Manfred Burgsmüller, Axel Kruse and Ingo Anderbrügge showed it, more than 20 years later, Stefan Maierhofer also switched from football to football. The former professional of FC Bayern is running as a kicker for the Vienna Vikings in the new season of the European League of Football (Elf), the Austrians announced on their homepage.
“From minute one at the Vikings, I realized that I want to go here,” said former Austrian international Maierhofer, who has been training at the club since the end of last year. Now the deal is perfect. His entry on the pitch was the “birth of this sensation coup”, the Vikings said.
The previous units with the former NFL kicker Giorgio Tavecchio were his “demanding”, said Maierhofer: “In pouring rain, we have filed my technique. But that was only clearer: I want to reach the final with the Vikings 2025 and play the final in the stadium of VfB Stuttgart before 50,000 football fans in the championship game.”
Maierhofer was active in professional football for 20 years, including for Bayern, Rapid Vienna, the Wolverhampton Wanderers, Red Bull Salzburg and the MSV Duisburg. The 42-year-old ended his career in 2023 after a year as a player coach at the Austrian regional league team Kremser SC.
Manfred “Manni” Burgsmüller, who died in 2019, played for Rhein Fire as a kicker (1996-2002) for six years after his Bundesliga career. Anderbrügge took over his post in Düsseldorf (2003-2004), Kruse played for Berlin Thunder (1999-2003).