Oliver Neuville

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Neuville joined Bayer Leverkusen in the summer of 1999, quickly becoming an essential offensive figure. Between 2000 and 2002, he contributed 28 combined goals, including a hat-trick against Hamburger SV on 24 November 2001. His European prowess shone during the 2001–02 UEFA Champions League campaign, where he netted five goals in 15 appearances. Notably, he scored one goal in each leg of the semifinal clash against Manchester United. Although Leverkusen finished second to Real Madrid in that final and also placed second in the league during this timeframe, Neuville's performances were pivotal. His tenure ended after coach Klaus Augenthaler limited his playing time and declined to offer a contract extension.

In Their Own Story

On 17 October 2004, shortly after joining Borussia Mönchengladbach on a free transfer, Neuville scored an infamous goal with his hand against 1. FC Kaiserslautern in a 2–0 home win. The incident was widely reviled and resulted in a two-match ban. Despite this controversy, he netted 22 goals in his first two seasons combined. His career faced a low point in 2007 when injuries limited his appearances as the club dropped to the second division. However, he returned to form in the 2007–08 season, scoring 15 goals to secure immediate promotion back to the top flight. He made his final Bundesliga appearance on the last matchday of the 2009–10 season against his former club, Bayer Leverkusen.

Reader's Guide

Neuville's international career began on 2 September 1998 against Malta, where he replaced Mario Basler for the final fifteen minutes. In his early months with the national team, he required an interpreter to communicate with coach Erich Ribbeck. He earned 69 caps and scored ten goals. His World Cup highlights include scoring the only goal in the round-of-16 win against Paraguay during the 2002 tournament, where Germany finished as runners-up after losing 2–0 to Brazil; he had earlier hit the post with a free kick from 30 yards. In 2006, he scored a dramatic injury-time winner against Poland to secure a 1–0 victory. He later scored in a Euro 2008 warm-up against Serbia on 31 May 2008 before retiring from international play at age 35.

Did You Know?

• Neuville was born in Locarno, Switzerland, to a German father from Aachen and a Swiss mother of Italian descent.
• He scored a career-best 16 goals for Servette FC in his second professional season, helping them win the Swiss championship after a nine-year wait.
• Along with Bernd Schneider, Neuville was one of only two known smokers in the Germany national team.
• His name is properly pronounced in French fashion rather than German due to his Belgian grandfather.
• He played for CD Tenerife in Spain during the 1996–97 season before moving to Germany.