Markus Berger

{{short description|Austrian professional footballer|bot=PearBOT 5}}

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Markus Berger

| image = Markus Berger 04.12.2013.jpg

| caption = Berger (left) in action for Chornomorets

| fullname =

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1985|1|21|df=y}}{{cite web|url=https://maisfutebol.iol.pt/m-berger/academica/1586-128-1286-24043|title=M. Berger|publisher=Mais Futebol|language=pt|accessdate=21 April 2020}}

| birth_place = Salzburg, Austria

| height = {{convert|1.86|m|ftin|0|abbr=on}}

| position = Centre back

| currentclub = Red Bull Salzburg (U15 manager)

| clubnumber =

| youthyears1 = 1993–1999 | youthclubs1 = Austria Salzburg

| youthyears2 = 1999–2002 | youthclubs2 = Stuttgart

| youthyears3 = 2002–2004 | youthclubs3 = Eintracht Frankfurt

| years1 = 2002–2003 | caps1 = 24 | goals1 = 2 | clubs1 = Eintracht Frankfurt II

| years2 = 2004–2007 | caps2 = 61 | goals2 = 1 | clubs2 = Ried

| years3 = 2007–2011 | caps3 = 71 | goals3 = 5 | clubs3 = Académica

| years4 = 2012–2014 | caps4 = 52 | goals4 = 0 | clubs4 = Chornomorets Odesa

| years5 = 2014 | caps5 = 11 | goals5 = 1 | clubs5 = Start

| years6 = 2014 | caps6 = 3 | goals6 = 0 | clubs6 = Ural

| years7 = 2015 | caps7 = 11 | goals7 = 1 | clubs7 = Gil Vicente

| years8 = 2015–2016 | caps8 = 3 | goals8 = 0 | clubs8 = Tondela

| years9 = 2016–2018 | caps9 = 41 | goals9 = 3 | clubs9 = Grödig

| years10 = 2018–2020 | caps10 = 39 | goals10 = 3 | clubs10 = SAK 1914

| totalcaps = | totalgoals =

| nationalyears1 = 2004–2007 | nationalteam1 = Austria U21 | nationalcaps1 = 34 | nationalgoals1 = 0

| manageryears1 = 2018–2020 | managerclubs1 = SAK 1914 (assistant)

| manageryears2 = 2020–2021 | managerclubs2 = SV Seekirchen (youth)

| manageryears3 = 2021–2024 | managerclubs3 = AKA Vorarlberg (individual coach)

| manageryears4 = 2024– | managerclubs4 = Red Bull Salzburg (U15)

| club-update =

}}

Markus Berger (born 21 January 1985) is an Austrian professional football coach and a former central defender. He is the head coach of the Under-15 squad of Red Bull Salzburg.

Club career

Having started his professional career at SV Ried, Berger helping to promotion to the Bundesliga in his first year, and played 14 games as the team finished in a best-ever runner-up position in 2006–07. Primeira Liga side Académica de Coimbra signed him in July 2007, as a free agent;{{cite web|url=https://www.futebol365.pt/artigo/16885-academica-contratou-defesa-austriaco-markus-berger-ao-sv-ried/|title=Académica contratou defesa austríaco Markus Berger ao SV Ried|trans-title=Académica signed Austrian defender Markus Berger from SV Ried|publisher=Futebol 365|language=Portuguese|date=4 June 2007|accessdate=21 April 2020}} after going almost unnoticed throughout the season,{{cite web|url=https://www.futebol365.pt/artigo/27250-academica-markus-berger-renova-por-dois-anos/|title=Académica: Markus Berger renova por dois anos|trans-title=Académica: Markus Berger renews for two years|publisher=Futebol 365|language=Portuguese|date=15 January 2010|accessdate=21 April 2020}} he scored in his fifth match with the Students in a 3–0 away win against S.L. Benfica.{{cite web|url=http://www.maisfutebol.iol.pt/benfica-academica-0-3-ficha|title=Benfica-Académica, 0–3 (ficha)|trans-title=Benfica-Académica, 0–3 (report)|publisher=Mais Futebol|language=Portuguese|date=11 April 2008|accessdate=7 June 2017}}

Berger was first choice in his last two years with Académica, netting a combined four league goals in the process. During January 2009, he went on a trial period with Hibernian from the Scottish Premier League,{{cite web|url=https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11781/4817929/hibs-look-at-berger|title=Hibs look at Berger|publisher=Sky Sports|date=19 January 2009|accessdate=21 April 2020}} and his agent later claimed that a loan deal had been agreed between the clubs with Hibs having the option to buy the player at the end of the campaign for £500,000,{{cite web|url=https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11065/4848498/hibs-agree-berger-loan|title=Hibs agree Berger loan|publisher=Sky Sports|first=Francisco|last=Acedo|date=25 January 2009|accessdate=21 April 2020}} but the move was not completed.

On 30 December 2011, after nearly 100 official appearances for Académica, Berger penned a three-year contract at Ukrainian Premier League's FC Chornomorets Odesa. At the start of March 2014, he left his team due to the civil unrest caused by the 2014 Ukrainian revolution,{{cite news|url=http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/five-foreign-players-leave-football-club-chornomorets-because-of-situation-in-ukraine-338369.html|title=Five foreign players leave Football Club Chornomorets because of situation in Ukraine|newspaper=Kyiv Post|date=4 March 2014|accessdate=8 April 2014}} going on to sign for Tippeligaen club IK Start late into that month.{{cite web|url=http://www.ikstart.no/news/article/1o8nd0r7q5w5g1awpac92qalum/title/start-henter-midtstopper|title=Start henter midtstopper|trans-title=Start acquire defender|publisher=IK Start|language=Norwegian|date=31 March 2014|accessdate=31 March 2014|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20141031105318/http://www.ikstart.no/news/article/1o8nd0r7q5w5g1awpac92qalum/title/start-henter-midtstopper|archivedate=31 October 2014}} He made his debut on 6 April in a 3–1 home victory over FK Haugesund, in which he also scored his first goal.{{cite web|url=https://www.nrk.no/sport/fotball/tre-start-scoringar-pa-seks-minutt-1.11652422|title=Mjelde etter Start-magi: – Trudde nesten ikkje det eg såg|trans-title=Report for Start magic: – Almost did not believe what I saw|publisher=NRK|language=Norwegian|date=6 April 2014|accessdate=21 April 2020}}

In June 2014, after only a few months in Norway, Berger moved to the Russian Premier League with FC Ural Sverdlovsk Oblast.{{cite web|url=http://www.fc-ural.ru/main/news/ural/2212/|script-title=ru:«УРАЛ» ЗАКЛЮЧИЛ КОНТРАКТ С МАРКУСОМ БЕРГЕРОМ|trans-title=Ural signed a contract with Markus Berger|publisher=FC Ural|language=Russian|date=19 June 2014|accessdate=19 June 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140622125724/http://www.fc-ural.ru/main/news/ural/2212/|archive-date=22 June 2014}}{{cite web|url=http://news.sportbox.ru/Vidy_sporta/Futbol/transfers/spbnews_NI464610_Ural-podpisal-chetverih-novichkov|script-title=ru:«Урал» подписал четверых новичков|trans-title=Ural signed four new|publisher=Sportbox|language=Russian|date=28 June 2014|accessdate=10 July 2014}} However, in January of the following year, he returned to Portugal after signing with Gil Vicente F.C. until the end of the season.{{cite news|url=https://www.dn.pt/desporto/futebol-nacional/interior/gil-vicente-anuncia-contratacao-do-defesa-markus-berger-4373114.html|title=Gil Vicente anuncia contratação do defesa Markus Berger|trans-title=Gil Vicente announce signing of defender Markus Berger|newspaper=Diário de Notícias|first=João|last=Ruela|language=Portuguese|date=30 January 2015|accessdate=8 July 2015}}

Berger agreed to a one-year deal with C.D. Tondela in early July 2015, after suffering relegation.{{cite web|url=http://www.cdtondela.pt/noticias.asp?idnot=684|title=Markus Berger assina com o CD Tondela|trans-title=Markus Berger signs with CD Tondela|publisher=CD Tondela|language=Portuguese|date=5 July 2015|accessdate=8 July 2015|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150709164047/http://www.cdtondela.pt/noticias.asp?idnot=684|archivedate=9 July 2015}} He returned to his country on 20 June 2016, joining Regional League West side SV Grödig.{{cite web|url=http://www.laola1.at/de/red/fussball/regionalligen/groedig-holt-markus-und-hans-peter-berger/|title=Grödig holt Hans-Peter und Markus Berger|trans-title=Grödig get Hans-Peter and Markus Berger|publisher=Laola1|language=German|date=20 June 2016|accessdate=7 June 2017}}

Personal life

Berger's older brother, Hans-Peter, was also a footballer.{{cite web|url=http://www.salzburg24.at/markus-berger-wechselt-mit-bruder-hans-peter-zum-sv-groedig/4760278|title=Markus Berger wechselt mit Bruder Hans-Peter zum SV Grödig|trans-title=Markus Berger moves to SV Grödig with brother Hans-Peter|publisher=Salzburg 24|first=Katharina|last=Köhn|language=German|date=20 June 2016|accessdate=7 June 2017}}

Honours

Académica

Taça de Portugal: 2011–12{{cite web|url=https://maisfutebol.iol.pt/amp/academica-percurso-notavel-ate-a-conquista-da-taca|title=Académica: percurso notável até à conquista da taça|trans-title=Académica: remarkable run until the cup conquest|publisher=Mais Futebol|language=Portuguese|date=20 May 2012|accessdate=21 April 2020}}