Austria fans are fed up: "What a dreadful day today"

Austria loses 1:2 against Altach in the Ländle. The crisis thus continues - and could carry over into next week's Vienna Derby if there's no success during the week in the UNIQA ÖFB Cup against Hartberg.

Yet, a 1-0 lead at Schnabelholz seemed like the perfect breakthrough until the 70th minute.

But after the equalizer, Austria's game completely collapsed, with late goals conceded by Greil (70th) and Massombo (80th) sealing their seventh defeat of the current season.

The situation at Verteilerkreis is thus dramatically escalating: if WAC wins against Hartberg on Saturday, Austria will slip to the bottom of the table.

"Otherwise, Stephan Helm would no longer be coach of Wiener Austria today"

Sporting director Tomas Zorn had tried to take pressure off the team and coaching staff before the match on "Sky".

Zorn emphasized that the club fully stands behind the chosen path and Stephan Helm: "I always have to look: Does the coach reach the team, does the team believe in the coach? And as sporting director, I do. Otherwise, Stephan Helm would no longer be coach of Wiener Austria today."

"Hypothetically, as I said, you always evaluate things from the initial situation with the knowledge you have," Zorn said with a view to next week - still before the next setback. Whether the defeat against Altach negatively affects this knowledge will become clear.

Zorn spoke of a pure "results crisis" and, despite the bumpy weeks, reaffirmed the season goal of Top 6: "I am definitely of the opinion that the squad has the quality to play in the Top 6. But is the squad putting that quality on the pitch now? Definitely not."

In addition to the results, Austria also focuses on agendas such as providing opportunities for young talents and transfer revenues.

Total Control Squandered: Eggestein Disappointed

On the pitch, however, the rude awakening followed after 70 minutes. Until the equalizer, the Violets, according to goalscorer Johannes Eggestein, had the match in the Ländle under control; the striker's lead shortly before halftime provided the necessary confidence.

All the more incomprehensible was the renewed dip in performance in the final phase.

Eggestein was immensely disappointed after the final whistle: "Until it was 1-1, it was a very good away game and we had it under control. After that, you completely lose control. As soon as we concede a goal, nothing works anymore. That's extremely frustrating for me and the team."

Fischer Sounds the Alarm: "Last 20 Minutes Were Wild"

Captain Manfred Fischer found even more drastic words. The leader appeared completely dejected in the interview and spared no harsh self-criticism regarding the team's performance in the final minutes.

"The last 20 minutes were wild; they could have scored two more goals. That's a huge question mark. Of course, the fans are fed up – what a dreadful day today. It's entirely up to us players; we're having an extremely hard time winning games. I'm just incredibly sorry for the entire club," said Fischer, who nevertheless backed his coach after the game: "As long as the coach is here, we stand united behind him."

The traveling supporters acknowledged the renewed defeat by turning their backs on the players during the farewell.

Helm Under Pressure: Assessment Before the Week of Truth

Head coach Stephan Helm is now definitively under enormous pressure due to the turnaround in Altach. The defensive lapses are costing the Viennese important points week after week, while the pressure from the environment continues to grow unabated.

"We slightly opened the defensive window and Altach utilized that well. We don't defend consistently and support each other too little," Helm analyzed matter-of-factly after the game, as usual.

But he also didn't close his eyes to reality: "Austria Wien is a big club, the criticism is entirely justified. It also gets me down how we mess up the game, but I am full of energy and have to lead the way."

There's no time to catch a breath for the Favoritner: Already on Tuesday, the home match against Hartberg awaits in the ÖFB Cup round of 16, before the Vienna Derby against Rapid takes place at the weekend – two crucial matches that will likely decide the future at Verteilerkreis.