David Affengruber #2

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Only a handful have switched Austria for Spain. So when Affengruber won the league with Sturm Graz in 2024 and, despite his strong displays at centre-back, chose to move to Spain’s second division, the reaction was one of surprise. “Experts can say and write what they want. It doesn’t affect me. I go my own way,” he said later. Many predicted the move would bury him. Instead, Affengruber quickly became a key part of Elche’s promotion campaign and then established himself in La Liga too. At Elche they call him “Kaiser” or even “Affenbauer”, a nod to Franz Beckenbauer. He came to football through his three older brothers, was spotted young and moved to RB Salzburg’s academy, where independence came early: “I had to do my own laundry at 13.” It shows in his game too: Affengruber is a strong, intelligent and highly capable ball-playing defender who shines in buildup play without losing his edge in duels.

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