Patrick Olaiya Olukayode Owomoyela (; born 5 November 1979) is a German former professional footballer who played mainly as a right-back. He previously played for Lüneburger SK, VfL Osnabrück, SC Paderborn 07, Arminia Bielefeld, SV Werder Bremen, Borussia Dortmund and Hamburger SV II. He was capped by Germany at international level and was a member of the squad at the 2005 FIFA Confederations Cup.
Club career Owomoyela began his career in lower league German football. In 2003, he made the step up to Arminia Bielefeld, then in the 2. Bundesliga.
Great performances for Bielefeld in the 2004–05 season earned Owomoyela interest from German top clubs, and ahead of the 2005–06 season, he joined SV Werder Bremen. In his first season, Owomoyela was the undisputed starter at right back and helped Bremen reach second in the Bundesliga. With the arrival of Clemens Fritz the following season, however, he lost his starting position due to injuries and bad displays. Owomoyela was finally transferred to Borussia Dortmund at the beginning of the 2008–09 season, where he looked to reestablish himself in German top-flight football.
International career Owomoyela debuted for Jürgen Klinsmann's Germany national side in an Asian tour, playing 90 minutes in a 3–0 win over Japan, on 16 December 2004, in Yokohama. He later was selected in the Bundestrainers team for the Confederations Cup in 2005, but was unused there and was finally overlooked for Germany's World Cup final squad. In total he collected eleven caps.
Post-retirement Following his retirement, Owomoyela became an English language commentator for Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal international broadcasts.
Personal life In addition to his football skills, Owomoyela is also a basketball player, having played in the German regional league before switching to football full-time. He was born to a German mother and a Nigerian father. His name "Olukayode" stems from the Yoruba words "Olu", a diminutive form of "Oluwa" or Olorun meaning "God" and "Kayode" meaning "to bring joy", which translates to "God brings me joy and happiness".
In the run-up to the 2006 World Cup, the National Democratic Party of Germany (NPD) distributed leaflets showing a Germany jersey with the number 25, and the slogan "White - not just a jersey colour! For a real NATIONAL team!". Owomoyela and the German Football Association filed charges, interpreting the leaflet as directed to Owomoyela due to his squad number and the colour of his skin. In April 2009, NPD leader Udo Voigt and two others were convicted of incitement to racial hatred and defamation, and given suspended prison sentences. The convictions were overturned by the Berlin State Court in March 2011, judging that the number alone was not enough to link the leaflet to Owomoyela, and that "white" has other meanings including good moral character.
In 2021, Owomoyela featured in , a documentary detailing the experiences of Black players in German professional football.
Career statistics
Club + Appearances and goals by club, season and competitionClubSeasonLeagueDFB-PokalEuropeOtherTotalDivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsLüneburger SK2000–01Regionalliga Nord34300––343VfL Osnabrück2001–02Regionalliga Nord33110––341SC Paderborn2002–03Regionalliga Nord23410––244Arminia Bielefeld2003–042. Bundesliga33310––3432004–05Bundesliga30541––346Total638510000689Werder Bremen2005–06Bundesliga32040100–4602006–07901060101702007–08901030–130Total5006019010760Werder Bremen II2006–07Regionalliga Nord1000––102007–080010––10Total1010000020Borussia Dortmund2008–09Bundesliga26100––2612009–1033130––3612010–11601030–1002011–121111000–1212012–13000000–00Total 763503000843Borussia Dortmund II2010–11Regionalliga West3000––302011–123200––322012–133. Liga2000––20Total 8200000082Hamburger SV II2013–14Regionalliga Nord12000––120Career total 300211912201034222
International + Appearances and goals by national team and yearNational teamYearAppsGoalsGermany200430200570200610Total110
HonoursWerder BremenDFL-Ligapokal: 2006Borussia Dortmund' Bundesliga: 2010–11, 2011–12 DFB-Pokal: 2011–12
References
External links