Sturm Graz and the Crux with the championship title – Diepresse.com
The Styrians are football champions again, but threaten to become the victim of their own success. Where are the pitfalls of this title lurking?
Of course they are available, the dark sides of the triumph. This does not only mean the countless riots that the master celebration of Sturm Graz accompanied on Saturday evening, but also the sporty. As in the Bundesliga now, an Austrian champion quickly becomes the victim of his own success. The best in this country, be it players or coaches, quickly feel for higher appointments and leave the so -called training league (self -definition). These mechanisms of modern football do not stop at Sturm Graz. What remains is a mammoth task that the Styrians have to solve after their master party.
The upheaval could be even bigger this time. William Bøving, the Dane with the torrier for important games, which also at the heartbeat final against the WAC (1: 1) scored the ultimately decisive goal, the much -cited next step will take somewhere else. Gregory Wüthrich, an important identification player at Sturm, but is plagued by injury this season and not always error -free as a defense chief, did not even want to comment on his future. In two rental players who have contributed significantly to the title, the signs are already at goodbye: Goalie Kjell Scherpen and midfield engine Malick Yalcouyé, he primarily brought the joy of running and playing a game, and for the time being returned to the Premier League club Brighton & Hove Albion. 2.06 m giant Scherpen, who reliably picked the balls out of the air, struggles with a farewell from Graz and signaled his readiness. « I know what I have in storm. » Even the established Jon Gorenc Stankovič has aroused interest from other clubs, but said: « The fans, the city, the club – it is difficult to find something like that in the career. »
Good Graz arguments
A particularly painful loss would be Otar Kiteishvili, the authority in the storm game par excellence. After all, the Georgian only extended his contract early by another year until 2027. Nobody wanted to reveal whether Captain Stefan Hierländer can continue to be seen in the storm dress. The 34-year-old would also like to stay with the club after a season in which he mainly acted as « non playing captain ». « I communicated that very clearly, the club will decide. »
« /> Jürgen Saumel at the master celebration. APA
So a lot is changing in Graz. For sports director Michael Parensen, in office since the end of November, the highly intensive weeks continue, in summer he can really bring in his own signature for the first time. « Everything has rested in the past two weeks, of course we did our homework, and as far as transfers are concerned, we will communicate that at some time, » he let himself look into the cards as usual. A first possible transfer was already seeping through. According to the transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, Sturm fetches the 19-year-old offensive player Axel Kayombo for two million euros from FC Basel. The Frenchman scored ten goals as a loan for the Swiss second division club Stade-Lausanne.
What speaks for Graz in this transfer summer: As an Austrian champion, Sturm in the play-off for the Champions League (August 19/20). Only a hurdle, albeit a high one, would have to be taken for the million league, at least the Europa League is already fixed. For the association, this means « planning security », as the sports and finance bosses Parensen and Thomas Tebbich in unison stated. At least on the transfer market, Parensen receives « arguments that you would not otherwise have », as he says.
Key figure Saumel
Sturm’s fixed deposit account is also filled. Even if it seems clear: the most expensive Graz squad in history will not necessarily become cheaper in the striving for confirmation. New players, a real striker, for example, would certainly do the game well. At the same time, however, own plants such as Leon Grgic and Jacob Peter Hödl also submitted their applications for larger roles.
There was little discussion about master coach Jürgen Säumel. The club leadership around President Christian Jauk did not allow one to arise even after worse games. The trainer promoted by the amateurs brought Sturm to the finish after the departure of the sporting leadership in autumn and service providers in winter as Bundesliga novices. Now the 40-year-old will be a key figure again if the next restart is waiting for storm. (Joe)
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