Stefan Maierhofer Explained

Stefan Maierhofer
Birth Date:16 August 1982
Birth Place:Gablitz, Austria
Height:2.02 m
Position:Striker
Youthyears1:1996–1999
Youthclubs1:FC Tulln
Youthyears2:1999–2001
Youthclubs2:SV Gablitz
Years1:2002–2003
Clubs1:First Vienna
Caps1:18
Goals1:2
Years2:2003–2005
Clubs2:SV Langenrohr
Caps2:53
Goals2:26
Years3:2005–2006
Clubs3:Bayern Munich II
Caps3:42
Goals3:21
Years4:2006
Clubs4:Bayern Munich
Caps4:2
Goals4:0
Years5:2007
Clubs5:TuS Koblenz
Caps5:14
Goals5:3
Years6:2007
Clubs6:Greuther Fürth
Caps6:10
Goals6:2
Years7:2008
Clubs7:Rapid Wien (loan)
Caps7:11
Goals7:7
Years8:2008–2009
Clubs8:Rapid Wien
Caps8:38
Goals8:24
Years9:2009–2011
Clubs9:Wolverhampton Wanderers
Caps9:9
Goals9:1
Years10:2010
Clubs10:Bristol City (loan)
Caps10:3
Goals10:0
Years11:2010–2011
Clubs11:MSV Duisburg (loan)
Caps11:27
Goals11:8
Years12:2011–2012
Clubs12:Red Bull Salzburg
Caps12:39
Goals12:15
Years13:2013
Clubs13:1. FC Köln
Caps13:14
Goals13:1
Years14:2014
Clubs14:Millwall
Caps14:11
Goals14:2
Years15:2014–2015
Clubs15:SC Wiener Neustadt
Caps15:4
Goals15:1
Years16:2015
Clubs16:Millwall
Caps16:10
Goals16:1
Years17:2016
Clubs17:AS Trenčín
Caps17:10
Goals17:2
Years18:2017–2018
Clubs18:SV Mattersburg
Caps18:37
Goals18:7
Years19:2018–2019
Clubs19:FC Aarau
Caps19:40
Goals19:13
Years20:2020
Clubs20:WSG Swarovski Tirol
Caps20:13
Goals20:2
Years21:2020
Clubs21:Admira Wacker
Caps21:7
Goals21:0
Years22:2021
Clubs22:Würzburger Kickers
Caps22:7
Goals22:0
Nationalyears1:2008–2011
Nationalteam1:Austria
Nationalcaps1:19
Nationalgoals1:1
Club-Update:12:40, 13 January 2021 (UTC)

Stefan Maierhofer (born 16 August 1982) is an Austrian professional footballer who plays as a striker. Currently a free agent, he last played for Würzburger Kickers.[1] Between 2008 and 2011, he made 19 appearances for the Austria national team, scoring one goal.

Maierhofer failed to make the grade with German giants Bayern Munich, making just two first team appearances. After spells with second division teams TuS Koblenz and Greuther Fürth he returned to his homeland with Rapid Wien. He enjoyed the best goalscoring form of his career here, which earned him a move to English Premier League club Wolverhampton Wanderers in 2009, where he made just ten appearances before returning to Austria.

Club career

Maierhofer was initially trained as a restaurant specialist/cook. The tall striker joined Bayern Munich's reserve team from Austrian side SV Langenrohr in July 2005, and signed a professional contract with the club one year later, eventually making two Bundesliga appearances as a late substitute, during 2006–07. In two seasons with Bayern Munich's reserve team, he scored 21 goals in 42 Regionalliga appearances and was the team's top goalscorer in both seasons.

In January 2007, Maierhofer moved to 2. Bundesliga side TuS Koblenz until the end of the season, scoring three goals in 14 league appearances. In July 2007, he signed a two-year contract with another team in the division, SpVgg Greuther Fürth, but the club sent him on a six-month loan to Austrian Bundesliga's Rapid Wien in January 2008.

He helped Rapid win the 2008 Bundesliga title, after scoring seven goals in 11 league matches for the club, including braces in a 2–0 derby win over Austria Wien and a 7–0 away win against the club's main title rivals Red Bull Salzburg. Consequently, Rapid decided to make the deal permanent and signed Maierhofer on a three-year contract.[2]

The 2008–09 season saw his best goalscoring return as he struck 27 goals, including two in Champions League qualifiers, helping the club end the league campaign as runners-up.

He signed for newly promoted Premier League side Wolverhampton Wanderers in a three-year deal for an undisclosed fee – reportedly an initial £1.8m – on 31 August 2009.[3] He scored on his debut in a 3–1 defeat at Blackburn Rovers.[4] He suffered a hernia injury which put him out of action for several months, and upon regaining fitness was no longer in contention at Wolves. He was instead sent on a one-month loan to Championship club Bristol City in March 2010,[5] but failed to make an impact.[6]

During summer 2010, he was told he was no longer part of Wolves manager Mick McCarthy's plans and was instead loaned to 2. Bundesliga club MSV Duisburg on a season-long loan for the 2010–11 campaign.[7] [8] He scored 12 goals during the season, including a goal in a DFB Cup semi final to take the Zebras to the final where they lost to Schalke.[9]

On 23 August 2011, Maierhofer returned to Austria when he signed for Red Bull Salzburg in a two-year deal. After a year and a half in Salzburg, Maierhofer returned to Germany, signing for 1. FC Köln in January 2013, but left in the summer.[10] On 14 March 2014, Maierhofer joined Championship side Millwall on a short-term deal until the end of the 2013–14 season.[11]

On 19 November 2014, he signed a short-term deal with SC Wiener Neustadt of the Austrian Bundesliga for the rest of 2014. He was part of the starting XI against Wolfsberger AC three days later and scored the first goal in a 2–0 home win.

On 12 February 2016, he signed half-year contract with option to buy with FK AS Trenčín.[12]

International career

Maierhofer's good performances during his initial loan spell at Rapid Wien secured him his first call-up to the Austria national team in April 2008, when he was named to the country's preliminary squad for the UEFA Euro 2008 finals.[13] However, he would not make the final cut.

On 20 August 2008, he eventually made his international debut, in a 2–2 friendly against Italy, in Nice. He scored his first international goal when he scored inside the first minute against the Faroe Islands on 5 September 2009.

Career statistics

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
ClubSeasonLeagueCupEuropeOtherTotal
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
First Vienna FC2002–03Austrian Regionalliga East18200182
Bayern Munich II2005–06Regionalliga Süd28102810
2006–07Regionalliga Süd14111411
Total42214221
Bayern Munich2006–07Bundesliga20000020
TuS Koblenz2006–072. Bundesliga14300143
Greuther Fürth2007–082. Bundesliga10221123
Rapid Wien2007–08Austrian Bundesliga1170000117
2008–09Austrian Bundesliga352332224027
2009–10Austrian Bundesliga31115294
Total493143746038
Wolverhampton Wanderers2009–10Premier League81001091
2011–12Premier League100010
Total910010101
Bristol City (loan)2009–10Championship300030
MSV Duisburg (loan)2010–112. Bundesliga278543212
Red Bull Salzburg2011–12Austrian Bundesliga291431703915
2012–13Austrian Bundesliga1012120142
Total391552905317
1. FC Köln2012–132. Bundesliga14100141
Millwall2013–14Championship11200112
SC Wiener Neustadt2014–15Austrian Bundesliga410041
Millwall2014–15Championship10100101
AS Trenčín2015–16Slovak Super Liga10211113
SV Mattersburg2016–17Austrian Bundesliga14200142
2017–18Austrian Bundesliga23542277
Total37742419
FC Aarau2018–19Swiss Challenge League261110212912
2019–20Swiss Challenge League14220162
Total401330214514
WSG Swarovski Tirol2019–20Austrian Bundesliga13210142
Admira Wacker2020–21Austrian Bundesliga702090
Würzburger Kickers2020–212. Bundesliga000000
Career total359112271316431405130

Honours

Club

FC Bayern Munich II

2005

Rapid Wien[14]

Red Bull Salzburg

AS Trenčín

Notes and References

  1. Web site: "Wird definitiv weiterhelfen": Maierhofer wechselt nach Würzburg . de . kicker.de . 28 December 2020 . 29 December 2020.
  2. Web site: Maierhofer rewarded for Rapid progress . UEFA.com . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20080528033939/http://www.euro2008.uefa.com/news/kind%3D1/newsid%3D696586.html . 28 May 2008.
  3. Web site: Wolves capture striker Maierhofer . BBC Sport. 31 August 2009 . 16 September 2011.
  4. Web site: Blackburn 3 – 1 Wolverhampton . BBC Sport . 12 September 2009 . 13 September 2009.
  5. Web site: Bristol City sign striker Stefan Maierhofer from Wolves. BBC Sport . 15 March 2010 . 16 September 2011.
  6. Web site: Stefan Maierhofer's emergency loan at Bristol City ends. BBC Sport . 8 April 2010 . 16 September 2011.
  7. Web site: McCarthy wants Maierhofer sale. BBC Sport . 14 July 2010 . 16 September 2011.
  8. News: Hoff goes out on loan . 2 August 2010 . wolves.co.uk . 16 September 2011 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110325134429/http://www.wolves.co.uk/page/News/0%2C%2C10307~2108961%2C00.html . 25 March 2011.
  9. Web site: Schalke holt den Pott zum fünften Mal. kicker . 21 May 2011 . de . 16 September 2011.
  10. Web site: Stefan Maierhofer: Millwall sign Austrian striker . BBC Sport . 14 March 2014 . 29 March 2014.
  11. Web site: Striker Stefan signs . Millwall FC . 14 March 2014.
  12. Web site: Trenčín sa dohodol s bývalým útočníkom Bayernu či Salzburgu . sk . profutbal.sk . 12 February 2016 . 12 February 2016 . Tomáš . Zagiba.
  13. Web site: Austria's EURO 2008 squad with 3 Bundesliga players . . 24 April 2008 . de .
  14. Web site: S. Maierhofer . Soccerway . 24 May 2016.