In their favorite stadium

So Sturm has been warned about the “cheaters”!

Cup final 2023 - Sturm has only the best memories of Klagenfurt.(Bild: Sepp Pail)

Now it's down to the wire in the championship! Sturm start their championship group campaign on Sunday (14:30) at Austria Klagenfurt. If Christian Ilzer's team really want to topple Salzburg from the throne, then defeats are forbidden from now on. The Wörthersee-Arena has long been a magical place for the Blacks, who have only lost one game there since March 18, 2009.

Whether against Austria Kärnten (3:1, 3:0), against Austria Klagenfurt (3:0, 2:1, 2:0, 2:0, 3:0), in the 2nd Cup round against Austria Klagenfurt (4:2 n. V.), in the Cup final against Wr. Neustadt (1:0), against Salzburg (1:0 n. V.), against Rapid (2:0), in the Champions League qualifiers against Videoton (2:0), when Foda's team had to move to Klagenfurt due to the Football World Cup in Liebenau, against Salzburg 2021 in the championship (2:1), after the Bundesliga closed the Merkur Arena due to the desolate pitch, and against WAC (1:1, 2:0, 0:0), who moved to the Lindwurmstadt due to the installation of a pitch heating system - Sturm returned home with a clean slate. It only has one stain: In the 2021 Cup semi-final against Salzburg, Sturm had to travel to Klagenfurt (once again because of the pitch) and lost 4-0 to Salzburg. Nonetheless, the record in the last 17 matches at the Wörthersee Arena is a proud one: 14 wins, two draws and just one defeat speak for themselves. The former European Championship stadium is a real feel-good place for the Blacks.

Last year, Sturm celebrated winning the title against Rapid in the Cup final.(Bild: Sepp Pail)

"That's right, we feel at home there. There are always a lot of our fans there because of the proximity. Plus the positive memories of the victories in the Cup finals," says Head of Sport Andreas Schicker. Coach Christian Ilzer always serves up videos of the triumphs against Salzburg and Rapid before games in the Lindwurmstadt. This extra doping will probably not be missing this time either.

But fond memories and impressive statistics don't win games. "Every match is different, we can't rely on that," warns Schicker. "It always goes under what Klagenfurt and Peter Pacult have achieved. They keep cheating their way into the championship group and have only lost four games in the basic round. That's remarkable!"

The Sturm fans' fireworks went around the soccer world(Bild: Sepp Pail)

Roses for Pacult
Sturm have to watch out like hell. Not just because of the European Cup exertions. "We have to get the freshness back in our heads," explains the sporting director. Otherwise Sturm could be in for a rude awakening at the start. "A very dangerous opponent awaits us in Klagenfurt, a team you have to show great respect for. Peter Pacult and his team have made it into the championship group for the third time in a row after promotion - that's no coincidence, but the result of a very good team and very good work," said Ilzer, who is also full of praise for the underdogs.