Ingolitsch appeals to the league
"I don't want to complain, but it's a fact that the French league helps ensure Rennes are as fresh as possible on Wednesday. For us, the league pushes the top match onto us on Sunday," said the Graz head coach.
There wasn't much time left for the necessary preparation for the opponent. Monday was for recovery, and the final training session already took place on Tuesday.
"So, the preparation is exclusively video analysis. I would really wish that we stick together in Austria and that the Bundesliga and TV providers are flexible enough to support each other and perhaps even move something forward or backward by a day," Ingolitsch issued an appeal.
Confidence gained
Nevertheless, Sturm can go into this tough home game with a great deal of confidence. On Sunday, they inflicted the first national defeat of the season on double winners LASK.
Sturm breaks LASK's streak: "We were energetic and aggressive" >>>
One of the main reasons for their success is the increased squad depth, which can now become key in the European autumn campaign.
Sporting director Michael Parensen brought ten new signings to Graz during the summer transfer window, adding not only quantity but also quality to the squad.
The coach also praised this: "I am super satisfied with our transfer program; I want to emphasize that again. We have an incredibly exciting team this year."
New signings deliver immediately
In particular, the three "late" new signings Valmir Matoshi, Oumar Diakite, and Joshua Quarshie made a lasting impression against LASK.
"These impulses that the lads are giving us are really good for us. Nevertheless, they have only had partial appearances so far."
How Ingolitsch plans to proceed with the three players: "Now it's about getting them into a rhythm, so they settle in here as players and people. The most important thing is that we don't overplay them; the season is still long. But everyone in the stadium has seen that they will enrich us."
"Kite" is back
Another point that could become crucial for the upcoming weeks is the return of game-changer Otar Kiteishvili. The Georgian has been sorely missed recently and has already shown in his first brief appearances how important he is for the "Blackies'" game.
Especially internationally, the 30-year-old's experience is immensely important. In the Europa League, the midfielder has scored four goals and provided two assists in 19 games so far.
But the return of Filip Rozga also brings additional elements to the attacking play. Only the long-term injury of Seedy Jatta clouded the victory against LASK.
The start to this extremely tight week was certainly successful; the run is now to be continued against Rennes before heading to Salzburg to face the "Bulls" on Sunday.
