Alexander Manninger reflects on career, criticises modern football's 'business' focus
Former Arsenal and Juventus goalkeeper Alexander Manninger has stated that modern football is "only fashion and business" as he detailed his retirement and return to a quiet life as a carpenter in Austria. The 46-year-old, who enjoyed a 22-year professional career across Europe, gave a wide-ranging interview to La Gazzetta dello Sport, reflecting on his time at clubs including Arsenal, Fiorentina, and Juventus, where he served as Gianluigi Buffon's understudy.
Manninger, who last played for Liverpool in 2017, expressed contentment with his post-football simplicity, claiming he does not miss the modern dressing room environment. "I am happy in my peace and simplicity," he said. "Now in the locker rooms they think more about hair and posts to make than working hard. Ah, how we miss figures like Del Piero, Buffon and company..."
The Austrian shot-stopper rose to prominence under Arsene Wenger at Arsenal in the late 1990s, winning the Premier League and FA Cup in 1998. He recalled his early days at Highbury with fondness, citing the influence of captain Tony Adams. His subsequent move to Fiorentina in 2001, however, was a mistake, according to the player, who described a club on the brink of financial collapse where players often went unpaid.
It was in Serie A where Manninger found stability, first at Siena, where he credited teammate Enrico Chiesa for helping him settle, and later at Juventus. His arrival in Turin in 2008 fulfilled a long-held ambition, as the Bianconeri had shown interest in him a decade earlier before signing Edwin van der Sar. His final season as a player coincided with Antonio Conte's first year as Juventus manager in 2011-12, a campaign that ended with a Scudetto.
Manninger revealed that Conte valued his work ethic, cultivated during his earlier training as a carpenter, and had wanted to sign him previously. "Antonio impressed me already from the training camp," Manninger said. "He took me aside and told me he appreciated my way of working." He also shared anecdotes about training battles with Alessandro Del Piero and the calm leadership of Buffon, whom he described as a fantastic teammate who never made his stature felt.
His career concluded with a brief stint at Liverpool under Jurgen Klopp, which began after the German manager, impressed by Manninger's performance for Augsburg against Borussia Dortmund, personally called to sign him. While he did not make an appearance for the Reds, he described leaving the game in front of the Kop as an emotional finale.
Now fully retired, Manninger is building a house in the Austrian mountains and has returned to woodworking, the trade he learned before his football journey began. He contrasted the dedication required in that craft with his perception of a changed football culture, suggesting the sport has lost its focus on hard work and sacrifice.
