Alex Manninger played for Arsenal, Liverpool and Juventus at the peak of his career and won 33 Austria caps.
Published on 16 April 2026
Former Austria goalkeeper Alex Manninger, who played for Arsenal and several Italian clubs, died at the age of 48 when the car he was driving collided with a train at a crossing near Austria.
The Austrian Football Association (OEFB) and clubs associated with the player, who retired as a professional in 2017, mourned his death on Thursday.
Recommended Stories
4 item listend of list
Manninger made 33 appearances for Austria and played for Arsenal from 1997 to 2001 as the club won the league title and FA Cup in the 1997–1998 season. He finished his career at Liverpool in 2017.
In Italy, the Austrian played for Fiorentina, Torino, Bologna, Siena, Udinese and Juventus.
“Alexander Manninger was an outstanding ambassador of Austrian football on and off the field,” OEFB sporting director Peter Schoetel said in a statement.
“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 the national team.”
The accident occurred at about 8:20 a.m. (06:20 GMT), Hamburg police said in a statement. First responders freed the driver from the vehicle, but resuscitation was unsuccessful.
Police said, “According to the preliminary investigation, the car was hit and dragged by a railcar of the Hamburger Lokalbahn while crossing a railway crossing. The driver was alone in the vehicle. The train driver was not injured.”
Fiorentina said they would observe a minute’s silence and wear black armbands for Thursday’s home Conference league game with Crystal Palace, while league leaders Arsenal expressed their shock on social media.
Other clubs, including Liverpool, issued statements of condolence.
Juventus said, “Today is a very sad day. We have lost not only a great athlete, but also a man with rare values: humility, dedication and an extraordinary sense of professionalism.”
“Alex Manninger will be remembered for the example he set on and off the field.”
