Emanuel Pogatetz

Emanuel Pogatetz

Personal information
Date of birth	16 January 1983 (1983-01-16)
Place of birth	Graz, Austria
Height	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Playing position	Left back / Centre back
Club information
Current club	Hannover 96
Number	4
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
2000–2001	FC Kärnten	33	(0)
2001–2002	Bayer Leverkusen II	26	(0)
2002–2005	Bayer Leverkusen	0	(0)
2002–2003	→ FC Aarau (loan)	21	(3)
2003–2004	→ Grazer AK (loan)	53	(2)
2005	→ Spartak Moscow (loan)	11	(0)
2005–2010	Middlesbrough	123	(4)
2010–	Hannover 96	28	(0)
National team‡
	Austria U16	22	(0)
	Austria U18	5	(0)
	Austria U19	3	(0)
	Austria U21	11	(0)
2002–	Austria	47	(2)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 14 May 2011. † Appearances (Goals). ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 2 March 2010

Emanuel Pogatetz (born 16 January 1983 in Graz, Austria) is an Austrian footballer who currently plays for Hannover 96 as a defender.

Club career

Pogatetz's career started at Sturm Graz before going to Kärnten and later to Bayer Leverkusen. After a short loan spell at Aarau, Grazer, and Spartak Moscow, he joined Middlesbrough.

He had also been tracked by Fulham, but during his final match on loan at Spartak Moscow, he tackled Yaroslav Kharitonskiy, leaving the Russian with a double leg fracture. Although initially banned for 24 weeks by the Russian Football Union, the suspension was later reduced to eight weeks after Pogatetz attended a personal hearing in Moscow. As the ban commenced in June and was specified as a length of time rather than a number of matches, he ended up missing only three games for his new club Middlesbrough.

Pogatetz in action for Middlesbrough

On 30 March 2006, during the first leg of Middlesbrough's 2-0 UEFA Cup quarter-final defeat against Basel, Pogatetz broke his nose, jaw and cheekbone in an accidental clash of heads with Mladen Petrić"Pogatetz will miss rest of season". BBC Sport. 31 March 2006. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/m/middlesbrough/4857910.stm.  and was later warned against returning to full training for three months, for fear of losing his eyesight."Pogatetz facing three-month break". BBC Sport. 12 April 2006. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/m/middlesbrough/4903838.stm. </ref> He underwent successful surgery to have the fractures reset and Dr. Douglas Bryan declared himself "delighted" with Pogatetz's progress. "It is anticipated he will make a full recovery and be back with his team-mates for pre-season training," said Middlesbrough head physio Grant Downie. "The only disappointing thing for Manny [Pogatetz] is he won't be able to play football, and he was desperate to get back involved. But another blow to his face would risk severe trauma and a potentially eyesight-threatening injury."

Pogatetz suffered from a hernia, for which he received corrective surgery in Munich on 24 April 2006. On 4 July, he returned to training following successful surgery on his hernia and cheek.

In the 2006–07 season, Pogatetz was forced into the centre of defence due to an injury to Chris Riggott. He formed impressive partnerships at the back with both Robert Huth and Jonathan Woodgate, but was able to keep his place, even upon the returns of Woodgate and Riggott. Former England and Middlesbrough coach Steve McClaren said "He never, ever, gives less than 300% in performance."

After the 2007–08 season, Pogatetz was given the captain's armband on a full-time basis, following his taking up of the role towards the end of the season.

Pogatetz returned in the 2009–10 season after a long injury layoff, on 7 November in a 0–1 loss to Plymouth Argyle, only to suffer a recurrence of his cheekbone fracture with the scores tied at 0–0. He made his return to the first team against Nottingham Forest on 21 November in a 1–1 draw. He had to wear a protective mask because of his cheekbone fracture which he picked up in the Plymouth game. He received a bang to the head in the Forest game and had to receive stitches at half time, he still completed the full 90 minutes.

On the 2 June 2010, he signed for German side Hannover 96 on a three-year contract.

International career

Pogatetz is a regular Austrian international, having played 37 times, tallying two goals. As a left back, he was bought by Middlesbrough so as to compete with Franck Queudrue for a starting place in league games. Pogatetz is also aptly comfortable at centre back, having commanded this position at both club and international level.

In September 2006, Pogatetz was banned from playing for his country after he criticised the coach Josef Hickersberger and captain Andreas Ivanschitz after Austria drew with Costa Rica and lost to Venezuela in an international tournament played earlier in the month.

Since March 2009, he has served as the captain for the Austrian national team.

National team statistics

Austria national team
Year	Apps	Goals
2002	2	0
2003	5	1
2004	6	0
2005	6	0
2006	4	0
2007	0	0
2008	12	1
2009	2	0
2010	2	0
Total	39	2

Honours

Kärnten

• Austrian Cup: 2001

Grazer AK

• Austrian League: 2004
• Austrian Cup: 2004

External links

• Emmanuel Pogatetz own web site
• Emanuel Pogatetz career stats at Soccerbase
• Leverkusen who's who
• Player profile
• Career stats – National Football Teams