New GAK project:

The next step towards a red professional comeback

The planned academy hall (in the background) is a stone's throw away from the artificial turf at TZ Weinzödl.

(Bild: Sepp Pail)

Like Sturm in Puntigam, GAK is planning a center for women's and academy operations in Weinzödl. 140 athletes are to be given a home in the former horse farm.

We are in good talks and the lawyers are already drawing up the contracts, but we don't want to talk officially about this project, which is planned for women and the academy, yet!" GAK president Rene Ziesler is tight-lipped about the rumors about the planned project in the direct vicinity of the Weinzödl training center, which was made public by a press release from the city of Graz in the course of the last Sturm general assembly and the funding commitment for the Blackies' planned second training center in Puntigam.

The Krone asked around a bit about the red ideas in Weinzödl (which are to be supported by the state and city):

The hall (l.) and the area for the planned academy project is within sight of TZ Weinzödl.

(Bild: Wulf Scherbichler)

The "Academy Park" project is planned on the site of the abandoned horse farm opposite TZ Weinzödl (across Wiener Straße). It will serve as a home for the women's and academy teams, for which GAK has recently been granted a license, as well as the amateur team. 140 athletes (60 of them women) are to be given new training facilities a stone's throw away from the current training center.

A 55 by 30 meter hall (already existing) is to be adapted, along with office space and a new artificial turf pitch. Another hall is to be used for athletics and rehabilitation training.

GAK president Rene Ziesler (right) and manager Matthias Dielacher are hoping for an "expansion" in Weinzödl

(Bild: Christian Jauschowetz)

The additional pitch is also intended to relieve the pressure on the GAK professionals' pitches at TZ Weinzödl, which have so far been heavily used by many teams.

With a view to the big goals (promotion to the top flight), the "professional bubble" in the training center should return to its original state. GAK has already regained most of the infrastructure that was previously rented out externally - only the strength area is still being used by external physiotherapists. Big wish: Everything should be back in GAK hands as soon as possible.