Rainer Ernst

Ernst began his football career when he was seven years old, at the youth side of BSG Empor Neustrelitz where his father Joachim "Jochen" Ernst became his first trainer. Father Jochen stayed by his side at Dynamo Neustrelitz and in the training centre from 1973 to 1975.[3] He participated in the V.Kinder- und Jugendspartakiade 1975 Berlin, with the Neubrandenburg student district selection as the captain and his father as the trainer. On 27 July Neubrandenburg met Karl-Marx-Stadt at the final, lost with 2–1 aet but it was a sensation, Ernst was selected as the centre midfieled of Spartakiade-Eleven 1975.[4][5] Then he joined the youth academy of BFC Dynamo in 1975.[3] There he succeeded:[3] the runner-up of East Germany Student championship 1975–76 (he was absent from the final in the Sportforum Gräfenhainichen between FC Karl-Marx-Stadt and BFC Dynamo),[6] the winner of Junior championship 1977–78[7] and 1978–79 (decided on the penultimate matchday),[8] the winner of Youth championship 1980–81 (16 matches 4 goals) with Frank Rohde, Christian Backs et al.[9][10]

Ernst made his first appearance for DDR-Oberliga on 6 June 1979, the 25th and penultimate matchday of 1978-79 season, away match against BSG Chemie Böhlen which ended with 3–10 victory.[3][11] Though having being unlisted for that match, he was brought from the junior squad and played for 90 minutes as one of the starting lineup.[12] The next and last matchday 9 June 1979, he played from 57 minutes of the match against FC Karl-Marx-Stadt as the substitute for number 10 Hartmut Pelka. FUWO rated him 5, same as Hans-Jürgen Riediger and Wolf-Rüdiger Netz. The title had been already decided on the 24th matchday 26 May 1979 as BFC Dynamo beat the competiator SG Dynamo Dresden.[13] BFC Dynamo received the gold medal of DDR-Oberliga in Jahn-Sportpark Berlin, which was the first of 10 consecutive gold medals Ernst won all the rest nine.[14][15] He was promoted to the senior squad in the summer of 1979.[16] His first goal for Oberliga is at the 19th matchday of the season 1980–81, BFC Dynamo 5–1 Wismut Aue 28 March 1981, 4–0 goal (60 min.). It was his twelfth Oberliga match. Captain Frank Terletzki took the corner kick, Falko Götz did the flick-on then Ernst hit the ball over the line from two metres.[17][18]

Ernst became the top scorer of the DDR-Oberliga 1983–84 and 1984–85 twice in a row. 1983–84: 20 goals (2 penalties) 9 home 11 away 26 matches. 1984–85: 24 goals (8 penalties) 11 home 13 away, 25 matches.[19][20][21]

Bundesarchiv Bild 183-1988-0423-013, BFC Dynamo - HFC Chemie 1-2

He played 216 league matches for BFC Dynamo, scoring 91 goals, became DDR-Oberliga champion nine times, 1979 and eight in a row from 1981 to 1988, and won the FDGB-Pokal gold medal twice 1988 and 1989. He made 31 appearances for European cup's scoring 7 goals in total. [22][23]

As the Berlin Wall opened, Ernst received contract offer from Borussia Dortmund but BFC didn't let him go. In the summer of 1990, he signed the contract with 1. FC Kaiserslautern and stayed with the club for one season, playing 18 games and scoring two goals, before moving to the French league with FC Girondins de Bordeaux for the 1991–92. With Bordeaux he scored seven goals in 27 matches, 6 goals throughout the season, of which 3 penalties on the 33 matchday of Division 2. That derby match against Saint-Seurin-sur-l'Isle ended with 3-0 and Girondins decided their return to Division 1.[24][25] Ernst didn't return with the club, as in the summer of 1992 he moved to AS Cannes in Ligue 2. He played just seven games in Cannes and scored no goals, a record which saw him transfer to FC Zürich the following season. He then moved to Servette FC in 1993–94, before returning to Germany in 1994 to spend two years in the regional league with FSV Salmrohr. He retired from professional football in 1996.

Bundesarchiv Bild 183-W0503-028, Mannschaftsfoto der DDR-Fußball-Juniorenauswahl

Ernst participated in 1980 UEFA European Under-18 Championship which was held in East Germany as the captain of the East Germany Junior team.[26] 16 May Weissenfels East Germany 0-1 Bulgaria, 18 May Torgau East Germany 2–0 France, 20 May Magdeburg East Germany 0–0 Netherlands, East Germany resulted as the second of the group B, didn't proceed to the semifinals.

The same year he scored his first Oberliga goal, he celebrated his debut for the East Germany A-national team, which was the last qualifying match of the 1982 FIFA World Cup. At the match against Malta, Ernst-Abbe-Sportfeld in Jena 11 November 1981, he played from 79 minutes as the substitute for Wolfgang Steinbach and the match resulted 5–1 victory.[27] But that 11 minutes robbed him of his all Olympic hopes because of FIFA's decision that prevented the players who had played a World Cup match from participating in the Olympics.[3]

His first goal for East Germany is at their fifth qualifying match of the UEFA Euro 1984, against Switzerland in Berlin Jahn-Sportpark. Ersnt received the pass from Joachim Streich and elegantly decided a lob from 22 metres. 2–0 goal at 73 minutes. Joachim Streich added one goal at 94 minutes of the match to Hans Richter's 1–0 and Ernst's 2–0, it resulted 3–0, their first win in five qualifying matches.[28][29] Ernst played as number 10 for their sixth qualifying match of the 1986 FIFA World Cup against France in full-filled Zentralstadion on 11 September 1985. He decided the Andreas Thom's cross with a header at 53 munites of the match, which brought the team 1–0 lead. And he overtook four French players with his 40-metre-solo dribbling, whistles (at BFC Dynamo players) fell silent and he gained the whole stadium's sympathy. The match resulted 2–0 victory over the European champions.[30][31]

Ernst was the team captain for his last appearances for East Germany. He was called up by the trainer Ede Geyer for the friendly match with Belgium on 12 September 1990 but he announced to withdraw from the national team saying he has lost motivation.[32]

He made 56 appearances during 1981–1990, 16th of the most-capped players, and scored 20 goals 4th of the top scorers.[1]

After ending his playing career, Ernat started his sport shop and studio in his hometown Neustrelitz.[33]

Recently, he occasionally plays for the DDR tradition's team.[34][35]