Former Alex Manninger has died at the age of 48 after his car was struck by a train at a level crossing in Salzburg.

Police said the incident occurred at around 08:20 local time. Manninger was alone in the vehicle when the collision happened. Emergency responders freed him from the wreckage and attempted to revive him using a defibrillator, but their efforts were unsuccessful. The train driver was not injured.

Manninger enjoyed a distinguished career across Europe, most notably with Arsenal, where he made 64 appearances between 1997 and 2002. During that period, he was part of the squad that won both the Premier League and the FA Cup.

Although often serving as understudy to David Seaman, Manninger played a key role during the 1997-98 season when Seaman was injured. He contributed to Arsenal's FA Cup run, including a penalty shootout victory over West Ham, and delivered a standout performance in a win against Manchester United at Old Trafford. His form earned him the Premier League Player of the Month award for March 1998.

At international level, Manninger earned 33 caps for Austria national football team and was part of the squad for Euro 2008, which Austria co-hosted.

He began his career with Red Bull Salzburg and went on to play for several clubs across Europe, including Siena, Juventus, Udinese and Augsburg. In 2016, he signed a short-term deal with Liverpool at the age of 39, though he did not make a competitive appearance.

Austrian Football Association sporting director Peter Schöttel described Manninger as "an outstanding ambassador for Austrian football," praising his professionalism, composure and reliability.