Ragnar Ache
German association football player
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ragnar Prince Friedel Ache (born 28 July 1998) is a German[2] professional footballer who plays as a forward for Bundesliga club 1. FC Köln.
|
Ache in 2024 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Ragnar Prince Friedel Ache[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 28 July 1998 | ||
| Place of birth | Frankfurt, Germany | ||
| Height | 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in) | ||
| Position | Forward | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | 1. FC Köln | ||
| Number | 10 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| –2009 | SpVgg 03 Neu-Isenburg | ||
| 2009–2010 | Sparta AV | ||
| 2010–2017 | Sparta Rotterdam | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2017–2020 | Sparta Rotterdam | 50 | (12) |
| 2017–2020 | Jong Sparta Rotterdam | 39 | (11) |
| 2020–2023 | Eintracht Frankfurt | 20 | (1) |
| 2022–2023 | → Greuther Fürth (loan) | 32 | (7) |
| 2023–2025 | 1. FC Kaiserslautern | 56 | (34) |
| 2025– | 1. FC Köln | 24 | (3) |
| International career | |||
| 2019–2020 | Germany U21 | 3 | (1) |
| 2021 | Germany Olympic | 3 | (2) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 7 March 2026 | |||
Club career
Born in Frankfurt, Germany, Ache started his career in the youth ranks of Dutch side Sparta Rotterdam. He made his debut for the club's reserve side, Jong Sparta, in the Tweede Divisie on 20 August 2016 against TEC. He came on as a 66th-minute substitute for Ugur Altintas and scored a goal in the 66th minute as Jong Sparta drew the match 2–2.[3] He would go on to score seven goals in 17 appearances for the Sparta Rotterdam reserve side for the 2016–17 season.
On 4 April 2017, after good performances for Jong Sparta, Ache made his debut for the senior side in the Eredivisie against Heerenveen. He came on as substitute for Ilias Alhaft in the 80th minute as Sparta Rotterdam lost 3–0.[4] That would be his only appearance with the senior side that season. At the start of the 2017–18 season, Ache was put into the first-team and came on as a substitute for Craig Goodwin in Sparta Rotterdam's 3–0 defeat at VVV-Venlo in the opening game of the season.[5] On 25 August 2017, Ache scored his first two professional goals for Sparta Rotterdam, grabbing a brace in the club's 2–2 draw away at NAC Breda. Ache came onto the pitch in the 52nd minute with Sparta Rotterdam down 2–0 and scored in the 70th and 84th minutes of the match.[6]
Eintracht Frankfurt
On 3 January 2020, Ache signed a five-year contract with German club Eintracht Frankfurt.[7] He made his first appearance for the club on 25 September 2020 against Hertha BSC, coming on as a 66th-minute substitute as Eintracht Frankfurt won 3–1.[8]
On 14 June 2022, Ache was loaned to Greuther Fürth for the season.[9]
Kaiserslautern
On 25 July 2023, 2. Bundesliga side 1. FC Kaiserslautern announced the signing of Ache[10] for a reported fee of €1 million.[11]
FC Köln
On 27 May 2025, Ache signed a contract with 1. FC Köln until 2029.[12]
International career
Born in Germany, Ache is of Ghanaian descent. He is a youth international for Germany.[13]
On 9 July 2021, Ache and Keven Schlotterbeck were nominated to join the German Olympic team for the 2020 Summer Olympics, after Josha Vagnoman and Niklas Dorsch withdrew.[14] In the opening game of Group D of the competition on 22 July, coming on as a substitute in the second half, Ache scored the second of Germany's two goals in a 4–2 loss to Brazil.[15] He would score again in the second match, giving Germany a 2–1 lead in an eventual 3–2 win over Saudi Arabia.[16]
Career statistics
- As of match played 7 March 2026[17]
| Club | Season | League | National cup[a] | Continental | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Jong Sparta | 2016–17 | Tweede Divisie | 17 | 7 | — | — | — | 17 | 7 | |||
| 2017–18 | Tweede Divisie | 14 | 3 | — | — | — | 14 | 3 | ||||
| 2018–19 | Tweede Divisie | 8 | 1 | — | — | — | 8 | 1 | ||||
| Total | 39 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 39 | 11 | ||
| Sparta Rotterdam | 2016–17 | Eredivisie | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 1 | 0 | ||
| 2017–18 | Eredivisie | 19 | 2 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 20 | 2 | |||
| 2018–19 | Eerste Divisie | 11 | 5 | 0 | 0 | — | 4[b] | 2 | 15 | 7 | ||
| 2019–20 | Eredivisie | 19 | 5 | 2 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 21 | 5 | ||
| Total | 50 | 12 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 57 | 14 | ||
| Eintracht Frankfurt | 2020–21 | Bundesliga | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 7 | 1 | ||
| 2021–22 | Bundesliga | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3[c] | 0 | — | 16 | 0 | ||
| Total | 20 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 23 | 1 | ||
| Greuther Fürth (loan) | 2022–23 | 2. Bundesliga | 32 | 7 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 33 | 7 | ||
| 1. FC Kaiserslautern | 2023–24 | 2. Bundesliga | 26 | 16 | 3 | 1 | — | — | 29 | 17 | ||
| 2024–25 | 2. Bundesliga | 30 | 18 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 32 | 18 | |||
| Total | 56 | 34 | 5 | 1 | — | — | 61 | 35 | ||||
| 1. FC Köln | 2025–26 | Bundesliga | 24 | 3 | 2 | 1 | — | — | 26 | 4 | ||
| Career total | 220 | 67 | 11 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 238 | 71 | ||
