Massombo Case: Ingolitsch defends himself against accusations from Altach

Jäger criticizes the process

Altach captain Lukas Jäger avoided speculation about Massombo's future but had clear words for the course of events.

"The way the whole thing unfolded was, of course, very unpleasant because it wasn't good for us. I think it could have been resolved differently. Other gentlemen need to question themselves," Jäger told "Sky".

The captain did not want to judge whether Massombo would return to the Altach dressing room. "That's not my decision."

However, Jäger described the timeline before departing for Graz. Massombo had "completed the final training session" and also "participated in lunch". "Shortly before departure, there was a lot of activity at our training center. I can't say more about it."

Greil wants to focus on football

Patrick Greil commented with a little more restraint. The midfielder did not want to focus on the commotion surrounding his teammate.

"The issue is relatively unimportant," Greil explained. "I'm just disappointed that we didn't win the game."

Both Altach players thus made it clear that while the Massombo case has left its mark internally, the team's focus should be on their sporting tasks.

Ingolitsch defends himself against accusations

Sturm coach Fabio Ingolitsch was also asked about non-sporting matters after the game. This was in response to statements from Altach that the Graz club had gone too far in their pursuit of Yann Massombo.

Among other things, Altach sporting director Philipp Netzer took a swipe, saying: "Perhaps you could ask the Sturm Graz coach for an interview. Perhaps he will also be so honest and take a clear stance."

"Wenn er ein Problem hat, dann kann er sich sehr gerne bei mir melden.

Fabio Ingolitsch

Ingolitsch did not want to engage in a public confrontation. "I don't want to have any public discussions about this because that's not my style at all," he clarified to "Sky".

Should there be a need for clarification with Netzer, he is always ready to talk: "If he has a problem, he is welcome to contact me. He has my phone number. Or he can gladly come to our coaching office today."

Massombo as a potential Fosso successor

The 33-year-old did not deny that Sturm had contact with Massombo. "He is an incredibly interesting player. I rate him very highly," said Ingolitsch about the defender, whom he once coached himself in Altach. "We are following him. We are looking for a successor for Ryan Fosso. He is one of the most exciting candidates."

The Sturm coach does not see a violation of rules in his club's actions. "I am in contact not only with Yann but with many players," Ingolitsch explained, referring to ongoing squad planning.

"I believe we can't lie to ourselves and say there isn't contact between players who have less than six months left on their contract," Ingolitsch stated.

Massombo's contract in Altach, by the way, expires in summer 2027.

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