What's going on in Tirol?

“SpongeBob-Gate” becomes an agitator in the relegation battle

(Bild: Screenshot/Instagram_wsgtirol)

The fear of collusion in the Bundesliga relegation battle is spreading! Will WSG Tirol really go all out in the duel with Altach? Now an Instagram post by the Watteners from last fall is causing quite a stir. There, the Tyroleans present themselves as the comic character SpongeBob, while Altach is depicted as his best friend Patrick Star.

Three characters from the comic series SpongeBob adorn a post on WSG Tirol's Instagram page from 18 September 2023, showing how octopus Thaddeus Quentin Tentacle - who is supposed to symbolize Austria Lustenau - observes the cheering WSG sponge head Spongebob and the happy Altach starfish Patrick Star from a distance. The two best friends are celebrating WSG Tirol's 3:2 victory over Lustenau.

And the acronym WSG, which normally stands for Wattener Sportgemeinschaft, is quickly reformulated as "WirSiegenGemeinsam". True to the motto "Cheers to the magic mussel", as SpongeBob and Patrick always say. No wonder Thaddeus Quentin looks suspiciously at "Bikini Bottom".

Memories of 2022
Will the Lustenau fans have to look at Innsbruck's Tivoli on Saturday with as much trepidation as the tentacle looks at the SpongeBob world? Because it's not just conspiracy buffs who are wondering: Will the two clubs go head-to-head on Saturday and agree on a draw? Then Altach would be saved, Austria would definitely be relegated and Wattens would not be too hurt by the loss of points. Especially as WSG already traveled to the Cashpoint Arena with a B team in their last match in 2022, the home side won 2:1 and Admira were relegated in the end.

In 2022, Altacher secured relegation in their last home game - against WSG Tirol, who had traveled with a B team.(Bild: GEPA pictures)

A failed joke
How did the irritating post end up on WSG's Insta page? According to press spokesman Maximilian Hagleitner - the son of WSG coach Thomas Silberberger - the "SpongeBob-Gate" from the fall was nothing more than a joke. In hindsight, however, it was a very unsuccessful one. Because after the Tirol victory in Lustenau, some Altach fans expressed their joy about it in the WSG forum, which is not very popular. This prompted Altach press spokesman Manuel Willam and his Tyrolean colleague Hagleitner to launch a joint SpongeBob campaign.

WSG coach Thomas Silberberger and Altach coach Joachim Standfest warm up before the last game in the Rheindorf.(Bild: GEPA pictures)

WSG wants to give Silberberger victory
But the net saves everything and feeds the fear that the fair competition might not be forgotten during the friendly romp and games in the jellyfish fields of Bikini Bottom.

At WSG Tirol, the opposite is true and they want to give their outgoing coach a victory as a farewell present.