Special Moments — Manninger Pulls Augsburg Out of the Puppet Box
May 18, 2013: Alexander Manninger saves the penalty, Tobias Werner scores a free kick, Buffon sends a text — and the puppets keep dancing through the Bundesliga.
Unforgettable Moments
FC Augsburg Out of the Ice
At the winter break, FCA were frozen in the relegation zone with 9 points and a 10-point gap to safety.
The Bavarian Swabians were in danger of becoming one of those clubs whose brief Bundesliga visit ends quietly. But the team from the Fugger city had come to stay. Before them, only Eintracht Frankfurt in 1999/2000 had managed to survive after a first half with only 9 points.
Weinzierl and Reuter — Trust Over Panic
The club stuck with coach Markus Weinzierl — against the usual mechanisms of the business.
Two further personnel decisions proved decisive: the appointment of World Cup winner Stefan Reuter as sporting director and the signing of Austrian goalkeeper Alexander Manninger.
Alexander Manninger — The Wandering Bird
His 13th professional stop since 1994: English champion with Arsenal, four years at Juventus in Buffon's shadow.
In England he became champion with Arsène Wenger's Arsenal in 1998. At Juventus, he could not dislodge Buffon but experienced his strongest spell after Gigi's injury. The signing of Marco Storari pushed him to the stands, and by 2012 he was unemployed. That was when Augsburg came calling.
Dramatic Turning Points
Forza Augsburg!
Before kickoff, Manninger received a text from Gianluigi Buffon — just two words.
'Forza Augsburg!' — Gigi had apparently not forgotten the Austrian on this fateful day.
The Penalty
Fifth minute: Ragnar Klavan brings down Felix Klaus — penalty for Fürth.
Edgar Prib stepped up and scored. So everyone thought. Referee Tobias Welz had seen that Korean midfielder Park Jung-Bin entered the area before the kick. The penalty was retaken. On the first attempt, Manninger dived the right way but couldn't reach the ball. On the second, he dived right — and saved it.
The Storm
30th minute: Tobias Werner converts a direct free kick — 1–0.
Now it was anything goes in the Puppet Box. Düsseldorf fell behind in Hannover from the 36th minute. Survival would already be sealed — but the fans only knew because they were checking their phones. Weinzierl and Reuter had deliberately chosen not to show scores from other grounds.
Callsen-Bracker and Ji Seal the Deal
55th minute: Jan-Ingwer Callsen-Bracker heads home from a Werner corner to make it 2–0.
The man Leverkusen's Reiner Calmund once dubbed 'Callsen-Gedönsheimer' headed FCA toward safety. Florian Trinks's 2–1 was no party crasher. Ji Dong-won made it 3–1 after 75 minutes. FC Augsburg was saved.
The Puppets Keep Dancing
After the final whistle, hostesses carried beer mugs into the stadium with the slogan of the day on their shirts.
'The puppets keep dancing through the Bundesliga.' Alexander Manninger was a quiet enjoyer. While his teammates formed a circle of celebration, he stood apart. 'Unbelievable,' the penalty hero stammered in the Sky interview. 'The city is good, the guys are good.' Sascha Mölders: 'The fact that he saved the penalty was the key to victory.' A very special moment.