Alexander Zickler

Alexander Zickler

Personal information
Full name	Alexander Zickler
Date of birth	February 28, 1974 (1974-02-28)
Place of birth	Bad Salzungen, East Germany
Height	1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)
Playing position	Striker
Youth career
1980–1992	Dynamo Dresden
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1992–1993	Dynamo Dresden	18	(3)
1993–1995	Bayern Munich (A)	21	(6)
1993–2005	Bayern Munich	214	(51)
2005–2010	Red Bull Salzburg	137	(56)
2010–2011	LASK Linz	15	(1)
Total		405	(117)
National team
1993–1996	Germany U-21	17	(7)
1998–2002	Germany	12	(2)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Alexander "Alex" Zickler (born 28 February 1974 in Bad Salzungen) is a German former footballer who played as a striker, most notably in a twelve year spell with Bayern Munich.

Club career

Zickler began his career in 1980 with Dynamo Dresden as a six-year old, working his way through the youth system into the first team. In 1992–93, he played one top flight season with Dresden. His debut arrived on 23 October 1992, in a 1–2 home loss against 1. FC Nuremberg.

In July 1993 Zickler transferred to FC Bayern Munich for the amount of €1,187,300, where he remained as a player for 11 seasons. With the Bavarians, he captured seven German championships, as well as four German cups, adding the 1996 UEFA Cup as well as the 2001 UEFA Champions League title and the 2001 Intercontinental Cup.

In the 2001 Champions League final against Valencia CF, Zickler entered the game as a substitute and successfully converted a penalty kick in the match-ending shootout. 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; 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 World Cup. One year later, he 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 Munich II. At this time, most critics assumed his career was at an end.

In June 2005, Zickler tried his chances at Austrian Bundesliga's FC Red Bull Salzburg, signing on a "performance-related" deal, alongside former Bayern teammate Thomas Linke. With the Red Bulls, Zickler finished second in his first season, adding nine league goals.

The following season, in the return leg of the Champions League second qualifying round, he scored the second goal, 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 CF. On 30 November 2006, Zickler was voted the APA Footballer of the Year by the league's managers, and finished the domestic campaign with 22 goals (league's best), being instrumental, with Linke, in the side's national league conquest.

In 2010, Zickler joined LASK Linz as a free agent. He made his debut on 21 August 2010, coming on as a substitute for Florian Hart in the 61st minute in a 0–2 defeat to FC Wacker Innsbruck. On 25 September 2010, Zickler scored his first goal in a 3–3 draw against SV Mattersburg. He retired from football at the end of the 2010–11 season.

International career

Zickler was capped 12 times. He made his debut for Germany 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 two goals in a 4–1 friendly victory over Spain, in Hannover. Zickler made his final appearance on 11 October 2002 in a 1–1 away friendly draw against Bosnia and Herzegovina, before he retired from international football in 2002.

International goals

Scores and results list Germany's goal tally first.

#	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1.	16 August 2000	AWD-Arena, Hanover	Spain	3–0	4–1	Friendly
2.				4–0

Honours

Club

Bayern Munich

• Bundesliga (7): 1993–94, 1996–97, 1998–99, 1999–2000, 2000–01, 2002–03, 2004–05
• DFB-Pokal (4): 1997–98, 1999–2000, 2002–03, 2004–05
• DFB-Ligapokal (5): 1996–97, 1997–98, 1998–99, 1999–2000, 2003–04
• UEFA Champions League (1): 2000–01
• UEFA Cup (1): 1995–96
• Intercontinental Cup (1): 2001

Red Bull Salzburg

• Austrian Bundesliga (3): 2006–07, 2008–09, 2009–10

Individual

• Austrian League Topscorer (2): 2006-07, 2007–08
• Austrian Footballer of the Year (1): 2005–06
• Austrian Footballers Association Player of the Year (1): 2006–07

External links

• Alexander Zickler at fussballdaten.de (German)