Rainer Rauffmann

Germany

Born in Kleve, North Rhine-Westphalia, Rauffmann moved at the age of 16 to FC Amberg, a local team playing in the Oberliga, but only managed to stay a season there before moving to the seventh level. After five years in the amateur leagues he returned to the club, now as a semi-professional. In 1991, Rauffmann signed for SpVgg Blau-Weiß 1890 Berlin which at the time was playing in the second division. He spent most of his first professional spell as a right back, still managing to score six goals although the side eventually suffered relegation. Rauffmann continued to play in that tier in the next three years, now for SV Meppen where he made the transition to forward. In 1995, he joined Eintracht Frankfurt in the Bundesliga, making his debut in the competition on 12 August in the season's opener against Karlsruher SC and netting in a 2–2 home draw; he was fairly used during the course of the campaign, but again dropped down a level. In the ensuing summer, Rauffmann signed with Arminia Bielefeld, but only lasted a few months, finishing the season on loan to Austria's LASK Linz.

Cyprus

In the summer of 1997, at age 30, Rauffmann moved to AC Omonia in Nicosia, which had been unsuccessful in winning a Cypriot First Division title for four years. He made an immediate impact in his new team, scoring twice on his debut and 42 times in the league in his debut campaign (47 in total), a record in European domestic leagues in the year, but failed to win the…

After having baptised himself a Greek Orthodox, Rauffmann married Cypriot Maria, and the couple later welcomed daughter Mikaella.

Omonia

Cypriot First Division: 2000–01, 2002–03 Cypriot Cup: 1999–2000 Cypriot Super Cup: 2001, 2003; runner-up 2000 Individual

Cypriot First Division: top scorer 1997–98, 1998–99, 1999–2000, 2000–01 Records

Second-highest scorer for Omonia in all competitions Top scorer for Omonia in UEFA competitions