23 Facts About Ariel Ortega

Arnaldo Ariel Ortega was born on 4 March 1974 and is an Argentine former professional footballer who played as an attacking midfielder.

Ariel Ortega's nickname is "El Burrito", thus he is called "Burrito Ortega".

Ariel Ortega was a member of the team that won the silver medal at the 1996 Summer Olympics.

Ariel Ortega began his professional football career in 1991 with Argentine club River Plate.

Ariel Ortega lost out on the 1996 Intercontinental Cup final to Juventus.

While, in Parma annual filing to Italian government, Ariel Ortega was sold for eleven billion lire.

Ariel Ortega was one of the key players of the team, scoring 5 goals in 14 matches.

Fenerbahce were forced to file a complaint to FIFA in April 2003 as Ariel Ortega had failed to return from international duty since 12 February 2003.

In June 2003 the FIFA Dispute Resolution Committee ordered Ariel Ortega to pay Fenerbahce USD 11,000,000 as compensation for breach of an employment contract and suspended him until 30 December 2003.

Ariel Ortega appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport in July 2003 but the case was dismissed on 5 November.

Newell paid an unknown sum to Fenerbahce as part compensation for what Ariel Ortega owed the club.

In January 2007, during River's pre-season in Mar del Plata, and one day after playing an excellent game in which he scored, he surprised everyone with another alcoholic episode, after which River Plate's doctors suggested to the coach that Ariel Ortega should go back to Buenos Aires to resume treatment for his problem.

Coach Daniel Passarella later brought Ariel Ortega back, stating he was ready for a comeback.

On 15 March 2007, in a Copa Libertadores 2007 match against LDU Quito, Ariel Ortega formed part of River's bench but was not given a chance to play.

Ariel Ortega scored a controversial goal with his hand, in the 93rd minute, to give River the victory and himself a great comeback.

On 8 April 2012, Fox Sports Argentina journalist Juan Jose Buscalia, confirmed that Ariel Ortega would join Chilean Primera Division club Union San Felipe in June 2012.

Ariel Ortega was included in the squad for the 1994 World Cup.

Ariel Ortega reached the final of the 1995 King Fahd Cup with Argentina, and he won a Silver Olympic medal at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta.

Ariel Ortega was handed the number 10 shirt for the 1998 FIFA World Cup, where he was expected to carry the mantle of the team's playmaker, and it was his first World Cup as an established star.

Ariel Ortega received a second yellow card for head-butting Dutch goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar when van der Sar confronted him after a dive in the penalty area, for which Ariel Ortega was just getting his first yellow card.

Ariel Ortega was a member of the squad for the 2002 World Cup.

Ariel Ortega missed a penalty in the last match against Sweden, which was then followed up and converted into the back of the net by Hernan Crespo, nonetheless the result meant that Argentina was knocked out in the first round.

At his prime he was regarded as one of the best dribblers in the world; primarily deployed as an attacking midfielder, Ariel Ortega was an effective playmaker due to his vision and passing ability, which earned him comparisons with Maradona as a youth.