Ulrich Rothe: A football lifestyle is 80 years old!

Ulrich Rothe: A football lifestyle is 80 years old!

On July 19, 2025, the time has come: Ulrich Rothe, a face of East German football, celebrates his 80th birthday. Born in Kirchsteitzer, who saw the light of day in 1945, not only celebrated personal triumph during his career as a footballer and athlete, but also inspired numerous fans. He became known for the winning goal, which he scored on October 5, 1969 in the decisive game of Hallecher FC against Gorki Zabrze and which ended with a 3-2 victory for the HFC. The distinctive header after a corner transformed it into a heroic deed of football in the eyes of around 30,000 spectators. [ Hallescher FC ] reports today in a restaurant in Halle in Halle from Friends and family will take place.

Ulrich Rothe's sporting career started early. At the age of only 10, he joined the sports community in Döschwitz and switched to the Friedrich-Engels children's and youth sports school in Halle in 1960. His success in athletics is particularly noteworthy: in 1963 he became GDR youth champion in the 4 × 100 meter relay and in 1965 even GDR junior champions in the 4 × 400-meter relay. In 1965 it went on to the world of football when he moved to Halleschen FC Chemie, where he drew attention to himself with brilliant 102 league games and 8 goals. [ wikipedia ]

a path full of challenges

But Rothe's path was not always straight. After his convocation for military service, he played for the first army sports community in Vorwärts Löbau for the first time and rose to the GDR league with this in 1971. After his military service, he returned to the BSG Chemie Leipzig and competed in 6 crucial promotion games for the Oberliga. Here he played his last league season and ended his active career in the GDR league after a few more years. [ ddr-fußball ] provides interesting insights into the contemporary history of East German football.

From 1978 to 1990 Rothe was active as a coach and headed the GDR league team from Dynamo Eisleben, where he passed on his extensive knowledge and experience to the next generation. He has also organized the HFC traditional team in recent years. This selection recently competed in the final round of the DFB Cup for over 40-year-olds and brought together so many football enthusiasts. [ Hallescher FC ] never subsided.

This is how a true soccer player celebrates a round anniversary today. Ulrich Rothe, with his diverse talents and his tireless efforts for sport, remains a role model for many. From athletics to football to his role as a coach - Rothe left traces in the world of sport that will remain.