"The fun is gone"
End of career! A Wolfsberg European hero steps down
194 Bundesliga games, a total of 161 for the WAC since 2018: Former Wolfsburg European hero Mike Novak is now officially calling it a day in the "Krone", stepping down from the big stage. The 33-year-old once almost ended up in England, but was recently sent off in cold blood. And now? The lower house of soccer is chasing him!
A mouthpiece. Leading player. European hero. Or in short: a WAC veteran. That's Mike Novak. Undisputed. He has 194 Bundesliga games under his belt and has kept a clean sheet in 161 matches for Wolfsberg since 2018. . .
But the time has come for the 33-year-old to step away from the big stage. "I'm ending my career in June after 15 years as a professional - and I'm proud to have experienced so many wonderful moments," reveals Novak.
Profile
Name: Michael "Mike" Novak.
Born: December 30, 1990 in St. Veit.
Family: Wife Tanja (29), children Noah (4) and Felix (2).
Position: Full-back.
Clubs: St. Veit, Austria Vienna, Mattersburg, WAC.
Bundesliga appearances: 194 games (6 goals).
Second division appearances: 60 games (2 goals).
Europa League appear ances: 14 games.
"Brutal quality under Struber, Feldhofer, Ilzer..."
There was a lot of that: The international successes of the "Wolves" are of course unforgettable. The intelligent right-back played in the legendary 4:0 Europa League victory in Gladbach in 2019, drew twice against AS Roma and faced Tottenham in the round of 16 in 2021 (1:4, 0:4). "We played attractive soccer under Struber, Feldhofer and before that under Ilzer, the quality was really brutal," recalls Novak.
Barnsley wanted him
However, he never made the big leap abroad. Gerhard Struber wanted to take him to Barnsley in 2020. "I was in agreement with the club. In the end, it fell through because of the transfer fee," says Novak.
I'm proud to be part of WAC history. Now I want to enjoy soccer again in the lower divisions.
Mike NOVAK
Autoimmune disease
Mike also knew low points all too well: a slipped disc in 2010 and an autoimmune disease in 2021 both put him out of action for more than half a year. "But I always fought my way back."
Which no longer worked out. Because his last season in Wolfsberg was unworthy: Mike was no longer allowed to go to the winter camp and was sent to the amateurs. "I didn't get the chance to prove myself. That's how the fun got lost."
So what's next for the father of two? "First I want to keep the amateurs in the regional league. After that, I'll play in the lower divisions." Carinthian League club Treibach are said to be interested in him.
To then enter the coaching profession in the distant future. "I want to get my A license, maybe be a head coach at some point." At the WAC? "Who knows. In any case, I am infinitely grateful to the club. Thanks to everyone, it was really cheesy!"
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