Rainer Rauffmann
Encyclopedia
Markos Rainer Rauffmann (born 26 February 1967) is a retired German
-born Cypriot
footballer, who played as a striker.
After having played mainly for modest clubs in his country, he revived his career in Cyprus, where he played with success for AC Omonia
, eventually representing the Cypriot national team
, despite having already reached his 30's.
, North-Rhine Westphalia, Rauffmann moved at the age of 16 to FC Amberg, a local team playing in the German third division
, but only managed to stay a season there, before moving to the seventh level. After five seasons in the amateur leagues, he returned to the club, now as a semi-professional.
In 1991, Rauffmann signed for SpVgg Blau-Weiß 1890 Berlin, which at the time was playing in the second division
, but spent most of his first professional spell as a right back, still managing to score on six occasions, although the club eventually suffered relegation.
For the next three seasons he continued to play in that category, now for SV Meppen
, where he made the transition to forward. In 1995 Rauffmann made the biggest move of his career when he signed for Eintracht Frankfurt
in the top level
. His competition debut came on August 12, in the season's opener against Karlsruher SC
, and he netted in a 2–2 home draw; during the course of the campaign, he was fairly used, but again dropped down a level.
In the ensuing summer, Rauffmann signed with Arminia Bielefeld
, but only lasted a few months, finishing the season on loan to Austria
's LASK Linz
.
in Nicosia
, which had been unsuccessful in winning a Cypriot First Division
title for four years. He made an immediate impact in his new team, scoring two goals on his debut. Reborn as a player, he bagged 42 league goals in his debut season (47 in total), a record in European domestic leagues in the year, but failed to win the European Golden Shoe because of the punctuation system of the trophy.
Rauffmann forged a strong offensive partnership with the team's captain Costas Malekkos
. However, a penalty kick
miss in the 25th game of the season, against Anorthosis Famagusta FC
, eventually cost the team the title, lost to precisely that opponent.
The following year, he again had a great individual season, but his 42 goals (35 in league) weren't enough to win Omonia any title, the league again being lost to Anorthosis, now on goal difference
; his first club accolade arrived in 2000, with the conquest of the domestic cup, 4–2 against APOEL FC.
In the 2000–01 season, Rauffmann, now captain after Malekkos' departure, led Omonia to its first league title in eight years, in spite of a poor start, netting 30 league goals - the league was won in the last day of the season; in the following campaign, the player, who had won four consecutive topscorer trophies, had his worst scoring record of his six-year spell with the club, netting 16 times.
Rauffmann won his second championship with Omonia in 2002–03, at the age of 36, scoring a total of 41 goals in 40 official matches, and also reaching the Cyprus national team
, playing five matches in one year. However, at the beginning of the following season, he injured his knee
at Makario Stadium
against Doxa Katokopia
, and retired before the end of 2003, with a total of 286 goals in 378 official matches for Omonia.
After the end of his playing career, Rauffmann had a brief spell as manager at Olympiakos Nicosia
without much success. He returned to Omonia shortly after, working mainly with the club's scouting staff.
, Rauffmann married Cypriot Maria, and the couple later welcomed daughter Michaela.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
-born Cypriot
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
footballer, who played as a striker.
After having played mainly for modest clubs in his country, he revived his career in Cyprus, where he played with success for AC Omonia
AC Omonia
Athletic Club Omonoia Nicosia is a professional football club that plays in the Cyprus capital city Nicosia. The club was established in 1948 and became a member of the Cyprus Football Association in 1953...
, eventually representing the Cypriot national team
Cyprus national football team
The Cyprus national football team represents Cyprus in association football and is controlled by the Cyprus Football Association, the governing body for football in Cyprus. Cyprus' home ground is the GSP Stadium in Nicosia and the current coach is Nikos Nioplias...
, despite having already reached his 30's.
Germany
Born in KleveKleve
Kleve , is a town in the Lower Rhine region of northwestern Germany near the Dutch border and the River Rhine. From the 11th century onwards, Kleve was capital of a county and later a duchy...
, North-Rhine Westphalia, Rauffmann moved at the age of 16 to FC Amberg, a local team playing in the German third division
Oberliga (football)
The Oberliga is currently the name of the fifth tier of the German football leagues. Before the introduction of the 3rd Liga in 2008, it was the fourth tier...
, but only managed to stay a season there, before moving to the seventh level. After five seasons in the amateur leagues, he returned to the club, now as a semi-professional.
In 1991, Rauffmann signed for SpVgg Blau-Weiß 1890 Berlin, which at the time was playing in the second division
2. Fußball-Bundesliga
- Changes in division set-up :* Number of clubs: currently 18. From 1974 to 1981 there were two conferences, each of 20 teams. In 1981–91 it had 20...
, but spent most of his first professional spell as a right back, still managing to score on six occasions, although the club eventually suffered relegation.
For the next three seasons he continued to play in that category, now for SV Meppen
SV Meppen
SV Meppen is a German association football club playing in Meppen, Lower Saxony. The club was founded on 29 November 1912 as Amisia Meppen and joined Männer-Turnverein Meppen on 8 February 1920 to form TuS Meppen 1912...
, where he made the transition to forward. In 1995 Rauffmann made the biggest move of his career when he signed for Eintracht Frankfurt
Eintracht Frankfurt
Eintracht Frankfurt is a German sports club, based in Frankfurt, Hesse that is best known for its association football club.- Club origins :...
in the top level
Fußball-Bundesliga
The Fußball-Bundesliga is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of Germany's football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. It is contested by 18 teams and operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the 2. Bundesliga...
. His competition debut came on August 12, in the season's opener against Karlsruher SC
Karlsruher SC
Karlsruher SC is a German association football club, based in Karlsruhe, Baden-Württemberg. KSC rose out of the consolidation of a number of predecessor clubs. They currently play in the 2...
, and he netted in a 2–2 home draw; during the course of the campaign, he was fairly used, but again dropped down a level.
In the ensuing summer, Rauffmann signed with Arminia Bielefeld
Arminia Bielefeld
DSC Arminia Bielefeld is a German sports club from Bielefeld, North Rhine-Westphalia. Arminia offers the sports of football, field hockey, figure skating and cue sports. The club has 11,394 members and the club colours are black, white and blue...
, but only lasted a few months, finishing the season on loan to Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
's LASK Linz
LASK Linz
LASK Linz is an Austrian association football club, from the Upper-Austrian state capital Linz. It is the oldest football club hailing from that region, and currently plays in the Austrian Football First League. The club's colours are black and white...
.
Cyprus
In the summer of 1997, at age 30, Rauffmann moved to AC OmoniaAC Omonia
Athletic Club Omonoia Nicosia is a professional football club that plays in the Cyprus capital city Nicosia. The club was established in 1948 and became a member of the Cyprus Football Association in 1953...
in Nicosia
Nicosia
Nicosia from , known locally as Lefkosia , is the capital and largest city in Cyprus, as well as its main business center. Nicosia is the only divided capital in the world, with the southern and the northern portions divided by a Green Line...
, which had been unsuccessful in winning a Cypriot First Division
Cypriot First Division
The Cypriot Championship First Division is the top tier football league competition in Cyprus. As of 2007 it is sponsored by Marfin Popular Bank and is hence officially known as Marfin Laiki League .-Format:...
title for four years. He made an immediate impact in his new team, scoring two goals on his debut. Reborn as a player, he bagged 42 league goals in his debut season (47 in total), a record in European domestic leagues in the year, but failed to win the European Golden Shoe because of the punctuation system of the trophy.
Rauffmann forged a strong offensive partnership with the team's captain Costas Malekkos
Costas Malekkos
Costas Malekkos is a former international Cypriot football midfielder and current manager of Olympiakos Nicosia U-17.Considered as one of the best Cypriot players of the 90s....
. However, a penalty kick
Penalty kick
A penalty kick is a type of direct free kick in association football, taken from twelve yards out from goal and with only the goalkeeper of the defending team between the penalty taker and the goal.Penalty kicks are performed during normal play...
miss in the 25th game of the season, against Anorthosis Famagusta FC
Anorthosis Famagusta FC
Αnorthosis Famagusta FC is a Cypriot football and volleyball club which is originally based in Famagusta, but is now temporarily based in Larnaca, due to the Turkish invasion. Anorthosis is one of the most successful clubs in Cypriot football, having won 13 league titles, 10 Cypriot Cups and 6...
, eventually cost the team the title, lost to precisely that opponent.
The following year, he again had a great individual season, but his 42 goals (35 in league) weren't enough to win Omonia any title, the league again being lost to Anorthosis, now on goal difference
Goal difference
In sports such as ice hockey and association football, goal difference is often the first tiebreaker used to rank teams which finish a league competition with an equal number of points....
; his first club accolade arrived in 2000, with the conquest of the domestic cup, 4–2 against APOEL FC.
In the 2000–01 season, Rauffmann, now captain after Malekkos' departure, led Omonia to its first league title in eight years, in spite of a poor start, netting 30 league goals - the league was won in the last day of the season; in the following campaign, the player, who had won four consecutive topscorer trophies, had his worst scoring record of his six-year spell with the club, netting 16 times.
Rauffmann won his second championship with Omonia in 2002–03, at the age of 36, scoring a total of 41 goals in 40 official matches, and also reaching the Cyprus national team
Cyprus national football team
The Cyprus national football team represents Cyprus in association football and is controlled by the Cyprus Football Association, the governing body for football in Cyprus. Cyprus' home ground is the GSP Stadium in Nicosia and the current coach is Nikos Nioplias...
, playing five matches in one year. However, at the beginning of the following season, he injured his knee
Knee
The knee joint joins the thigh with the leg and consists of two articulations: one between the fibula and tibia, and one between the femur and patella. It is the largest joint in the human body and is very complicated. The knee is a mobile trocho-ginglymus , which permits flexion and extension as...
at Makario Stadium
Makario Stadium
Makario Stadium is an all seater Multi-purpose stadium in Nicosia, Cyprus. It was the largest and main sports venue of the capital up to the construction of the new GSP stadium in 1999. At present it is mostly used for football matches and is the home ground of Digenis Morphou and Ethnikos Assia....
against Doxa Katokopia
Doxa Katokopia
Doxa Katokopia is a Cypriot football team from Katokopia in the Nicosia District. Since the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974, Katokopia is under Turkish occupation, and the club moved to Peristerona, which is near Katokopia.-History:...
, and retired before the end of 2003, with a total of 286 goals in 378 official matches for Omonia.
After the end of his playing career, Rauffmann had a brief spell as manager at Olympiakos Nicosia
Olympiakos Nicosia
Olympiakos Nicosia is a football club in the Cypriot capital of Nicosia. The club was founded in 1931. It is a founding member of the Cyprus Football Association. The club colors are black and green. Olympiakos's home ground is the New GSP Stadium of 23,400 seat capacity...
without much success. He returned to Omonia shortly after, working mainly with the club's scouting staff.
Honours
- Cypriot LeagueCypriot First DivisionThe Cypriot Championship First Division is the top tier football league competition in Cyprus. As of 2007 it is sponsored by Marfin Popular Bank and is hence officially known as Marfin Laiki League .-Format:...
: 2000–01, 2002–03 - Cypriot Cup: 1999–2000
- Cypriot Supercup: 2001, 2003; Runner-up 2000
Individual
- Cypriot LeagueCypriot First DivisionThe Cypriot Championship First Division is the top tier football league competition in Cyprus. As of 2007 it is sponsored by Marfin Popular Bank and is hence officially known as Marfin Laiki League .-Format:...
: Top scorer 1997–98, 1998–99, 1999–2000, 2000–01
Personal
After having baptised himself a Greek OrthodoxGreek Orthodox Church
The Greek Orthodox Church is the body of several churches within the larger communion of Eastern Orthodox Christianity sharing a common cultural tradition whose liturgy is also traditionally conducted in Koine Greek, the original language of the New Testament...
, Rauffmann married Cypriot Maria, and the couple later welcomed daughter Michaela.