Klagenfurt at the WAC

After ASK’s exit: Regional league teams breathe a sigh of relief

Treibach and ace Mike Novak (right) attack in the regional league.

(Bild: Sobe Hermann/Sobe)

The regional league clubs attested to ASK Klagenfurt's bad behavior and are happy that they no longer have to go to Fischl. Instead, Treibach are now attacking in the third-highest division - and deep into their pockets to do so. Carinthia's second regional league representative, WAC Amateure, will be relying on a Klagenfurt coach for the new season. .

A costly adventure! This is what awaits Treibach in the Regionalliga Mitte. The club is forking out around 250,000 euros for a season. "That's just for the match operations for the fighting team, there are no youngsters involved," explains Treibach's sports boss Stefan Weitensfelder. The travel costs alone - more than 5,000 kilometers are covered for the away games - including meals, are between 25,000 and 30,000 euros. "But we are only working within our means - nobody needs to worry about us. If we don't manage to stay in the league, we'll be 100 percent financially healthy again in the Carinthian league."

1st round of the Central Regional League

Friday: Treibach - Wallern, Deutschlandsberg - Hertha Wels, DSV Leoben - LASK/OÖ Amateure, Weiz - Vöcklamarkt (all 19).
Saturday: Wildon - Gurten (18), Oedt - Vorwärts Steyr (18.30), St. Anna/Aigen - Gleisdorf (19).
Sunday: WAC Amateure - Ried Amateure (17.30).

This is Weitensfelder's first season as a sports boss in the regional league. "I'm excited to see how things are going with the established clubs. What it still takes to be a real third division club." This will be the Kurstädter's third appearance in the Regionalliga after the 2021/22 and 2022/23 seasons.

Not a spectator magnet
However, a boom in spectators is not expected. "In the first year, people were curious and Treibach still had good numbers. In the second, there were fewer. We won't get anywhere near the crowds you get for a derby against Kraig," says Weitensfelder.

Treibach's sports boss Stefan Weitensfelder.

(Bild: Sobe Hermann/Sobe)

He is looking forward to one opponent in particular: the relegated DSV Leoben. He has known Thomas Janeschitz, the sports director of the Donawitz club, for a long time: "He was once my trainer at the ÖFB. We had a lot of good conversations back then."

In sporting terms, the aim is of course to stay in the top flight and is also relying on home-grown talent. Among others, 17-year-old Tristan Stocklauser and Timo Sampl (18) will be given their chance. "And there is also a lot of talent coming up from the youth ranks. It would be important for us to stay in the regional league," says Weitensfelder. One thing is clear: Treibach is the big underdog. 

Viel Kritik für Klagenfurter Klub

Regionalliga-Teams atmen nach ASK-Aus auf

ASK Klagenfurt made a poor showing in the Regionalliga Mitte! In sporting terms, twelfth place was okay. Off the pitch, however, they didn't make any new friends - because the other clubs were so annoyed by Klagenfurt's performances that they are now even happy that they no longer have to travel to Fischl. Because the club was voluntarily relegated and has now formed a 2nd division team with HSV.

Dietmar Thuller also caused a stir in the regional league.

(Bild: Sobe Hermann/Sobe)

The former team around coach Dietmar Thuller did everything to make life difficult for their opponents: For example, the visitors were sometimes forbidden to warm up on the main pitch - they were supposed to warm up on the artificial turf. "The other teams were provoked. It didn't make a good impression," explains Silvo Kumer, former regional league chairman.

The Styrian clubs also complained about the kick-off times for home matches, sometimes on Sunday mornings, as they had to arrive very early.

Furthermore, clubs from abroad complained about the way the ASK coaching team dealt with referees. The Klagenfurt team should have been confronted with all these issues at the season-ending regional league meeting. However, none of the club's representatives showed up. .

Ex-Klagenfurt-Goalietrainer heuert beim WAC an

Jungwölfe profitierten vom ASK-Chaos

It was a drama for the WAC Amateurs in the pre-season. Tied on points with 13th-placed Gleisdorf, they were supposedly relegated to the Carinthian League - but Nemanja Rnic's team managed to get a ticket to the regional league after all thanks to ASK's decision not to play. "This is extremely important for the talents in sporting terms," says the coach.

WAC amateur coach Nemanja Rnic.

(Bild: Sobe Hermann/Sobe)

To prevent such a disaster from happening again, some things have to change. The young Wolves must not oversleep the start again: In the previous season, they only scored twelve points in the fall and finished last. They even finished sixth in the spring table with 23 points. But that was not enough. Rnic: "With young teams, there is always a development until the spring - this year we have to find ourselves more quickly."

In any case, the coaching team has been reshuffled: Rafael Graf is the new "co", ex-Austria-Klagenfurt goalkeeping coach Thomas Lenuweit takes over the goalkeepers after Christian Dobnik's departure to Hartberg.

Thomas Lenuweit moves to the WAC

(Bild: GEPA/GEPA pictures)

An experienced duo should bring more quality to the field: In addition to Konstantin Kerschbaumer, ace striker Thorsten Röcher also came down from the pros. Plus the two Ukrainian Romaniuk twins Bohdan and Kyrylo (23) from ASK. "We have more experience this time," says Rnic.