a free transfer in January 2002.

West Bromwich Albion

Rösler played a minor role in West Bromwich Albion's promotion season in 2001-02. On loan from Southampton, he played five games for the Baggies, making his début away at Crystal Palace on 31 October, 2001. His only goal for Albion came in a 1-0 home win over Nottingham Forest four days later.

Lillestrøm

In July 2002 he signed with Norwegian club Lillestrøm.

After the first match of the season in 2003, in which he was the match winner in a 1-0 win over Bodø/Glimt, Rösler was diagnosed with cancer and had to put an end to his playing career. Rosler has now recovered fully from the disease.

Management career

Lillestrøm

In the 2005 and 2006 seasons, Rösler was the coach of Lillestrøm in the Norwegian Premier League. He led Lillestrøm to two successive fourth places in the league, and took them to the final of the Norwegian Cup in 2005 and the Royal League final in 2006, losing both. These results failed to satisfy the Lillestrøm board however, and on 13 November 2006 he was sacked from his position along with assistant coach Gunnar Halle.

Viking FK

Rösler was appointed manager of Viking, another Norwegian team, on 22 November 2006, replacing Tom Nordlie, who took over Rösler's old job at Lillestrøm in an ironic turn of events. In the 2007 season he lead Viking FK to a third place in the Norwegian Premier League.

References

*cite book
author=Duncan Holley & Gary Chalk
title=In That Number - A post-war chronicle of Southampton FC
publisher=Hagiology
year=2003
id=ISBN 0-9534474-3-X

External links

*Soccerbase|6888|Uwe Rösler
* [http://www.uit.no/mancity/players/old/rosler.html Biography on Manchester City Fans website]

Persondata
NAME=Rösler, Uwe
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=Rosler, Uwe (English)
SHORT DESCRIPTION=Footballer; football manager
DATE OF BIRTH=15 November 1968
PLACE OF BIRTH=Altenburg, East Germany
DATE OF DEATH=
PLACE OF DEATH=