Pongau communities

Derby of opposites between St. Johann and BSK

Can St. Johann's Benjamin Ajibade (left) and Sandro Djuric cheer against Bischofshofen?(Bild: Andreas Tröster)

It's derby time in the Westliga! St. Johann welcomes neighbor Bischofshofen on Friday (19). Just like the two Pongau clubs' standings, their philosophies are also very different. A real derby feeling will probably only arise among the players of one team. Two young bulls have a special relationship.

When two neighboring communities meet on Friday, it is probably only a real derby for the players of one team. St. Johann versus Bischofshofen in the 20th round of the Westliga nevertheless promises to be an explosive affair.

Different philosophies of the clubs
While St. Johann relies on home-grown players, Patrick Reiter from BSK keeps importing players from abroad. The table sorted by national and international players is particularly interesting. In a ranking in which only domestic goalscorers count, BSK would only have scored four goals and would therefore be second last in the Westliga. St. Johann, meanwhile, would be in a secure mid-table position. If only goals scored by foreign players counted, Bischofshofen would be laughing from second place and St. Johann would not have scored a single goal.

Last derby for veteran coach
This will be St. Johann coach Ernst Lottermoser's last clash with BSK before he steps down in the summer. He has been on the sidelines at St. Johann since 2016, while Bischofshofen has had eight different coaches in that time. Adonis Spica had to step in several times. "I'm only thinking about the game and hope that we can build on the performances from the Easter weekend," said the veteran, who was satisfied with the performances at Schwaz and in the national cup. Nevertheless, he knows: "A derby is not like any other game!" This could also be an opportunity for his team. Because from a purely sporting point of view, they are clear outsiders, 13 points behind Bischofshofen in 13th place.

Significance of the derby
"It certainly has more significance for us," says Lottermoser. Because many of his players have roots in Bischofshofen, work or live there. "We know what a derby is." Sebastian Oberkofler also knows: "It's the most important game of the year for us!" The legionnaires from BSK have a different connection to the two communities, but still want to go into the game motivated, says coach Adonis Spica: "Every player knows a derby from their country and knows what it is."

Two young bulls split in two
Lukas Wallner and Luka Reischl from Pongau now play for FC Liefering in the second division. While the central defender is neutral ("I like both clubs very much and wish them both well"), Reischl has a slight bias: "Because I played in Bischofshofen for two years, I still have my heart there. That's why I'm a little bit more loyal to Bischofshofen."