Alexander Merkel

Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox football biography Alexander Merkel (Template:Lang-kz; born 22 February 1992) is a Kazakh-German professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for 2. Bundesliga club VfL Bochum.<ref name="VfL signs">Template:Cite web</ref>

Club career

Early career

Born in Kazakhstan to parents of German ancestry,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Merkel moved to Germany in 1998, aged 6.<ref name="scout">Template:Cite news</ref> There he started playing football with amateur team JSG Westerwald, before joining VfB Stuttgart at the age of 11.<ref name="interview">Template:Cite news</ref>

Milan

In 2008, at age 16, Merkel transferred to Italian side Milan.<ref name="gazzetta">Template:Cite news</ref> During his time in the club's youth system, he was a member of the under-20 side who won the Coppa Italia Primavera in 2010, 25 years after the team's last success in the competition.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Merkel received his first call-ups for the senior team during the 2009–10 campaign, but he was never fielded nor named on the bench.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> At the beginning of the following season, he took part in some pre-season games, putting up good performances.<ref name="scout"/> Merkel eventually made his first-team official debut on 8 December 2010, coming off the bench in a UEFA Champions League group stage game against Ajax, He also came off the bench against Tottenham on the 75th Minute for Boateng<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> on 6 January 2011, he also made his league debut, figuring in the starting line-up for a match against Cagliari.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Merkel went on to score his first professional goal on 20 January, as Milan pulled off a 3–0 win over Bari in the Coppa Italia round of 16.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In total, he made ten appearances, six of which were in the league, throughout the season.

Genoa

At the beginning of the 2011–12 season, Merkel joined Genoa in co-ownership with Milan, for €5 million, which, in turn, signed Stephan El Shaarawy in a same type of deal, for €10 million.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Merkel made his official debut for the club in 4–3 win over Nocerina in third preliminary round of the Coppa Italia, on 20 August 2011.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Merkel made his first assist of the season with a left-footed cross to Marco Rossi in the Juventus 2 – 2 Genoa match. On 17 January 2012 he returned to Milan on loan from Genoa. He made his official re-debut wearing Milan's red-black shirt on 18 January, winning 2–1 over Novara in the 16th round of the 2011–12 Coppa Italia. Genoa bought the remaining 50% of his rights for another €5 million on 23 May 2012 making him a full Genoa player, as well as El Shaarawy moved to Milan for another €10 million.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Udinese

On 3 January 2013 50% registration rights of Merkel (€4M) and Masahudu Alhassan (€1.5M) were sold to Udinese Calcio for a total of €5.5 million, as part of Antonio Floro Flores's deal.<ref name=Genoa2013bilancio>Genoa CFC SpA bilancio (financial report and accounts) on 31 December 2013 Template:It icon, PDF purchased from Italian CCIAA Template:It icon</ref> In June 2013 Udinese acquired them outright for another €1.78 million (€1.16M and €620,000).<ref name=Genoa2013bilancio/>

Watford (loan)

On 3 January 2014, Merkel joined Watford on loan from Udinese until the end of the season.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Merkel made his debut from the start in a 1-0 defeat to Reading on 11 January 2014, but he was sent off in second half stoppage time after a lunge on Nick Blackman. Merkel scored his first goal for Watford in a 3-0 home win against Barnsley on 15 March 2014.

Grasshopper (loan)

On 14 July 2014, Merkel signed for Grasshopper Zürich on a season long loan deal from parent club Udinese.<ref>http://www.wiesbadener-kurier.de/sport/national-und-international/fussball/auslandsfussball/merkel-wechselt-zu-grasshopper-zuerich_14328564.htm</ref>

Pisa

On 21 July 2016 Merkel joined his former Milan teammate Gennaro Gattuso, who served as manager at Pisa. However after Gattuso suddenly left the club on 31 July 2016, Merkel was released by the club on 14 August 2016.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

VfL Bochum

On 15 August 2016, Merkel signed with Bochum.<ref name="VfL signs"/>

International career

Merkel made his international debut for Germany U-15 in a 4–1 win against Switzerland and has since represented Germany at all levels of youth international football up to under-19. In a December 2010 interview, he stated that he "dreams" of going on to play for the senior team one day.<ref name="interview"/>

In another December 2010 interview he said that he is interested in representing Russia.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Russian Football Union president Sergey Fursenko and Russia's coach Dick Advocaat both commented saying that he can't be called up as he does not actually possess Russian citizenship. Merkel noted that naturalization should not be a problem, considering that an American-born Jon Robert Holden played for the Russia national basketball team.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In February 2011, Merkel's adviser Arthur Beck, father of German international Andreas Beck, confirmed the player's renewed wishes to be capped for Germany.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

In March 2015, Merkel decided to play for Kazakhstan national football team.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He made his debut against Iceland in a qualifying match for Euro 2016.

Statistics

Template:Updated.

Club performance			League		Cup		Continental		Total
Season	Club	League	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Italy			League		Coppa Italia		Europe		Total
2010–11	Milan	Serie A	6	0	2	1	2	0	10	1
2011–12	Genoa		13	0	1	0	—		14	0
2011–12	Milan		1	0	2	0	0	0	3	0
2012–13	Genoa		6	1	1	0	—		7	1
2012–13	Udinese		5	0	0	0	—		5	0
2013–14			0	0	0	0	—		0	0
England			League		FA Cup		Europe		Total
2013–14	Watford	Championship	11	1	0	0	—		11	1
Switzerland			League		Swiss Cup		Europe		Total
2014–15	Grasshopper	Super League	6	0	2	0	3	0	11	0
Italy			League		Coppa Italia		Europe		Total
2015–16	Udinese	Serie A	1	0	0	0	—		1	0
2016–17	Pisa	Serie B	0	0	0	0	—		0	0
Germany			League		DFB-Pokal		Europe		Total
2016–17	VfL Bochum	2. Bundesliga	1	0	0	0	—		1	0
Total	Italy		32	1	6	1	2	0	40	2
	England		11	1	0	0	0	0	11	1
	Switzerland		6	0	2	0	3	0	11	0
	Germany		1	0	0	0	0	0	1	0
Career total			50	2	8	1	5	0	63	3

External links

• Profile at Assocalciatori.it Template:It icon