Frank Illge

Frank Illge (born July 2, 1960 in Leipzig ) is a former German soccer player. Between 1983 and 1990 he played for BSG Chemie Leipzig and FC Sachsen Leipzig in the GDR Oberliga , the highest league in GDR football .

Athletic career

Frank Illge has played at Chemie Leipzig since 1966, where he started in the children's team. In the men's field, he was used sporadically as a midfielder from the 1978/79 season. When the first men's team rose to the league in 1979, the previous second team played in the junior league team in 1979/80 . There Illge kept his position as a left midfielder, was called up eleven times in the 26 games and scored two goals. He also got the chance to prove himself in the GDR Oberliga. Coach Dieter Sommer used him in six matches, in which he was in the starting line-up five times over the full length of the game. Chemistry could not stay in the league and from 1980/81 played again in the GDR league . This season Illge was officially included in the first team's squad for the first time. Up to the 8th matchday he was used in six league games in his usual position, after which he was drafted for military service in the National People's Army .

During his 18-month army service, Illge was able to continue playing football in the GDR league with the Vorwärts Plauen army sports community . The coach Lothar Pacholski let him play continuously as a left winger, and Illge prevailed as a regular player with his eleven appearances. After the 1980/81 season forward Plauen rose from the district league . With the help of Illge, the army footballers rose immediately back into the GDR league.

For the 1982/83 season Illge returned to BSG Chemie Leipzig, which was still playing in the GDR league. Leipzig coach Wolfgang Müller brought Illge back into midfield, who also prevailed there as a regular player and played 21 of the 22 league games. His team won the season and managed to return to the league after four years through the promotion round. Illge had played all eight qualifying games and contributed to promotion with two goals. In the league season 1983/84 Illge was able to defend his regular place, because he was used in all 26 point games. He was used in changing positions in midfield and was a two-time goalscorer. At the end of the season, Chemie Leipzig had to play two relegation games to avoid relegation against 1. FC Union Berlin tied on points. The Leipziger prevailed with 1: 1 and 2: 1, with Illge taking part in both games. In 1984/85 Illge also seemed to have his regular place safe, and he was also appointed team captain. After the winter break, coach Gerd Struppert let him play for the eliminated Joachim Fritsche Libero , but after just two games Illgen was also out for the rest of the season because of a meniscus operation .

When Illge had recovered at the beginning of the 1985/86 season, Chemie Leipzig played again in the GDR league after the previous league relegation. This state lasted five seasons in which Illge was always part of the first team and remained team captain until 1990. Of the 170 league games played during this time, he was called up 156 times and was set as the right midfielder. With his nine goals he was one of the top scorers of his team every season. Due to the reversal of the 1990/91 season, Chemie Leipzig and Chemie Böhlen merged to form FC Sachsen Leipzig , which took over Böhlen's promotion to the league. The now 30-year-old Frank Illge was also part of the FC Sachsen squad. But he lost his status as a regular player and only came in the first half of the season to seven appearances in the league, in which he played only four games over 90 minutes.

In 1991 Illge settled in Hameln , Lower Saxony , and joined the fourth-class association league team Prussia Hameln . In 1993 he rose with the team in the Oberliga Nord and was their coach from 1995. From 1997 Illge coached lower class teams in Aerzen , Sonneborn (Barntrup) and Lügde .

literature

• German sport echo : born 1950–1990. ISSN  0323-8628
• Berliner Zeitung : years 1990/91. ISSN 0947-174X
• Hanns Leske : Encyclopedia of GDR football . Verlag Die Werkstatt, Göttingen 2007, ISBN 978-3-89533-556-3 , p. 447.
• Andreas Baingo , Michael Horn: The History of the GDR Oberliga . Verlag Die Werkstatt, Göttingen 2004, ISBN 3-89533-428-6 , p. 300.

Web links

• Frank Illge in the database of the German Football Association
• Frank Illge in the database of weltfussball.de
• Frank Illge at TuS WE Lüdge