Martin Stranzl Football player Date of Birth: 16.06.1980 Country: Austria

Biography of Martin Stranzl

Martin Stranzl is a professional footballer from Austria who was born in Güssing. He began his football career playing for the local club, Güssing, during his youth. In 1997, he moved to the Bundesliga team, Munich-1860, where he initially played for the junior team before earning a place in the main squad. He went on to play 96 matches for the club. In 2004, Munich-1860 was relegated to a lower league, and Martin transferred to Stuttgart where he played until the end of the 2005 season, appearing in 44 matches. Throughout his time in the Bundesliga, he scored a total of 5 goals.

In 2006, Martin Stranzl joined Moscow's Spartak after being brought in to replace Nemanja Vidic, who had been sold to Manchester United. Initially, he struggled, often making critical mistakes that drew the ire of fans and journalists alike. However, over time, Martin has become a key player in the Moscow club's defense. He has even scored goals during set-piece plays in the opponent's goal. By the start of the 2008 season, he had played 44 matches for Spartak and scored 2 goals.

In 2008, a challenging year for Spartak, Martin Stranzl regularly appeared on the field, although there was a period, upon his return from the European Championship, where he played all three matches for the Austrian national team, when he did not make it into the starting lineup. However, in August, the defender extended his contract with the Moscow club until 2011. During the offseason, there were rumors, confirmed by the player himself, that he wanted to play in the United Kingdom. However, negotiations with Scottish Rangers and English Fulham led to nothing, and Stranzl announced that he would remain with Spartak at least until the end of the 2009 season.

Martin Stranzl has been a member of the Austrian national team since 2000, making his debut in a friendly match against Sweden. He has represented his country in over 50 matches. He was also a silver medalist in the Russian championship in 2006 and 2007.