The Graz summit storm-Diepresse.com
Happy End for Sturm Graz: Despite many turbulence, the Styrians could not be dissuaded from success – and also kept the upper hand in the last minutes of a gripping title race.
The most exciting championship in recent Bundesliga history culminated in a worthy heartbeat final. The fact that the master party was celebrated again on Saturday evening in the Graz Merkur Arena and on the stadium forecourt had only been stated after a good tremor. Sturm Graz had saved a 1-1 against the direct master rival WAC over the end of the home audience and was just doing the title defense perfectly-a goal more and the Wolfsberger would have turned Graz-Liebenau into a bleak scenery.
But it was William Bøving who had shot one of the most important goals in the storm story that evening and explained in the style of a sample professional: « I am just happy to help the team in this situation. » Defense chief Gregory Wüthrich, who had somehow kept the defensive together, said: « I think you noticed that we were inhibited. But now it doesn’t matter. »
Against all resistance
Sturm President Christian Jauk emphasized humility and gratitude at the moment of triumph and spoke of a football miracle. But the signs were not so bad this season. Red Bull Salzburg crashed and ended with a blue eye with second place, Rapid continued in the finding phase, the LASK took off the game and the Viennese Austria had not grown in the past few weeks. In the end, Sturm was enough two victories in the last six rounds, a draw against fear opponents WAC and very few points since the league reform for the title.
« /> Sturm trainer Jürgen Saumel. APA
And yet: This fifth club history championship after 1998, 1999, 2011 and 2024 tells primarily of overcoming many resistance. While the double in the previous year, the result of an increase run from the Salzburg slipstream, the black and white were obtained from their own success this season. The long -time success men Christian Ilzer (coach) and Andreas Schicker (sports director) followed temptations from abroad, Jürgen Säumel and Michael Parensen. With the new duo, quieter tones arrived. Above all, the mostly stoically occurring moped the Ilzer heritage and now explained: « It was not an easy way, the more deserved is the title. »
Does the upheaval follow?
A team core around Otar Kiteishvili, the authority in the Graz game par excellence, Jon Gorenc Stankovič, Dimitri Lavalée and Wüthrich kept the ship on course in headwind. Bøving was not only on hand in the last round in the absence of a real striker. Some key forces will move on, the upheaval could be bigger this time. However: Sturm’s fixed deposit account is filled and the new sports director Parensen can bring in his manuscript. Equales have also recommended themselves for larger roles.
Rather, the stadium misery is unresolved. The Heimarena renovation solution forced by Sturm for the European Cup suitability is at the table. However, the financial situation of the public sector is dreary. In which stadium Austria’s master the upcoming European Cup season – this time a last qualification hurdle has to be skipped for the Champions League – will not have to be announced. In any case, the new Bundesliga season begins on August 1st. (Joe)
/s3/static.nrc.nl/images/gn4/stripped/data132552526-5d808c.jpg|https://images.nrc.nl/-alLGZUlhOtkfEn53PT8JsozfPM=/1920x/filters:no_upscale()/s3/static.nrc.nl/images/gn4/stripped/data132552526-5d808c.jpg|https://images.nrc.nl/RjlZVcsZe2uK0D0I7UhkvHUjtOw=/5760x/filters:no_upscale()/s3/static.nrc.nl/images/gn4/stripped/data132552526-5d808c.jpg "The optimism about the future of hydrogen has been destroyed")
