Tragedy has struck the football world with the death of former Juventus and Arsenal goalkeeper Alexander Manninger at the age of 48. He was involved in a fatal car accident on Thursday morning.
According to Austrian media reports, the former Austria international was in a minivan that collided with a train at an unguarded level crossing. The incident occurred around 8:20 AM. It remains unclear if the warning signals at the crossing were active at the time of the collision.
Emergency services arrived quickly at the scene, but Manninger was pronounced dead on site. The train involved was carrying approximately 25 passengers and the driver, none of whom sustained injuries.
Both the English Football Association and RB Salzburg, one of Manninger’s former clubs, have confirmed his passing. RB Salzburg expressed their condolences, stating, “We join in mourning our former goalkeeper Alexander Manninger, who tragically passed away in a road accident. Our thoughts are with his family and friends. Rest in peace, Alexander.”
Manninger, who had 137 Serie A appearances for clubs including Juventus, Torino, Siena, Bologna, and Fiorentina, won the Scudetto with Juventus in the 2011-12 season under Antonio Conte. He also had 64 appearances for Arsenal, contributing to their Premier League title win in the 1997-98 campaign.
His last interview was given to La Gazzetta dello Sport just a few days prior to his untimely death.
