Ragnar Ache
{{short description|German association football player}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2022}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Ragnar Ache
| image = 2022128173635 2022-05-08 Fussball Eintracht Frankfurt vs Borussia Mönchengladbach - Sven - 1D X MK II - 0064 - IMG 7960 (Ragnar Ache cropped).jpg
| caption = Ragnar Ache with Eintracht Frankfurt in 2022
| full_name = Ragnar Prince Friedel Ache{{cite web |url=https://fdp.fifa.org/assetspublic/ce4/pdf/SquadLists-English.pdf |title=Squad List: Men's Olympic Football Tournament Tokyo 2020: Germany (GER) |publisher=FIFA |page=7 |date=22 July 2021 |access-date=28 August 2021}}
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1998|7|28|df=y}}
| birth_place = Frankfurt, Germany
| height = 1.83 m
| currentclub = 1. FC Köln
| clubnumber =
| position = Forward
| youthyears1 = {{0|0000}}–2009
| youthclubs1 = SpVgg 03 Neu-Isenburg
| youthyears2 = 2009–2010
| youthclubs2 = Sparta AV
| youthyears3 = 2010–2017
| youthclubs3 = Sparta Rotterdam
| years1 = 2017–2020
| clubs1 = Sparta Rotterdam
| caps1 = 48
| goals1 = 12
| years2 = 2017–2020
| clubs2 = Jong Sparta Rotterdam
| caps2 = 39
| goals2 = 11
| years3 = 2020–2023
| clubs3 = Eintracht Frankfurt
| caps3 = 20
| goals3 = 1
| years4 = 2022–2023
| clubs4 = → Greuther Fürth (loan)
| caps4 = 32
| goals4 = 7
| years5 = 2023–2025
| clubs5 = 1. FC Kaiserslautern
| caps5 = 56
| goals5 = 34
| years6 = 2025–
| clubs6 = 1. FC Köln
| caps6 = 0
| goals6 = 0
| nationalyears1 = 2019–2020
| nationalteam1 = Germany U21
| nationalcaps1 = 3
| nationalgoals1 = 1
| nationalyears2 = 2021
| nationalteam2 = Germany Olympic
| nationalcaps2 = 3
| nationalgoals2 = 2
| club-update = 22 May 2025
| nationalteam-update =
}}
Ragnar Prince Friedel Ache (born 28 July 1998) is a German{{in lang|nl}} [https://www.vi.nl/nieuws/de-duitse-droom-van-sparta-talent-ache De Duitse droom van Sparta-talent Ache], vi.nl, 27 September 2017 professional footballer who plays as a forward for {{German football updater|FCKöln}} club 1. FC Köln.
Career
Born in Frankfurt, Germany, Ache started his career in the youth ranks of Dutch side Sparta Rotterdam. He made his debut for the club's reserve side, Jong Sparta, in the Tweede Divisie on 20 August 2016 against TEC. He came on as a 66th-minute substitute for Ugur Altintas and scored a goal in the 66th minute as Jong Sparta drew the match 2–2.{{cite web|title=TEC 2–2 Jong Sparta|url=https://int.soccerway.com/matches/2016/08/20/netherlands/tweede-divisie/tec/jong-sparta/2260950/|website=Soccerway}} He would go on to score seven goals in 17 appearances for the Sparta Rotterdam reserve side for the 2016–17 season.
On 4 April 2017, after good performances for Jong Sparta, Ache made his debut for the senior side in the Eredivisie against Heerenveen. He came on as substitute for Ilias Alhaft in the 80th minute as Sparta Rotterdam lost 3–0.{{cite web|title=Heerenveen 3–0 Sparta Rotterdam|url=https://int.soccerway.com/matches/2017/04/04/netherlands/eredivisie/sportclub-heerenveen/sparta-rotterdam-bv/2240519/|website=Soccerway}} That would be his only appearance with the senior side that season. At the start of the 2017–18 season, Ache was put into the first-team and came on as a substitute for Craig Goodwin in Sparta Rotterdam's 3–0 defeat at VVV-Venlo in the opening game of the season.{{cite web|title=VVV 3–0 Sparta Rotterdam|url=https://int.soccerway.com/matches/2017/08/12/netherlands/eredivisie/vvv-venlo/sparta-rotterdam-bv/2462339/|website=Soccerway}} On 25 August 2017, Ache scored his first two professional goals for Sparta Rotterdam, grabbing a brace in the club's 2–2 draw away at NAC Breda. Ache came onto the pitch in the 52nd minute with Sparta Rotterdam down 2–0 and scored in the 70th and 84th minutes of the match.{{cite web|title=NAC Breda 2–2 Sparta Rotterdam|url=https://int.soccerway.com/matches/2017/08/25/netherlands/eredivisie/nac-bv/sparta-rotterdam-bv/2462356/|website=Soccerway}}
=Eintracht Frankfurt=
On 3 January 2020, Ache signed a five-year contract with German club Eintracht Frankfurt.{{Cite web|url=https://twitter.com/eintracht_eng/status/1213110666585878530|title=Frankfurt-born Ragnar Ache will join Eintracht from @SpartaRotterdam for the start of next season on a contract until 30 June . #Ache2025 #SGEpic.twitter.com/ne3KUU9PTO|first=Eintracht|last=Frankfurt|date=3 January 2020}} He made his first appearance for the club on 25 September 2020 against Hertha BSC, coming on as a 66th-minute substitute as Eintracht Frankfurt won 3–1.{{cite web |url=https://int.soccerway.com/matches/2020/09/25/germany/bundesliga/hertha-bsc-berlin/eintracht-frankfurt/3331604/|title=Hertha BSC 1–3 Eintracht Frankfurt |website=Soccerway}}
On 14 June 2022, Ache was loaned to Greuther Fürth for the season.{{cite web|publisher=Greuther Fürth|url=https://www.sgf1903.de/aktuell/nachrichten/profis/20220614-kleeblatt-verpflichtet-ache-und-haddadi/|title=KLEEBLATT VERPFLICHTET ACHE UND HADDADI|date=14 June 2022|access-date=22 July 2022|language=de}}
=Kaiserslautern=
On 25 July 2023, 2. Bundesliga side 1. FC Kaiserslautern announced the signing of Ache{{cite web|publisher=1. FC Kaiserslautern|url=https://fck.de/de/neuer-stuermer-am-betze-fck-verpflichtet-ragnar-ache/|title=NEUER STÜRMER AM BETZE: FCK VERPFLICHTET RAGNAR ACHE|trans-title=NEW STRIKER AT BETZE: FCK SIGN RAGNAR ACHE|date=25 July 2023|access-date=25 July 2023|language=de}} for a reported fee of €1 million.{{Cite web |date=2023-07-25 |title=Frankfurt sell striker Ache to Kaiserslautern |url=https://bulinews.com/news/18129/frankfurt-sell-striker-ache-kaiserslautern |access-date=2023-07-26 |website=Bulinews |language=en}}
=FC Köln=
On 27 May 2025, Ache signed a contract with 1. FC Köln until 2029.{{cite web |url=https://fc.de/aktuelles/news/ragnar-ache-stuermt-fuer-den-1-fc-koeln |title=Ragnar Ache stürmt für den 1. FC Köln |publisher=1. FC Köln |language=de |date=27 May 2025 }}
International career
Born in Germany, Ache is of Ghanaian descent. He is a youth international for Germany.{{Cite web|date=2019-12-30|title=Ache in de zomer van Sparta naar Eintracht Frankfurt|url=https://www.ad.nl/transfer-talk/ache-in-de-zomer-van-sparta-naar-eintracht-frankfurt~a6c2301a/|access-date=2021-01-03|website=Algemeen Dagblad|language=nl}}
On 9 July 2021, Ache and Keven Schlotterbeck were nominated to join the German Olympic team for the 2020 Summer Olympics, after Josha Vagnoman and Niklas Dorsch withdrew.{{cite news |title=Ragnar Ache und Keven Schlotterbeck für Olympia nachnominiert|newspaper=DFB - Deutscher Fußball-Bund E.v.|url=https://www.dfb.de/news/detail/ragnar-ache-und-keven-schlotterbeck-fuer-olympia-nachnominiert-229742/|publisher=DFB |access-date=9 July 2021 |language=de}} In the opening game of Group D of the competition on 22 July, coming on as a substitute in the second half, Ache scored the second of Germany's two goals in a 4–2 loss to Brazil.{{cite web |last=Tamsut |first=Felix |url=https://www.dw.com/en/tokyo-2020-germanys-mens-football-team-outclassed-by-brazil/a-58599090 |title=Germany's men's football team outclassed by Brazil |publisher=DW |date=22 July 2021 }} He would score again in the second match, giving Germany a 2–1 lead in an eventual 3–2 win over Saudi Arabia.{{cite web |url=https://apnews.com/article/2020-tokyo-olympics-soccer-sports-international-soccer-brazil-olympic-team-8747c82ccfc5bd808af79a3ea0f57544 |title=10-man Germany beats Saudi Arabia 3-2 in Olympic soccer |publisher=AP News |date=25 July 2021 }}
Career statistics
{{updated|match played 18 May 2025}}{{WorldFootball.net}}
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition | ||||||||||
| rowspan="2"|Club
!rowspan="2"|Season !colspan="3"|League !colspan="2"|Cup !colspan="2"|Continental !colspan="2"|Other !colspan="2"|Total | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| rowspan="4"|Jong Sparta
|17 | 7 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 17 | 7 | ||||
| 2017–18
|Tweede Divisie |14 | 3 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 14 | 3 | ||||
| 2018–19
|Tweede Divisie |8 | 1 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 8 | 1 | ||||
| colspan="2"|Total
!39 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 39 | 11 | |
| rowspan="5"|Sparta Rotterdam
|1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 1 | 0 | |||
| 2017–18
|Eredivisie |19 | 2 | 1 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 20 | 2 | |||
| 2018–19
|11 | 5 | 0 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | 4{{efn|Promotion/relegation play-offs}} | 2 | 15 | 7 | ||
| 2019–20
|Eredivisie |19 | 5 | 2 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | 0 | 0 | 21 | 5 | ||
| colspan="2"|Total
!50 | 12 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 57 | 14 | |
| rowspan="3"|Eintracht Frankfurt
|7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 7 | 1 | |||
| 2021–22
|Bundesliga |13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3{{efn|Appearances in the UEFA Europa League}} | 0 | colspan="2"|— | 16 | 0 | ||
| colspan="2"|Total
!20 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 23 | 1 | |
| Greuther Fürth (loan)
|32 | 7 | 1 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 33 | 7 | |||
| rowspan="3"|1. FC Kaiserslautern
|rowspan="2"|2. Bundesliga |26 | 16 | 3 | 1 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 29 | 17 | |||
| 2024–25
|30 | 18 | 2 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 32 | 18 | |||
| colspan="2"|Total
!56 | 34 | 5 | 1 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 61 | 35 | |||
| colspan="3"|Career total
!197 | 65 | 9 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 213 | 68 |
{{notelist}}
Honours
References
{{reflist}}
External links
{{Commons category}}
- {{WorldFootball.net}}
- {{Soccerway|ragnar-ache/452046}}
{{1. FC Köln squad}}
{{Germany men's football squad 2020 Summer Olympics}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ache, Ragnar}}
Category:Footballers from Frankfurt
Category:Men's association football forwards
Category:German men's footballers
Category:German sportspeople of Ghanaian descent
Category:German expatriate men's footballers
Category:Sparta Rotterdam players
Category:Eintracht Frankfurt players
Category:SpVgg Greuther Fürth players
Category:1. FC Kaiserslautern players
Category:Eerste Divisie players
Category:Tweede Divisie players
Category:2. Bundesliga players
Category:Expatriate men's footballers in the Netherlands
Category:Germany men's under-21 international footballers
Category:German expatriate sportspeople in the Netherlands
Category:Footballers at the 2020 Summer Olympics
Category:Olympic footballers for Germany
Category:UEFA Europa League–winning players