He went from carpenter to professional footballer and when he hung up his boots, he returned to the job he had loved since he was a child.
Fate dealt a bad match to 48-year-old Alexander Manninger, who lost his life this morning after his car collided with a train. A few days earlier, the Austrian goalkeeper had given an interview to the Italian Gazzetta, which would be his last.
In it, he referred to his first job as a woodcutter, which later helped him as a professional footballer, while extensive reference was made to the relationships he formed over the years with important players and coaches, such as Alessandro Del Piero, Gigi Buffon, Antonio Conte and Jurgen Klopp.
"Being a carpenter taught me the importance of sweat and sacrifice. Both Antonio Conte and Jurgen Klopp, over time, appreciated this aspect. They told me that I was essential in instilling a hard work ethic in young players," were Manninger's first statements about his involvement in carpentry.
His relationship with Arsene Wenger and Arsenal has always affected him, something he mentioned in this interview: “It affects me just thinking about it. I was 20 years old, a kid. Wenger wanted to give an international dimension to the club and focus on young players. I was one of them. Arsene even introduced a training camp, which was unusual for the Premier League at the time. “I have to say that, despite my age, I felt comfortable in goal. In attack I had a giant like Tony Adams. He taught me a lot. I only regret one thing: that I left too early. But you know… I wanted to play.”
His rich biography also includes Juventus and the friendly relationship he developed with Turin legends such as Del Piero and Buffon: “When I was Gigi Buffon's deputy, Del Piero kept me company for hours at the end of training. And so many challenges. He impressed me especially with his penalties: a sniper. And then so many laughs. Ale is also a great golfer, we talk about it from time to time. Sooner or later we will challenge each other, like we did in penalties and free kicks at Juventus.”
His unique relationship with Buffon: "A fantastic kid, really. He never made me feel bad about his greatness. I was impressed by his calmness. 'How are you doing, Gigi?' I always asked him. It's an honour to have played with him and at Juventus in general. Which, for me, was like closing a circle."
Regarding Antonio Conte, Manninger was clear: "Antonio impressed me from the start. He took me aside and told me that he appreciated my work ethic and that he wanted to hire me when he was at Siena. I remember from the start, he was the only one who believed in winning the Scudetto."
Finally, there was a reference to his collaboration with Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool: "It all started with a phone call. Jurgen knew everything about me. Two years ago I had beaten his team, Dortmund, with Augsburg. 'I love this goalkeeper. You saved everything that day, you have to do the same for me.'"
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