League to be reduced

ASK’s deep fall is complete: 2nd class awaits

ASK sporting director Matthias Dollinger (left) also had to let coach Didi Thuller go during the weeks of chaos.(Bild: Sobe Hermann)

After withdrawing from the regional league, ASK is now at the bottom. The place in the Carinthian league, which they could have taken over from the WAC Amateurs, was not accepted. They will therefore drop down to the 2nd division - in a joint venture with HSV. And a former Austria star is supposed to help. Grafenstein has a new coach.

The chaos has come to an end! Following its voluntary relegation from the regional league, ASK Klagenfurt is also relinquishing its place in the Carinthian league. "We're making a fresh start in the 2nd division," revealed Head of Sport Matthias Dollinger.

There, the team will play as the ASK/HSV joint venture both in Fischl and at the Heeressportplatz. Following the resignation of coach Dietmár Thuller, Willi Ogris will take over as coach, while Austria Klagenfurt team manager Sandro Zakany will help out as a player. "If it works out for him in terms of time."

"The club is debt-free"
"We're not doing this to ourselves any more, certain player salary demands are crazy," sighs Dollinger, who had his squad broken by the collapse of the cooperation with Austria. "We had told many players - after the cooperation was actually already fixed - that we could no longer plan with them because we needed space for the Austria talents. So, in terms of the squad, it wouldn't have worked out in the Carinthian league either." The good thing, however: "We're debt-free!"

ÖFB Cup place is gone
The goal now? Dollinger: "Promote talent - and become a solid lower league club." The ÖFB Cup place is gone, Sportunion Mauer is definitely one round further. 

Carinthian league will not be expanded
The league will be reduced to 15 clubs - also due to time constraints. Grafenstein and Wölfnitz could otherwise have been relegated. Grafenstein will start the next lower league season without former coach Sinan Bytyqi. The 29-year-old has joined Belgian first division club VV St. Truiden as assistant coach.

Stroj new coach
Incidentally, the new coach at Grafenstein is St. Jakob's former coach Alex Stroj.