Alexander Zickler

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Alexandre Zickler
Personal information
Date of birth February 28, 1974 (1974-02-28) (age 34)
Place of birth    Bad Salzungen, East Germany
Height 1.88m
Playing position Striker
Club information
Current club Red Bull Salzburg
Number 7
Youth clubs
1980-1992 Dynamo Dresden
Senior clubs1
Years Club App (Gls)*
1992-1993
1993-2005
2005-
Dynamo Dresden
Bayern Munich
Red Bull Salzburg
018 0(3)
214 (51)
089 (47)   
National team2
1993-1996
1998-2002
Germany U-21
Germany
0170(7)
012 0(2)

1 Senior club appearances and goals
counted for the domestic league only and
correct as of January 17, 2008.
2 National team caps and goals correct
as of June 21, 2007.
* Appearances (Goals)

Alexandre Zickler (Born February 28, 1974 in Bad Salzungen, East Germany) is a German footballer who currently plays for Red Bull Salzburg of Austria.

Contents

[edit] Early Career

Alexandre Zickler began his career in 1980 with Dynamo Dresden, where he worked his way through the youth system into the first team. In 1993, Zickler tranferred from Dynamo to Bayern Munich, where he remained as a player until the end of the 2005 Bundesliga season. With Bayern, Zickler won seven German Bundesliga Championships (1994, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, and 2005) as well as four German Cups (1998, 2000, 2003, and 2005). Additionally, Zickler became a UEFA Cup Winner in 1996, a UEFA Champions League Winner in 2001, as well as a Intercontinental Cup winner in 2001 with Bayern Munich. In the final of the 2001 UEFA Champions League against Valencia CF, Zickler entered the game as a substitute and succesfully converted a penalty kick in the match-ending shoot-out. During his time in the Bundesliga he broke the record as the highest goal-scoring substitute of all-time, scoring 18 times in 102 appearances off the bench. However, his prolific career was often hampered by injuries and medical conditions.

[edit] Injuries

In 2002 Zickler had surgery to remove a tumor from his right shin bone which caused him to miss out on participation in the 2002 FIFA World Cup. One year later, Zickler was again hospitilized with a break in his previously operated leg, followed by another shin break only a few days before the start of the 2003/04 season. Shortly before his return into Bayern's first team, Zickler broke his shin for the third time while playing with the Bayern Amateur Squad. At this time most critics assumed his career was at an end.

[edit] Recovery and Return

Since the start of the 2005/06 season, Zickler has been in the serivce of Austrian Bundesliga team FC Red Bull Salzburg. With the Red Bulls Zickler became Austrian runner-up in 2006 and scored 9 times during the campaign. In the return-leg of the second round of UEFA Champions League qualifying, he scored the second goal through a penalty attempt to give the Red Bulls a 2-0 victory over FC Zurich and advance them into the third round of qualifying where they met Valencia CF. There the Red Bulls were eliminated from Champions League contention losing 0:3 at Valenica after winning at home 1:0. On November 30, 2006, Zickler was voted the APA Footballer of the Year 2006 by the Managers of the Austrian Bundesliga's Clubs. In the 2006/07 season he scored 22 goals, thereby securing the title as Austrian Goal Scoring Champion and helping his club to their first Austrian Bundesliga Championship since the take-over of the club by Red Bull. In September 2007, Zickler was further honored by being selected as Austrian Bundesliga Player of the Year by the Austrian Footballers Association. During the 2007/08 season, he scored a further 16 goals, landing the goal scoring title for the second time while also helping his club to a runner-up finish in the Bundesliga.

[edit] National Team

Zickler played for the Germany national football team between 1998 and 2002, getting capped a total of 12 times. During his time with the national squad he also scored 2 goals. Both goals were scored during a 4:1 victory over Spain on August 16, 2000. His last match for Germany was played on October 11, 2002 against Bosnia-Herzogovina (final score 1:1).

[edit] Honours

[edit] Awards

  • Top Goalscorer - Austrian Bundesliga: 2006/07, 2007/08
  • APA Austrian Footballer of the Year: 2006
  • Austrian Footballers Association Austrian Player of the Year: 2007

[edit] External links

Awards
Preceded by
Mario Bazina
Austrian Footballer of the Year
2006
Succeeded by
Ivica Vastić