Ertlthaler in Poland

“The club has a vision”

Julius Ertlthaler from Pöttsching now plays for Tychy in Poland's 1st division.(Bild: Julius Ertlthaler)

Julius Ertlthaler has been playing in Poland for around two months. At GKS Tychy, the 26-year-old immediately became a regular member of the team. In the "Krone", the Pöttsching native talks about sporting quality, his goals and life in his new country.

Midfield engine Julius Ertlthaler ventured abroad around two months ago. The 26-year-old now plays for GKS Tychy in Poland's first division. In the "Krone", the Pöttsching native talks about ...

...his move from Austria's Bundesliga to the second tier: " It was a logical step for me. I always wanted to move abroad and have seen everything in Austria, played for many clubs. Tychy also tried very hard to get me. I also only had six months left on my contract with WSG. And the offer was also financially lucrative, I have to be honest.

The 26-year-old last played for WSG Tirol in the Bundesliga.(Bild: Christof Birbaumer / Kronenzeitung)

...his new center of life: " I've finally moved into an apartment and feel at home, if you can put it that way. Life in the hotel wasn't easy, but that's normal when you change clubs and move to another city. I like the atmosphere here, the people are friendly.

...the quality of Polish soccer: It's higher than I thought. I knew it was athletic, the league is very physical. But there are also some teams that are good players. Tychy is one of them, no question.

The fan behavior is very special, keyword hooligans. In general, the whole thing is a lot more intense than in Austria.

Julius Ertlthaler, Spieler bei GKS Tychy

...the goals with his club: The club definitely has a vision, something is being created. The infrastructure is top, there's nothing missing. We are currently third in the league, the top places are all very close together. The top two teams are promoted directly, while places three to six compete in a play-off. Legia Warsaw and Gdansk are strong rivals who normally play at the top of the Ekstraklasa. However, the goal is clearly promotion.

...Poland's fan culture: It's very special, keyword hooligans. Some clubs have them. At Wisla Krakow, for example, the fans were banned from away games. It's not as wild here, but it's still more intense than in Austria.

Erti" also played dozens of Bundesliga games for Hartberg.(Bild: GEPA pictures)

...his contract situation: " I've signed for a year and a half. If we are promoted during this time, the contract is automatically extended by one year. But I want to establish myself here in the long term and have big plans with Tychy. I was in the starting eleven in my first four games and even scored once. That's encouraging and makes me feel extremely positive.