Austria: After European glory, the league must also deliver

"The good Lord"

After the 4-2 win in the penalty shootout against Beitar Jerusalem, it's time again.

"The good Lord looked down on us today and said: Now we'll let Austria advance in Q3 too," grins Manfred Fischer. Now they face Sporting Braga from Portugal.

It was a tough piece of work. After a 2-1 victory in the first leg, the Violets rescued themselves at home with a 1-2 scoreline, pushing the match into extra time and then a penalty shootout, where they had the stronger nerves.

Austria can endure hardship

"We brutally earned it, fought like lions. In football, you have to suffer. Nothing is given to you," Fischer knows.

Sanel Saljic raves about "120 minutes full of fighting spirit." Austria's number ten scored the winning goal in the first leg with a dream strike, this time he converted the decisive penalty.

Praise for Saljic

So there's also praise from coach Stephan Helm: "I can rely on him when it comes to working against the ball. And with the ball, he has to make his class available to the team anyway. That's why I trust him."

"I see what he invests. The most important thing for me is that the attitude is right. He now has to stay on it and keep a clear head," says the coach.

"Wenn wir heute wieder verloren hätten, hätten alle auf uns draufgehaut"

Sanel Saljic

Given the situation in the ADMIRAL Bundesliga, where Austria still stands without a point and without a goal after two games, advancing in the European Cup is important for the mood at the Verteilerkreis.

Saljic knows: "If we had lost again today, everyone would have piled on us."

Helm gives a C-

And yet, everyone finds it a bit difficult to categorize the start of the season. "It feels a bit strange," admits goalkeeper Samuel Sahin-Radlinger.

test — Eine rotierende Einheit
Foto: ©GEPA

When asked for a school grade for the start of the season, Helm says: "C minus."

A very self-critical assessment, which he explains: "For me, the league is extremely important, that's the day-to-day business, and we haven't scored any points there."

Helm continues: "Internationally and in the cup, we got the absolute maximum out. The league must be evaluated fairly and honestly: The away game against WAC was not a good performance, against LASK we played a really good game, especially in the second half."

To Hartberg with tired legs

On Sunday in Hartberg, they are now supposed to get on the scoreboard for the first time. And that with tired legs, as several Violets were already dead on their feet in extra time against Beitar Jerusalem.

"We will have to find a good mix again, that is definitely a challenge," says the coach, who relies on rotation this season.

But at least the feeling after advancing is right. "That should give us a boost," says Fischer. His simple recipe: "Sleep a lot and then go to Hartberg with confidence."