He won the second division championship with FC Schalke 04, and now Martin Fraisl has ended his career. It is not known what plans the Schalke promotion hero now has for the future.
When Schalke 04 celebrated promotion at the end of the 2021/22 season, the greatest success in the club’s recent history, Martin Fraisl was right in the thick of it. Three and a half years later, the Austrian goalkeeper is ending his active professional career. He announced this on Wednesday morning on his Instagram channel.
“Today marks the end of a chapter that has shaped my entire life,” wrote the 32-year-old. “To be honest, I find it difficult to even write these words. Because they mean that a time is over in which I lived every single day for this dream.”
Fraisl was most recently under contract with Portuguese third division club CD Mafra. The Wolfsbach native is a late bloomer, only turning professional at the age of 22. In the years that followed, he traveled extensively and can now look back on a colorful career. Fraisl played in Romania, the Netherlands, Denmark, and also in Germany.
After a stint at SV Sandhausen, Schalke was his second stop in this country. The Royal Blues signed him as part of their new beginning in the summer of 2021 as a replacement for Ralf Fährmann. But Fraisl was already between the posts on the eighth match day. In his 26 appearances for S04, the goalkeeper did not always perform flawlessly. But he made important saves and showed an excellent mentality, which also made him an important factor in the dressing room. In addition, Fraisl was never at a loss for words. After promotion and the second division championship, the two parted ways again. But it was a turbulent time not only for Schalke, but also for Fraisl: he was relegated from the 2nd Bundesliga with Arminia Bielefeld before moving to Denmark to join FC Midtjylland, where he celebrated the championship.
“I fought for everything and achieved more than I ever dared to dream,” Fraisl wrote in his long statement, in which he also recalled the title with Schalke. “I was able to play in six countries, experience different cultures, meet special people – and I am grateful for every moment that soccer has given me. Soccer was never just my job. It was my life.“ Fraisl expressed his deep gratitude to his wife, who had always been there for him. He emphasized: ”Now that it’s all over, I realize that it’s not the trophies or victories that remain. It’s the people. The emotions. The silence after a victory. And the feeling of having been part of something bigger.” He added: “Yes, I would have liked to have played in the Champions League. But at some point, I asked the AI where I actually stood in my career – and it replied: among the most successful 0.003 percent of all soccer players in Europe.” Fraisl’s announcement was also met with reactions from his companions from his time at Schalke. “Congratulations on a great career and thank you for the wonderful moments you gave us. We wish you all the best for the future. Good luck!“ wrote the club on its official account. Simon Terodde and Gerald Asamoah also congratulated Fraisl on his career. It is not known what plans the Schalke promotion hero now has. But he seems to have concrete ideas: ”Today, one chapter ends. But those who know me know that the next one is already waiting in the wings.”