The football world today remembers Alex Manninger, following his death aged 48.
Former Arsenal, Liverpool, and Juventus goalkeeper Alex Manninger has died at the age of 48 after his car was struck by a train. Police said the incident happened at about 08:20 local time (07:20 BST) at a level crossing near Salzburg.
Born in Salzburg, Austria on 4 June 1977, Manninger’s goalkeeping career began with SV Salzburg - where he made his senior debut - and spanned over 20 years and five countries.
Manninger became the first Austrian player to represent Arsenal and to play in the Premier League after he was signed for £500,000 in 1997. He made 39 appearances for the Gunners between 1997 and 2002.
He was part of the Arsenal team that won the Premier League and FA Cup double in 1998, and started in the crucial league victory at Manchester United in March of that season when David Seaman was injured. Aged only 20, he also played a key role in that season’s FA Cup quarter-final victory at West Ham, making key saves in the shoot-out as Arsenal progressed on penalties. In March 1998, he was named Premier League Player of the Month.
After leaving Arsenal, Manninger built a career across Europe. He played for several Italian clubs, including Fiorentina, Siena, and Juventus, as well as Augsburg in Germany, and spent four years at Juventus between 2008 and 2012, making 35 appearances for the club.
He won the Scudetto with Juventus in the 2011/12 season, the first league title under Antonio Conte. He later joined Jürgen Klopp's Liverpool, spending a year at the club between 2016 and 2017, signed as an experienced goalkeeper to support the squad. In total, Manninger made 33 appearances for the Austrian national team between 1999 and 2009.
Manninger retired in 2017 after a career spanning two decades and more than ten clubs.
Today, tributes to a man described as deeply professional and reliable have poured in from across the game.
In a statement, the Austrian Football Association described Manninger as ‘an outstanding ambassador of Austrian football on and off the pitch.
‘With his international career, he has set standards and inspired and shaped many young goalkeepers. His professionalism, his calmness and his reliability have made him an important part of his teams and also of the national team. His achievements deserve the highest respect and will remain unforgotten.
‘In this difficult time, our thoughts are with his family and loved ones.’
