- published: 26 Dec 2013
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Oliver Patric Neuville (born 1 May 1973) is a retired German footballer who played as a striker.
During an 18-year professional career, he played mainly for Bayer Leverkusen (five seasons) and Borussia Mönchengladbach (six), amassing Bundesliga totals of 334 games and 91 goals.
Neuville gained almost 70 caps for the German national team during one full decade, representing his adopted nation in two World Cups and at Euro 2008.
Born in Locarno, Switzerland to a German father with Belgian roots from Aachen and an Italian mother from the Calabria region, Neuville started his professional career with Servette FC. In only his second season in the top division, he scored a career-best 16 goals as the club won the national championship after a nine-year wait.
In 1996–97, Neuville played in Spain with CD Tenerife, where he was part of a well-balanced offensive line that also featured Juanele (eight goals), Meho Kodro (six), Antonio Pinilla (seven) and Aurelio Vidmar (one), scoring five goals in 1,885 minutes as the Canary Islands side easily retained its La Liga status, and also playing a relatively important part in the club's UEFA Cup semifinal run. Subsequently, he moved to Germany and signed for F.C. Hansa Rostock, netting eight goals in only 17 contests in his first season in the Bundesliga as the side from the former East Germany finished sixth.