Jürgen Macho

Jürgen Macho (born 24 August 1977) is an Austrian retired football goalkeeper. He is the goalkeeper coach of Rapid Wien.

Jürgen Macho
Personal information
Full name Jürgen Macho
Date of birth (1977-08-24) 24 August 1977
Place of birth Vienna, Austria
Height 1.93 m (6 ft 4 in)
Playing position(s) Goalkeeper
Club information
Current team
 Rapid Wien (goalkeeper coach)
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1996–1997 Wiener Sport-Club
1997–2000 First Vienna 19 (0)
2000–2003 Sunderland 22 (0)
2003–2004 Chelsea 0 (0)
2004 Rapid Wien 8 (0)
2005–2007 1. FC Kaiserslautern 54 (0)
2007–2009 AEK Athens 18 (0)
2009–2010 LASK Linz 13 (0)
2010–2013 Panionios 27 (0)
2013 Admira Wacker 12 (0)
National team‡
2001–2002 Austria U21 7 (0)
2002–2011 Austria 26 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 19 May 2013
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 31 December 2011

Club career

Macho started his first-team career with Wiener Sport-Club in 1996, and moved after one season to First Vienna FC, where he spent three seasons before leaving for Premier League club Sunderland in 2000.

At Sunderland, Macho spent three seasons as the second-choice keeper, behind Danish international Thomas Sørensen, and managed a total of 22 league appearances. He then transferred to Chelsea for the 2003–04 season, but was mostly fourth-choice there. He suffered a serious season-long injury,[1] and subsequently failed to make a single competitive appearance with the team.

In August 2004, having been released from the remaining year of his Chelsea contract, Macho left the club to join Austrian Bundesliga side SK Rapid Wien, on what was scheduled to be a year-long loan deal.[2] However, he spent just four months there, managing eight league appearances, as well as two in the UEFA Cup.

In January 2005, Macho joined Germany's 1. FC Kaiserslautern, where he first spent six months as the third-choice, behind Tim Wiese and Thomas Ernst. However, he managed to become the starter in 2005–06, as Wiese left for SV Werder Bremen. He subsequently made a total of 20 league appearances that season, but missed nearly the entire second part of the season due to an injury. He continued to be Kaiserslautern's main goalkeeper during 2006–07, with the team now in the second division, to where it was relegated after finishing 16th in the topflight the previous season.

On 31 August 2007, Macho joined AEK Athens F.C. in Greece. He was soon selected as the team's first-choice goalkeeper, ahead of Brazilian Marcelo Moretto. On 26 March 2009, it was announced he would be released from contract after it expired in June.

Macho was in training with Premier League's Wigan Athletic in view to a permanent move,[3] but the transfer was cancelled on 29 September 2009.[4]

On 5 November 2009, after a few months without a club, Macho returned to his country after five years, signing with LASK Linz. At the end of the season, however, he moved to Greece again, joining Panionios GSS.

International career

Macho made his debut for Austria in 2002, going on to amass 26 internationals, including two 2006 FIFA World Cup qualifiers in October 2005.[5]

On 16 November 2007, in a friendly against England, he swallowed his tongue after a collision with Peter Crouch. His life was saved by Austria's chief medic.[6] In UEFA Euro 2008, Macho played all three group stage matches for the hosts, in an eventual group stage exit.

Honours
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References
  1. "Macho suffers knee injury". BBC Sport. 12 July 2003. Retrieved 26 November 2009.
  2. "Rapid seal Macho loan deal". BBC Sport. 17 August 2004. Retrieved 16 June 2008.
  3. "Latics trial for Macho". Sky Sports. 16 September 2009. Retrieved 16 September 2009.
  4. "Macho geht doch nicht nach England" [Macho does not go to England] (in German). Kurier. 28 September 2009. Archived from the original on 1 October 2009. Retrieved 26 November 2009.
  5. Jürgen Macho – FIFA competition record
  6. "Macho back for Nigeria friendly". BBC Sport. 26 May 2008. Retrieved 26 November 2009.
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