Alexander Zickler Explained

Alexander Zickler
Birth Date:28 February 1974
Birth Place:Bad Salzungen, East Germany
Height:1.88 m
Position:Striker
Currentclub:RB Leipzig (assistant coach)
Youthyears1:1980–1992
Youthclubs1:Dynamo Dresden
Years1:1992–1993
Clubs1:Dynamo Dresden
Caps1:18
Goals1:3
Years2:1993–1995
Clubs2:Bayern Munich (A)
Caps2:21
Goals2:6
Years3:1993–2005
Clubs3:Bayern Munich
Caps3:214
Goals3:51
Years4:2005–2010
Clubs4:Red Bull Salzburg
Caps4:137
Goals4:56
Years5:2010–2011
Clubs5:LASK Linz
Caps5:15
Goals5:1
Years6:2012
Clubs6:ASV Taxham
Caps6:0
Goals6:0
Totalcaps:405
Totalgoals:117
Nationalyears1:1993–1996
Nationalteam1:Germany U21
Nationalcaps1:17
Nationalgoals1:7
Nationalyears2:1998–2002
Nationalteam2:Germany
Nationalcaps2:12
Nationalgoals2:2
Manageryears1:2012–2014
Managerclubs1:Red Bull Salzburg (assistant youth)
Manageryears2:2014–2017
Managerclubs2:Red Bull Salzburg (youth)
Manageryears3:2017
Managerclubs3:FC Liefering (assistant)
Manageryears4:2017–2019
Managerclubs4:Red Bull Salzburg (assistant)
Manageryears5:2019–2021
Managerclubs5:Borussia Mönchengladbach (assistant)
Manageryears6:2021–2022
Managerclubs6:Borussia Dortmund (assistant)
Manageryears7:2022–
Managerclubs7:RB Leipzig (assistant)

Alexander Zickler (born 28 February 1974) is a German professional football coach and a former player who played as a striker. He is the assistant manager of Marco Rose at RB Leipzig.

He spent 12 years of his professional career with Bayern Munich, appearing in more than 300 official games and winning 19 major titles, notably seven Bundesliga championships and the 2001 Champions League. He also played six years in Austria with two clubs.

Zickler was a German international for four years, but did not attend any major international tournament.

Club career

Dynamo Dresden

Born in Bad Salzungen, East Germany, Zickler began his career with Dynamo Dresden, having joined the club's youth system in 1980 as a six-year-old.

In the 1992–93 season, he played with the first team in the Bundesliga, making his debut in the competition on 23 October 1992 in a 1–2 home loss against 1. FC Nürnberg and eventually helping them narrowly avoid relegation.

Bayern Munich

In July 1993, Zickler transferred to FC Bayern Munich for 1,187,300, initially playing with the reserves. From his second season onwards he became a first-team regular,[1] helping the Bavarians capture seven German championships and four German cups, adding the 1996 UEFA Europa League (eight games and two assists from the player during the campaign).

Zickler played in 24 league games – scoring three goals – in 2000–01 as Bayern won the league. In the campaign's UEFA Champions League final, against Valencia CF, he entered the game as a substitute and successfully converted his penalty kick in the shootout, which ended in win.[2] During his time in the top flight, he broke the record as the highest goal-scoring substitute of all time, scoring 18 times in 102 appearances off the bench; however, his career was often hampered by injuries and medical conditions: in 2002, he 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, he was again hospitalized with a break in his previously operated leg, followed by another shin break only a few days before the start of 2003–04.[3] [4]

Shortly before his return into Bayern's first team, Zickler broke his shin for the third time while playing with Bayern Munich II.[5] [6]

Austria

thumb|upright|left|Zickler with Salzburg in 2009In June 2005, Zickler tried his chances at Austrian Bundesliga's FC Red Bull Salzburg, signing on a "performance-related" deal[7] alongside former Bayern teammate Thomas Linke.[8] In his first season, he helped the club to the second position, adding nine goals in 31 matches.

In the 2006–07 campaign, in the return leg of the Champions League second qualifying round, Zickler scored through a penalty to give the Red Bulls a 2–0 victory over FC Zürich and advance them into the next stage, where they lost to Valencia.[9] On 30 November 2006, he was voted the APA Footballer of the Year by the league's managers,[10] and finished the domestic campaign with 22 goals (a competition best), being instrumental, with Linke, in the side's national league conquest.

In the 2010 off-season, Zickler joined fellow league club LASK Linz as a free agent.[11] He made his debut on 21 August, replacing Florian Hart in the 61st minute in a 0–2 away defeat against FC Wacker Innsbruck.[12]

On 25 September 2010, Zickler scored his first and only goal for LASK, in a 3–3 draw at SV Mattersburg.[13] He retired from football at the end of 2010–11 aged 37, as his team also suffered relegation.

International career

Zickler was capped 12 times for Germany.[14] He made his debut on 18 November 1998, coming on as a substitute for Mario Basler in a 1–1 draw against Netherlands. On 16 August 2000, he scored his first international goal(s), netting twice in a 4–1 friendly victory over Spain, in Hannover.[15]

Zickler made his final appearance for the national team on 11 October 2002 in a 1–1 away friendly draw against Bosnia and Herzegovina,[16] retiring from international football later in that year.

International goals

Scores and results list Germany's goal tally first.

Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1.16 August 2000 3–0 4–1 Friendly
2. 4–0

Honours

Club

Bayern Munich

1993–94, 1996–97, 1998–99, 1999–2000, 2000–01, 2002–03, 2004–05

1997–98, 1999–2000, 2002–03, 2004–05; Runner-up 1998–99

1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2004

2000–01

1995–96

2001

Red Bull Salzburg

2006–07, 2008–09, 2009–10

Individual

Topscorer 2006–07, 2007–08

2005–06

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Alexander Zickler – Matches and Goals in Bundesliga. Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Matthias. Arnhold. 28 January 2016. 3 February 2016.
  2. News: Bayern crowned European champions. BBC Sport. 23 May 2001. 22 January 2016.
  3. News: Abermals Beinbruch: Zickler im Pech. Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung . Another leg fracture: Bad luck for Zickler. de. 13 March 2004. 22 January 2016.
  4. Web site: Rückkehr eines Pechvogels. Return of a living jinx. Stern. de. 11 January 2005. 22 January 2016.
  5. Web site: Zickler suffers another setback. UEFA. 29 July 2003. 31 January 2009.
  6. News: Zickler due a lucky break. UEFA. 15 February 2005. 31 January 2009.
  7. News: Forwards flock to Salzburg. UEFA. 7 June 2005. 31 January 2009.
  8. Web site: Trikotstreit in Salzburg: "Die größte Bauerndisco der Welt". Jersey quarrel in Salzburg: "The world's biggest hillbilly disco". Der Spiegel. de. 26 August 2005. 22 January 2016.
  9. Web site: Alexander Zickler – Matches in European Cups. Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Marcel. Haisma. 28 January 2016. 3 February 2016.
  10. News: Zickler honoured in Austria . UEFA . 30 November 2006 . 31 January 2009 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20140505074537/http://www.uefa.com/memberassociations/news/newsid%3D485496.html . 5 May 2014 .
  11. News: Ageless Zickler swaps Salzburg for LASK . UEFA . 3 June 2010 . 27 July 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20100717130614/http://en.uefa.com/memberassociations/association%3Daut/news/newsid%3D1494773.html . 17 July 2010 . live .
  12. Web site: FC Wacker Tirol 2–0 LASK Linz . . 21 August 2010 . 6 December 2010 . 23 October 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20121023232151/http://soccernet.espn.go.com/match?id=295756&cc=5739 . dead .
  13. Web site: SV Mattersburg 3–3 LASK Linz . ESPN Soccernet . 25 September 2010 . 6 December 2010 . 23 October 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20121023232209/http://soccernet.espn.go.com/match?id=295765&cc=5739 . dead .
  14. Web site: Alexander Zickler – International Appearances. Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Matthias. Arnhold. 28 January 2016. 3 February 2016.
  15. Web site: Desastre. Disaster. Mundo Deportivo. es. 17 August 2000. 22 January 2016.
  16. Web site: Jancker rettete wenigstens ein Remis. Jancker rescues at least a draw. kicker. de. 11 October 2002. 22 January 2016.