Comments on the game

Ilzer: “That really annoys me!”

Christian Ilzer(Bild: GEPA pictures)

Sturm Graz had a clear 2-0 lead at the break in the supplementary match of the 6th round at Austria - but had to settle for a 2-2 draw after two exclusions. Coach Christian Ilzer didn't like that at all ...

Christian Ilzer (Sturm coach): "A 2-2 draw in the end and a performance that makes me happy for my boys. It was a very strong performance in both halves, the first in terms of play, the second in terms of fighting spirit and mentality. We did everything we could not to leave the pitch as losers, we threw everything into the battle. In that respect, I'm proud of the lads. It was a good reaction to Sunday, the team presented the image that we expect, the attacking face that we can play a good footballing opponent with pace and teamwork."

On the refereeing performance, the master coach said: "The fact that the referees have so much influence on the balance of power in the game annoys me massively. The flood of cards really annoys me."

Stephan Helm (Austria coach): "In the first 15 minutes against a very strong Sturm team, you could see what we set out to do. That was totally okay. From the 20th minute onwards, Sturm showed why they are the reigning champions and cup winners. They showed us where we still have work to do. At half-time, I said that we had to catch ourselves and force our luck. We managed to do that in a somewhat special way. It's not so easy to play against such a defensive block and we were still able to generate clear finishing opportunities at the end. A three-pointer might even have been possible."