Alex Manninger, the former goalkeeper who helped Arsenal win the Double in 1998, has died in a car accident in Austria, aged 48.
His first club, Red Bull Salzburg, broke the sad news on Thursday. The Austrian Bundesliga club said in a post on its official X account: “We mourn our former goalkeeper Alexander Manninger, who tragically lost his life in a traffic accident. Our thoughts are with his family and friends. Rest in peace, Alexander.”
Salzburg police said in a statement that the accident happened at around 8.20am local time. First responders freed the driver from the vehicle but said resuscitation was unsuccessful. “According to initial investigations, the car was hit by a railcar of the Salzburger Lokalbahn while crossing the railway crossing and dragged along. The driver was alone in the vehicle. The train driver was uninjured.”
Arsenal paid tribute to Manninger on X, posting: “All our thoughts are with his family and loved ones at this incredibly sad time. Rest in peace, Alex.”
David Seaman, who Manninger stood in for at Arsenal, said: “When I think of Alex Manninger, he was a fantastic goalkeeper for us. He came in and deputised for me during a really critical time to help us win the double. He did amazingly well. He was just a young lad when he broke into the first team. For a 20-year-old to come in and play for Arsenal in the way that he did was really special.
“I was out for quite a few games through injury. He played 13 times, kept a clean sheet in the key 1-0 league win against Manchester United at Old Trafford and saved penalties in our [quarter-final] FA Cup win against West Ham. The fans loved him. And I must admit it was touch and go as to whether I would get back in the side. He was a massive player for Arsenal.”
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Capped 33 times by Austria, Manninger joined the Gunners in a £500,000 move from Grazer AK in June 1997, where he made 64 appearances under Arsène Wenger and won the Premier League during a five-year stay before leaving for Espanyol, with David Seaman and Richard Wright blocking his path to the first team.
He also had spells with Torino, Bologna, Siena and Juventus in Italy, Augsburg in Germany and briefly at Liverpool back in the English top flight. Manninger did not make a competitive appearance for Liverpool after joining on a short-term deal in July 2016 for what proved to be his final season.
A post on the Reds’ X account read: “Liverpool FC is deeply saddened by the passing of former goalkeeper Alex Manninger at the age of 48. The thoughts of everyone at LFC are with Alex’s family and friends at this difficult time.”
The Austrian Football Association also mourned his death, saying he was an “outstanding” servant. Its sporting director, Peter Schöttel, said on the Österreichischer Fussball-Bund website: “Alexander Manninger was 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.”
The former Italy keeper Gigi Buffon, who played alongside Manninger, paid his own tribute on Instagram, writing: “Dear Alex. Every word is superfluous. Every tear would be just another for the loss of a friend and someone I’ve always admired. You chose to remain independent from the addiction of the world of football, seeking your happiness in the simple things: a healthy life in the woods, fishing, nature, family. This was your credo.
“In a world often bowed and genuflected, chasing oppression, careerism and easy money, you always asserted your freedom, maintaining an upright posture, with the pride of someone who knows what you want. You had the strength to distance yourself from all this and look at us with that sly smile of yours, as if to say: ‘You’re all crazy, you’ll never have me.’ I hope, indeed, I’m certain, that from up there you will continue to guide your beautiful children and your young wife. Rest in peace, Gigi.”