Film about FC Wacker

History of a legend soon to be on the big screen

The project is backed by independent filmmakers, historians and fans of the traditional Tyrolean club.

(Bild: Filmkollektiv Innsbruck)

Filmmakers, historians and soccer fans are planning a film about the early days of FC Wacker Innsbruck. A crowdfunding campaign has now been launched to make the passion project financially possible. Those responsible are hoping for numerous supporters.

"Legend, myth, declared dead, indestructible!" Hardly any other soccer club in Austria can look back on such an eventful and often difficult history as FC Wacker Innsbruck. It ranges from its humble beginnings before the First World War to its sporting heights in the 1970s and around the turn of the millennium to its near demise and resurrection in the early 2000s.

The project is backed by independent filmmakers, historians and fans of the traditional Tyrolean club.

(Bild: Filmkollektiv Innsbruck)

Legendary duels at the time-honored Tivoli
With ten league titles and seven cup wins, the traditional Tyrolean club was long regarded as the most successful club in Austria outside of Vienna. Legendary teams such as Real Madrid, Roma, Gladbach and Liverpool were the opponents at the time-honored Tivoli Stadium in unforgettable appearances in the European Cup.

(Bild: Filmkollektiv Innsbruck)

But away from the green turf, the history of FCW has always been characterized by change and the search for its identity. The name, colors and crest have rarely been constant and have often been the subject of controversy. It is somehow fitting for the history of this club that it is now playing in the fourth division after renewed financial difficulties.

Much of the history is shrouded in mystery
However, there is a lot that remains unclear about the beginnings of the Black & Greens and Innsbruck's soccer history. "Even if you're interested, it's very difficult to find out anything. Almost nothing has been preserved in the archives and there is very little to be found at clubs either," emphasizes historian Joachim Bürgschwentner.

A team photo from 1920 is one of the oldest documents of FC Wacker Innsbruck that still exists.

(Bild: Stadtarchiv Innsbruck)

"Getting to the bottom of the Wacker myth" 
This is another reason why the Innsbruck Film Collective - an association of filmmakers, historians and, above all, Wacker sympathizers - is planning to make a documentary film about the largely unknown history of FC Wacker in the period between 1913 and 1945. "The aim is to get to the bottom of the myth of Wacker Innsbruck and bring it closer to the general public," says the film collective.

Interviews with historians will also shed light on the history of the provincial capital and the social situation at the time.

Crowdfunding campaign

More information about the film project and the crowdfunding campaign can be found at www.filmkollektiv-innsbruck.com

The makers are expecting a total budget of around 25,000 euros for the film and have now launched a crowdfunding campaign. The film is due to be shown on various screens in the fall of 2025.