Alexander Manninger (born 4 June 1977 in Salzburg) is an Austrian football goalkeeper. He currently plays for A.C. Siena.
Manninger first played as a youth for SV Austria Salzburg. In the 1995–96 season he was sent on loan at Vorwärts Steyr, and played his first top-level game away against Grazer AK. After a strong performance in goal, Grazer decided to sign him as backup goalkeeper in summer 1996. Manninger’s first match was a baptism of fire; after first-choice goalkeeper Franz Almer fell ill before a UEFA Cup second round game against Internazionale in autumn 1996, Manninger found himself making his debut in the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza. He put in a strong performance and pulled off several high-quality saves as GAK narrowly lost 1–0. In the return leg, GAK won 1–0 to level the aggregate score at 1–1, but lost in the resulting penalty shoot-out.
After that, he remained first-choice for the rest of the 1996–97 season and was signed by Arsenal in June 1997 as cover for David Seaman. During the 1997–98 season Seaman suffered a long spell out injured and Manninger ably covered for him, enjoying a spell of six clean sheets in a row in the league, a joint-club record with Jimmy Ashcroft. The last of these was against Manchester United at Old Trafford, where Arsenal won 1–0, a result which helped them beat United to the 1997–98 FA Premier League title, thereby winning the player of the month award, a first for an understudy goalkeeper in the Premier League. However, Manninger had to make way for Seaman once the Englishman returned from injury.
Manninger continued to deputise for Seaman for the next three seasons, but without a consistent run in the side he was unable to maximise his potential. In all he made only 64 appearances over four seasons for Arsenal. After the Gunners bought Richard Wright in 2001, Manninger became number three at Arsenal, and was loaned out to Fiorentina for a year (where he made 24 appearances), and then made a permanent move to RCD Espanyol in the summer of 2002. However, he was unable to gain a first-team place there and left on a free transfer five months later. Spells followed at Torino, Brescia and Siena, before he rejoined Red Bull Salzburg (as they are now known) in 2005. In 2006-07 he returned to Siena, where he is currently first-choice goalkeeper.
Manninger also plays for Austria, since 1999, and is currently one of the three elected goalkeepers for Euro 2008’s joint host nation.
Watch Alex Manninger’s penalty save:
EURO 2008 LIVE STREAMING ON ESPN
