*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 13:27, 5 October 2024 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 08:50, 12 October 2024 (UTC)
Manuel Gelito Ott (born 6 May 1992) is a professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Malaysian club Terengganu. Born in Germany, he represents the Philippines at international level.
Born and raised in Germany, he started his professional career with the second team of Ingolstadt. He then had two spells with Filipino club Ceres/United City where he won four league titles.
At international level, he represents the Philippines, for whom he is eligible through his mother. He has taken part in the Southeast Asian Games, AFF Championship, and AFC Asian Cup. His younger brother Mike is also a footballer and has been his teammate for both club and country.
Club career
Born in Munich,[2] Ott had his youth career at SV Ilmmünster, FSV Pfaffenhofen, and TSV 1860 Munich before joining FC Ingolstadt II in 2009.[4]
In July 2014, Ott was signed by Ceres of the United Football League (UFL), the de facto top level in the Philippines.[5][6] Ceres finished as runners-up of the 2015 UFL Cup, although Ott missed the final due to suspension after accumulating two yellow cards.[7][8] That year, Ceres also won UFL Division 1.[9][10] In the 2016 UFL Cup, he played in the final where they lost 3–1 to Global.[11] Ceres finished second in that year's UFL. In their last match of the season, against JP Voltes, Ott received a red card for disrespecting the referee.[12]
In the 2018 preseason, his brother Mike was signed by Ceres–Negros.[19] In the AFC Cup group stage, Ott contributed a goal in their 9–0 thrashing of Boeung Ket, one of the biggest wins in the tournament's history.[20][21] He later scored against Yangon United in the second leg of the ASEAN zonal semifinal. Despite losing the match, Ceres won the tie 6–5 on aggregate.[22] The Ott brothers did not feature in the second leg of the ASEAN zonal final due to yellow cards from previous games. In a rematch with Home United, Ceres lost 3–1 on aggregate.[23] For their PFL opening match, the Ott brothers scored a goal each as Ceres defeated Kaya–Iloilo 2–1.[24] Ceres–Negros went on to defend their league title.[25]
In January 2019, Ott joined Ratchaburi Mitr Phol in the Thai League 1.[26] However, in February, he sustained a shin injury during preseason training and was expected to be sidelined for three months.[27] As of August, he remained sidelined.[28] On 2 October, Ott made his Thai League 1 debut entering as a second-half substitute for compatriot Amin Nazari in a 2–2 draw with Sukhothai.[29] On 20 October, he started in Ratchaburi's home match against Bangkok United which also ended in a 2–2 draw.[30]
Ott re-joined Ceres–Negros on 6 February 2020.[31] On 11 February, he started in Ceres' first AFC Cup match of the season against Cambodian champions Svay Rieng. As Ott was dribbling towards the goal, his teammate Bienve Marañón stole the ball and scored the third goal in their 4–0 win.[32] He was credited with an assist for the play.[33] When Ceres–Negros became United City after an ownership change in mid-2020, the Ott brothers were re-signed by the new owners.[34] In their last PFL match of the season, he scored the consolation goal in their 2–1 loss to Kaya–Iloilo, the club's first domestic defeat in two years.[35] Nonetheless, United City won the 2020 PFL.[36] In December 2020, United City announced that Ott transferred to a Malaysian club.[37]
In 2010, a scout tasked to find eligible players in Europe for the Philippine national team invited Ott for a trial training camp in Taiwan. At that time, Ott was unaware that the Philippines had a national football team.[43] He made his international debut for the Philippines on 16 January 2010 against Chinese Taipei. He played 60 minutes in a goalless draw.[44] In June to July 2011, he featured in the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifiers where they beat Sri Lanka but were eliminated by Kuwait.[45][46] In December that year, he played in the 6–1 friendly defeat to LA Galaxy which featured David Beckham.[47]
He was a late addition in the Philippines U23 squad for the 2011 Southeast Asian Games after initially backing out due to other commitments.[48] In their opening match, he scored Philippines' only goal in the 3–1 defeat to Vietnam.[49] He then scored the opening goal in their 3–2 win over Laos, the Philippines' only win in the campaign.[50][51]
Ott scored his first senior international goal in a 3–0 friendly win over Cambodia on 14 November 2014.[52] Two weeks later, in the 2014 AFF Championship, he contributed a goal in Philippines' first-ever win over Indonesia.[53][54] Philippines reached the semi-finals of the tournament.[55]
In 2015 and 2016, he played in the qualifying matches for the 2018 FIFA World Cup and 2019 AFC Asian Cup.[56][57] In one such match, on 29 March 2016, he scored against North Korea in a 3–2 win.[58] On 7 October, Ott and his brother Mike played their first international match together as the latter scored on his debut in a 3–1 friendly loss to Bahrain.[59][60] In November, the Ott brothers featured in the 2016 AFF Championship but the team failed to clear the group stage.[61][62]
In 2017 and 2018, Ott featured in the third round of qualifiers for the 2019 Asian Cup.[63] Their 2–1 win over Tajikistan on 27 March 2018 sealed their qualification for their first-ever Asian Cup campaign.[64] Ott also played in the 2018 AFF Championship.[65] However, due to injury, he missed the second leg of the semi-finals in which Vietnam eliminated the Philippines.[66]
The 2019 AFC Asian Cup was Philippines' first-ever appearance in the tournament. Ott played in all three matches of their winless campaign.[67][68][69]
International goals
Scores and results list the Philippines' goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Ott goal.
Ott was born to a German father and a Filipina mother from Boracay.[4] He has two younger brothers, twins Mike and Marco. The Ott brothers grew up in Pfaffenhofen, Germany though they visited their mother's homeland almost annually. Manuel settled in the Philippines in 2014 and Mike followed in 2017.[43] Ott is also known as "Manny".[74]
^Reyes, Jaelle Nevin (24 October 2016). "JP Voltes caps off season with Ceres conquest". The Manila Times. Archived from the original on 18 December 2020. Retrieved 18 December 2020. ...to the dismay of Ceres, they got a second red card in the second minute of stoppage time after Manny Ott's [sic] made impolite gesture to the referee.
^Leyba, Olmin (15 January 2018). "Ceres starts C League bid vs Myanmar". The Philippine Star. Archived from the original on 20 December 2020. Retrieved 20 December 2020. [Mike] Ott moved from Angthong United to Ceres to join brother Manny
^Farah Azharie (10 January 2021). "Neitzel: Selangor players must have winning mentality". New Straits Times. Archived from the original on 10 January 2021. Retrieved 10 January 2021. Melaka have signed Philippines' midfielder Manuel Ott and Croatian forward Ivan Lendric.
^Cadayona, Russell (4 December 2011). "Azkals tinambakan ng LA Galaxy". The Philippine Star (in Filipino). Archived from the original on 23 December 2020. Retrieved 23 December 2020.
^Tupas, Cedelf (16 November 2014). "Azkals settle for 3-0 drubbing of Cambodia". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Archived from the original on 19 December 2015. Retrieved 23 December 2020. An in-form Manny Ott fired his first international goal...
^Del Rosario, Paolo (30 March 2016). "Azkals shock North Korea, 3-2". CNN Philippines. Archived from the original on 19 September 2016. Retrieved 23 December 2020. ...Manny Ott capped off a team move at the 84th minute to equalize, 2-2.
^"Football: Younghusbands key Azkals draw with Yemen". ABS-CBN News. 5 September 2017. Archived from the original on 25 January 2020. Retrieved 23 December 2020. Good thing Manny Ott conspired with James Younghusband, whose header knotted the score in the 73rd.
