Party in Weinzödl
“The future is bright”: GAK back after 17 years!
Following their promotion to Austria's top flight on Sunday, GAK are back where they feel they belong.
17 years after their expulsion from paradise, the Red Jackets have now crowned their march through from the eighth tier and have come to stay. The future should not just be red, but rosy. "There are completely different opportunities in the Bundesliga," said chairman Rene Ziesler with conviction.
"Our tradition and the demands of the fans" would clearly underpin the GAK's aspirations, Ziesler is certain. The Bundesliga is therefore the natural habitat of the Grazer Athletiksport-Klub 1902. "By obtaining the license, we have already proven structurally that the club is ready for the Bundesliga," emphasized building contractor Ziesler, who has been on board since 2017 and is also represented by name on the now broad player chest.
Relegation as the goal
However, even if the euphoria is great after the team only missed out on promotion in the final round of 2023, the next milestone remains modest. "It would of course be presumptuous to aim for more than staying in the league in the first year. Beyond that, we are of course considering how we want to go about it. But we'll only talk about that once we've accomplished the mission of staying in the league," explained Ziesler.
In terms of tradition, GAK may be a big club, having been a member of one of the top two divisions for 57 consecutive years until 2007, winning the league once (2004) and the cup four times (1981, 2000, 2002, 2004). In organizational terms, however, it is a relatively small, young club. "We come from the first division and have basically rebuilt everything from scratch - always with the big goal in the background. The process began many years ago. We wanted to position ourselves in such a way that the club could take the step into the Bundesliga," said Ziesler, who also sees the future of GAK as a members' club and will regain academy status in the youth sector in 2022.
No alternative to promotion
In a way, there was no alternative to promotion. "We couldn't continue in the 2nd division in terms of budget. Financially, it's a completely different ball game in the Bundesliga, in terms of the TV money, the attractiveness of the opponents and the sponsorship opportunities. We know exactly what steps need to be taken," emphasized Ziesler. "We are already structurally ready, but we also have the ambition to develop further in terms of personnel. One or two employees will be added." An initial signal was sent out in April with the appointment of Sebastian Pernhaupt, who previously worked as Head of Marketing for the Bundesliga and before that as Director of Sponsorship and Marketing at Rapid.
The budget, which was "just over 5 million euros" in the current season, is to be increased to "between around 7.5 and 8 million" in 2024/25. Ziesler is still the main sponsor, but will soon take a step back. "That it will stay that way is not yet certain. Talks are already well advanced. We offer a very, very good advertising opportunity. But I will definitely stay on board as a sponsor."
Transfers and stadium issue
Last but not least, money is also to be generated on the transfer market - at least to a certain extent. "The Salzburg model cannot be copied because completely different resources are available. Every club has to find a good way for itself. Sports director Dieter Elsneg has already shown a very good nose in the past," said Ziesler with regard to U21 team kicker Paul Koller, for example, who moved to Altach in 2023 after a year at GAK for a reported EUR 300,000.
An ongoing issue in recent months has been the question of a venue of their own - the dream of all fans who currently share the Merkur Arena with Sturm Graz. At present, there is not much to suggest that such a solution will be implemented in the short term. "The stadium is now being adapted so that both fan curves can use the stadium and the fan sectors are separated. That wasn't easy, but it's currently the only feasible solution," said Ziesler, who is still hopeful. "I am confident that if the two Graz clubs continue to work so successfully, a two-stadium solution can be found."
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