Ariel Ortega

At 50 years old, Ariel Ortega has this physical status:

Club career

Ortega began playing professionally in 1991 with Argentine club River Plate. He won the Primera División in 1991, 1993, 1994, and 1996, as well as the Copa Libertadores in 1996. He was disqualified from the 1996 Intercontinental Cup final to Juventus.

Ortega immigrated from Argentina in 1996. He spent 1+12 seasons with Valencia CF before being signed by Sampdoria in 1998 for 23 billion Italian lire (£8 million), replacing Juan Sebastián Verón. Ortega joined Parma AC, resurrecting national and former clubmate Hernán Crespo after the club was relegated to Serie B, swapping Verón with Lazio. Parma paid Sampdoria 28 billion lire (£9.4 million). However, he returned to Argentina with River Plate in the following season to compensate Crespo's unpaid 12 billion lire transfer fees. (The 10% of the transfer fees to Lazio was paid by the player) Claudio Husan joined the club shortly. River Plate bought Ortega's 50% registration rights for 5.5 million dollars. Ortega was sold for 11 billion lire in Parma AC's annual filing to the Italian government.

Fenerbahçe signed Ortega from River Plate in May 2002 for a US$7,500,000 (USD2,500,000 of which was paid to Parma). Fenerbahçe also purchased his image rights for a further US$1,500,000. Ortega has been in a 4-year relationship. He was one of the team's key players, scoring 5 goals in 14 games.

Since Ortega had failed to return from international service since 12 February 2003, Fenerbahçe was forced to file a complaint to FIFA in April 2003. Ortega was ordered to pay Fenerbahçe USD 11 million as compensation for breaching an employment deal, which also banned him until December 30. Ortega pleaded guilty to the Court of Arbitration for Sport in July 2003, but the case was dismissed on November 5th. Ortega was banned from serving a 4-month suspension from the time. He was without a club when he was banned.

In 2004, he rejoined Newell's Old Boys after being called by his buddy Américo Gallego, who at the time was Newell's assistant, who was also a football coach. As part of the player's debt, Newell paid Fenerbahçe an undetermined sum. They were crowned Apertura 2004.

He returned to his first team, River Plate, in June 2006, where he appeared for about half of the Apertura 2006 before refusing to begin treating for alcoholism. During River's pre-season in Mar del Plata in January 2007, and just one day after scoring, he surprised everyone with another alcoholic episode, which later led to River Plate's doctors' suggestion that Ortega go back to Buenos Aires to start treatment for his disorder.

Ortega was later returned by coach Daniel Passarella, who said he was excited for a comeback. Ortega played in a Copa Libertadores 2007 match against LDU Quito but was not allowed to play, but was not allowed to play on March 15, 2007, but he was unable to play. However, three days later, in a league match against Quilmes, he came on during the second half to help break the opposing team's defense in a close 0–0 draw. Ortega won River the victory and himself a big comeback after scoring a controversial goal with his hand in the 93rd minute.

Ortega allegedly lost some "protections" he was supposed to have on the first day, as well as some cases of alcoholism. He was loaned to Independiente Rivadavia's Nacional B side, following some controversies and rumors, and one of the clauses is a trip to a Chilean Special Treatment Center for Alcoholics. He was released by Independence officials on May 1st 2009. The club had to cancel his deal in advance. Ortega was on loan from River Plate. River Plate defeated Everton F.C. on his first game back in River Plate, 25 July 2009. During the preseason, England was in Edmonton, Canada. Ortega scored a spectacular lobbed goal against Chacarita Juniors in 2009, resulting in a 4-3 victory for River Plate. Against Estudiantes, he scored a last-minute equalizer late in the tournament.

Ortega began River's first two matches in the 2010 Clausura, but he suffered another alcohol relapse and missed the next ten games before returning to Newell's Old Boys in the 13th round of matches.

He was loaned to Defensores de Belgrano in 2011.

Ortega will join Chilean Primera División club Unión San Felipe in June 2012, according to Fox Sports Argentina reporter Juan José Buscalia on April 8, 2012.

International career

Ortega was selected in the 1994 World Cup squad. On July 3, 1994, Argentina was knocked out of the tournament by Romania, for his debut in the starting eleven. He also reached the final of the 1995 King Fahd Cup with Argentina, and he also earned a Silver Olympic medal at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta.

Ortega was given the #10 shirt for the 1998 FIFA World Cup, where he was supposed to carry the team's mantle, and it was his first World Cup appearance as a veteran. Ortega was most notable for his sending-off against the Netherlands in the quarter-finals despite impressing in the early rounds to be deemed a favorite as a participant of the tournament. When van der Sar confronted Edwin van der Sar after a dive in the penalty area, Ortega received his second yellow card for his second yellow card. Dennis Bergkamp scored the winning goal, defeating Argentina right away after Ortega's sending-off.

Ortega was also a member of the 2002 World Cup squad. Ortega missed a penalty in the last match against Sweden that was later followed and converted into the back of the net by Hernan Crespo, but the result meant Argentina was disqualified in the first round.

He was called to Argentina's national first-team squad on September 24, 2009, but it was announced a few days later that Ariel Ortega would miss the friendly match against Ghana due to an injury sustained over the weekend in the Argentina Domestic League.

Ortega was called up again in April 2010, this time against Haiti, 17 years after his Argentina debut. All the players in Diego Maradona's squad were from the Primera División Argentina squad. On May 5th, he was a starting XI in the match.

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