Paul Scharner

At 44 years old, Paul Scharner has this physical status:

Paul Josef Herbert Scharner (born 11 March 1980) is an Austrian retired footballer.

He primarily served as a defender, but he could also play nearly every midfield position.

He was known for his extreme adaptability and haircuts. Scharner began his career with Austria Wien and SV Salzburg, before moving to Norwegian Tippeligaen in late 2004, after SK Brann began.

He played for Wigan Athletic and West Bromwich Albion, respectively, in January 2006.

He moved to Hamburger SV in August 2012 before returning to Wigan Athletic on loan in January 2013.

In September 2013, he announced his retirement at the age of 33.

Personal life

Paul Scharner is married to Marlene and has three children: Constantin, Benedict, and Paul Jr. He has completed his undergraduate studies in electronics engineering and listed skiing, reading, motorcycle riding, and billiards as his personal passions.

Source

Early life and youth career

Born in Scheibbs, Scharner grew up in Purgstall, an der Erlauf, where he started his playing career with SVG Purgstall, playing for the club's U-8 team at the age of seven. He stayed with the club until 1993, when he transferred to FCN St. Pölten, which he left in 1996 for Austria Wien, the club where he would start earning his first professional job in 1999. He competed for U-17 and U-18, as well as later for the club's amateurs, and later, while also receiving vocational training in the field of electronics engineering.

Professional career

After rising through the ranks of the club and playing for the U-17, U-18, and amateur teams, he made his first appearance for the first team as a replacement in a friendly match against Hellas Kagran in which Austria Wien defeated 5:1 for his first professional contract in May 1999.

1998-1999 and 2000 seasons Before joining the club for his first professional career in February 1999, he appeared in two friendly matches in February 1999 before making his Austrian Bundesliga debut against SV Ried on April 24th. He appeared in three games for the remainder of the season in May, including Salzburg, GAK, and Innsbruck. The former was also his first appearance in the starting lineup and his first yellow card.

Scharner played the first team in friendly matches at the start of the season before returning to the Bundesliga in the 11th round against GAK as a replacement in mid October against LASK Linz as a time stoppage and late November against LASK Linz. He made twelve appearances in the league, nine of which as a starter, and three others as a starter, and three others as a starter, with three of them receiving three yellow cards. He made his FB-Cup debut in the second round against SV Würmla in late October and then returned for four other matches, but he was ineffective in the loss against SV Salzburg in the 23rd minute of play. In a friendly match against Wiener Neudorf in February, he scored his first two goals for the Austrians.

2000-2001 and 2002/2002 seasons His first matches on the international stage marked his debut on stage, playing four games in the UEFA Intertoto Cup, with Nea Salamagusta FC and Ceahl Neamţ, respectively. In the second round against Wiener Neustadt, he made only one appearance in the FB-Cup that season. He appeared in the ninth round against Bregenz first but didn't join the team again until the 16th round, but didn't play again until the 23rd round. His appearances have decreased since the season's end. He had a total of three yellow cards this season, despite playing 14 games.

Scharner was loaned to then-Austria affiliate club SG Untersiebenbrunn in the Erste Liga from July to October 2001, where he scored five goals in 16 league games and also participated in the FB-Cup to help him develop his skills and give him more minutes. He returned to his club in November and began receiving minutes before the month's end. He has played against Rapid Wien, SV Salzburg, and FC Kärnten. He developed himself as a starter in twelve of his 13 games, with the kick-off in 12 of his 13 games, despite receiving four yellow cards this season. In a Bundesliga match against Sturm Graz on March 30, he scored his first goal for Austria Wien in a professional competition. His good away round also brought him into the Austrian national football team, debuting in a 0:0 against Cameroon on April 17th, 2002.

2002/2003 and 2004 seasons Since being a regular starter in the second half of last season, he appeared in 29 league games this season, starting 22 of them and seeing eight yellow cards. In a home game against GAK, he scored his first league goal of the season. He appeared in every cup game beginning with the 1/8 championships and only getting one yellow card. Both Austria and Portugal lost in the first round and later lost to Shakhtar Donetsk in the first round and two:1 in the second round. Austrian Supercup, FB-Cup, and the Austrian Supercup were also among his breakthrough seasons with the club, as Austria emerged champions of the Bundesliga, FB-Cup, and the Austrian Supercup.

Scharner played nine league games for Austria Wien last season, scoring one goal and receiving three yellow cards before September, as well as competing in the UEFA Champions League qualification against Olympique Marseille, losing the home game and tiering in the away game, which culminated in a UEFA Cup match against Borussia Dortmund, which was also lost. In mid-October, he was fired from the team after then-coach Joachim Löw planned to replace him as a right midfielder, a position he did not like to play. After refusing his dismissal and later saying, "The coach and I discussed where I can assist the team the most, but the coach always uses me elsewhere." I've already played in seven different roles. "I'm still on the wrong track," says the author. He was banned from Austria and had been ordered to search for a new team.

Scharner was forced to look for a new squad after being refused relegation, signing a new deal until June 2006.

Scharner was fired by Joachim Löw and moved to relegation war SV Salzburg in January to support them for the remainder of the season. He appeared in a total of 13 games for Salzburg this season, four of which were won and three tied, with four others tied, scoring two goals against Wacker Mödling and Bregenz. He saw his first yellow/red card in a 3:2 victory over Kärnten, the same site that kicked Salzburg out of the 1/8 final in the FB-Cup, sweeping them 4:0. He had a total of five yellow cards during the season. At the end of the season, the team was able to avoid relegation.

Despite the fact that relegation was postponed last season, Scharner reportedly arranged a transfer to SK Brann shortly after the transfer window was closed, leaving Salzburg early this season. Scharner played in five league matches during his short time with Salzburg, scoring one goal against Bregenz and one yellow and one red card.

Scharner was supposed to complete his deal following his release from Salzburg, but he managed to move to SK Brann, a Norwegian Tippeligaen club. He has been on a 2.5-year deal.

Scharner played just a few games for his new team, scoring one goal while moving to Brann late in the season. Brann won the Norwegian Cup this season, thus qualifying for the UEFA Cup qualification, where they defeated AC Allianssi in the first round, but they lost both games against Lokomotiv Moscow in the second round.

He developed himself into a starter for Norway's side the following year, appearing 29 games while scoring five goals and receiving four yellow cards. He had appeared in 32 league games and scored seven goals when he left the club in 2005. In 2005, Scharner was named Brann's Player of the Year.

Scharner, who spent the 2005 season with SK Brann, has joined Wigan Athletic on December 22, 2005, and rejoined the team after the holidays. Wigan agreed to pay a total of £2,500,000 (€3,700,000, 29,500,000 NOK), making it the biggest transfer in Brann's history.

Scharner joined Wigan in the second half of the 2005-06 season. Scharner scored the winning goal against Arsenal in the League Cup at the JJB Stadium in his first match for Wigan. He continued to play in the final for Wigan, a 4–0 loss to Manchester United. In a 1–1 draw with Everton, he scored his first Premier League goal in the 24th round. He quickly became a starter, appearing in all games from the 22nd round forwards, scoring three goals and receiving five yellow cards.

He continued his leading role in the coming season, this time with Wigan, who is fighting relegation. In the first half of the season, he started scoring two goals in an away-tie against Everton, receiving five yellow cards in that half. In a match against Fulham, he was held off the field for a good portion of the second half, but not until the 30th round. This time around, he earned four yellow cards and scored one goal in his last game of the season, a 1–2 victory over Sheffield United. This one goal was to be pivotal this season, as his participation in the game saved Wigan from relegation at the last day of play, allowing them to The Championship instead.

Wigan were back in relegation mode again in the 2007-08 season. Paul Scharner was a key part of the team, starting in virtually every game of the season and receiving six yellow cards, as a result of scoring four goals and receiving six yellow cards. In the fourth round against West Ham United, he scored his first goal of the season. In the third round of the FA Cup against Sunderland, he scored a goal, but Wigan lost to Chelsea in the next round. Wigan spent the year in 13th place, earning 40 points, while Scharner was named Wigan's Player of the Year.

Scharner played in the third round of the FA Cup and the fourth in the League Cup, scoring no goals and getting three yellow cards, leading Wigan Athletic to a respectable eleventh position after receiving 45 points. He became the first Wigan player to play 100 Premier League games on March 22, 2009, defeating Hull City 1–0.

In his last season with Wigan, he appeared in all 38 league games, scoring four goals and receiving six yellow cards. In the fourth round of the FA Cup, Wigan lost to Blackpool in the second round of the League Cup and to Notts County. He scored his first goal of the season against Everton on August 30. After losing 5–0 to Manchester United, Wigan boss Roberto Martnez preferred to use Scharner in an attacking midfield role. Scharner was a member of the team's historic 9–1 loss at Tottenham Hotspur in November 2009, scoring Wigan's only goal in the match but when controlling the ball prior to shooting, he seemed to be able to handle it. He announced on April 19th, 2010 that he would leave Wigan Athletic at the end of the 2009–10 season.

Scharner joined West Bromwich Albion on a two-year contract on August 30, 2010, becoming a free agent since being released by Wigan. James Morrison, a teammate who has since praised his work, and has said that although Scharner is "a strangeo," his team has had a positive effect on the team. When boss Roberto Di Matteo told him he'd be used as a midfielder, he made the switch to West Brom with the intention of no longer playing in central defense.

West Brom continued to lose in the fourth round after a 1–1 draw against Tottenham Hotspur in the fourth round, completing the series in a five-game unbeaten streak. Albion defeated Everton in their first game. Also in the third round of the FA Cup that season, the West Broms reached the third round. He received seven yellow cards and was suspended one time during the season, while still scoring four goals. His team finished in eleventh place with 47 points on the season.

He appeared in 29 games for West Brom, the majority as a starter, scoring three goals and receiving six yellow cards during his fourth year in the Premier League, while receiving six yellow cards. His side reached the third round of the League Cup, losing to Everton. West Brom gained 47 points this season, putting them in tenth place. Scharner announced on May that he would leave West Brom in the summer and look for a new challenge after not meeting a clause in his deal that would result in a twelve-month extension.

Scharner was linked to Eintracht Frankfurt after breaking up a week of training, but he was refused by Frankfurt and instead transferred to Bundesliga veteran club Hamburger SV, where he earned a two-year deal. Thorsten Fink was interviewed for the first time before he agreed to his work, he had compiled a list of ten questions he wanted to ask him as a new coach, a surprise and admiration that surprised Fink.

Scharner was signed on loan by former club Wigan Athletic after four senior Bundesliga appearances in the 2012-2013 season with Hamburg. After beating Millwall 2–0 at Wembley, he helped the team reach the FA Cup final. Scharner said it was his "best moment in football." Scharner won the FA Cup with Wigan on May 11, 2013, defeating Manchester City 1–0. Following a 4–1 loss to Arsenal, Wigan were booted out of the Premier League just three days later.

International career

Scharner debuted against Spain in 2000 when he was playing for Austria under the age of 21. He appeared in a total of twelve games on that level, scoring no goals.

Scharner made his Austrian national football team debut with Cameroon in a 0–0 draw on April 17, 2002. He qualified in the qualifying round for the 2006 FIFA World Cup, but Austria failed to qualify. Scharner resigned in August 2006 after losing by 2–1 to Hungary, criticizing "unprofessional structures" within the FB. Coach Josef Hickersberger has suspended him from the team and confirmed that he will not play for Austria as long as he controls it. Hickersberger tried to recover in 2008 when Austria co-hosted the 2008 European Championship, but Hickersberger continued to be hesitant about choosing him. After Hickersberger was fired, his replacement, Karel Brückner, began nominating him again during the tournament, and he was even promoted to team captain from 2009 to 2010. He attempted to become player-coach after then-coach Dietmar Constantini was dismissed but was turned down. When coach Marcel Koller refused to give him a leading role in the forthcoming 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification, he was barred from the team permanently after leaving the team hotel. No matter who manages it, the FB's chairmanship has confirmed that he would not play for Austria again. He appeared in 40 games, scoring no goals.

Career statistics

As of 19 May 2013, the United Kingdom had a 19th Century.

Statistics as of 19 August 2012.

Source