In January 2002, Rot-Weiß Oberhausen fielded the oldest starting eleven in second division history at Union Berlin. Do you still know?
Late January 2002, a cold Friday evening in the capital. Rot-Weiß Oberhausen played host to Union Berlin in front of just under 7500 spectators.
After three defeats in a row, the cloverleaves urgently need points to stay in touch with the non-relegation places in the 2nd Bundesliga. But RWO lost the floodlit match at the Alte Fösterei 3-1 and slipped to the bottom of the table.
From Oberhausen’s point of view, there was not much to remember from that evening. What coach Aleksandar Ristic will not have suspected: More than 20 years later, the team he fielded against Union is still the oldest that has ever taken to the pitch in the single-track Bundesliga 2.
The average age of the eleven Red & Whites was 32.5 years. This record is still unmatched today. The youngest Oberhausen player was striker Angelo Vier at 29, while Daniel Ciuca was the oldest at 35. The opponent’s starting eleven was on average around four years younger
It was only when Ristic reacted after the start of the second half that the average age dropped. Mike Riepitsch (27), Daniel Cartus (23) and Sascha Rösler (24) brought a breath of fresh air into the game – literally.
Just two minutes after the double change, Thorsten Judt reduced the deficit to 1:2 from RWO’s perspective (57th minute). But even with the rejuvenated personnel, the comeback was not to succeed and the visitors conceded 1-3.
It already smelled like relegation – but after the Union game, RWO started a series, remained unbeaten six times in a row, only conceded one more defeat until the end of the season and saved themselves from relegation.
In the following season, Ristic continued to rely on experience – and sent the second-oldest starting eleven (32.3 years) in the history of the second division onto the pitch in the 2-0 defeat at SSV Reutlingen in March 2003…
Bundesliga 2: The oldest starting line-ups in history
32.5 years: Rot-Weiß Oberhausen, 2001/02
32.3 years: Rot-Weiß Oberhausen, 2002/03 and Rot Weiss Ahlen, 2001/02
32.1 years: Rot-Weiß Oberhausen, 2001/02, 2002/03
32 years: Fortuna Düsseldorf, 1994/95