GAK coach

“This year was a turbo boost for my career”

Petar Filipovic (left) and GAK left the relegation zone with the win in Linz.

(Bild: GEPA pictures)

GAK welcome WAC on Saturday. After eight points from four games and two recent victories, the promoted team's chest has broadened considerably. For coach Rene Poms, the game against the Carinthians is special anyway - because his career practically began in Wolfsberg.

GAK's chest is broad! Thanks to eight points from four games with the recent hard-earned 2:1 win at BW Linz, the promoted team left the relegation zone and sent the "red lantern" to Altach in Vorarlberg. "We also did it in a way that was very respectable. Our chest should be broad now, because the two recent wins should have given us enough confidence," said coach Rene Poms.

GAK and captain Marco Perchtold recently celebrated eight points from four games.

(Bild: GEPA pictures)

On Saturday, the WAC come to Liebenau, against whom there is still a score to settle. The first leg ended 4:2 for the Carinthians. "But I don't look at the opponent too much. We know their strengths and also their weaknesses. Basically, though, the focus is completely on us," explained the coach. "We know what we have to do. We can't influence the opponent. I only concentrate on the controllable factors."

Rene Poms (left) met Nenad Bjelica (right) for the first time as assistant coach at the WAC, with whom he celebrated numerous successes in succession.

(Bild: GEPA pictures)

However, the WAC is not just any club for Poms. The 49-year-old has already been on the touchline himself in Wolfsberg. "It was a real turbo boost for my career and my whole future. That's more or less where my whole path began. It was the first year in the Bundesliga for the club, and for me too," the Styrian recalls. He worked under Nenad Bjelica as second assistant coach and as head of the amateurs. "That was a great experience for me because I was able to learn a lot and put it into practice with the amateurs. It was a top year for me and I left with a heavy heart. I felt very, very comfortable." Bjelica then went to Austria, Lech Poznan, Spezia and Dinamo Zagreb, among others.

Poms was a topic at the WAC in the summer
In the summer, Poms even held talks with the WAC, who ultimately opted for Didi Kühbauer. "I sat down with the president. We discussed whether it could be a possibility. The WAC then decided otherwise," says the current GAK coach, who is very happy with the way things turned out. After his adventure at PAS Giannina in the Greek second division, he ended up at GAK in mid-October. "So everything actually worked out perfectly."

Michael Lang (right) had to cancel training on Thursday.

(Bild: GEPA pictures)

In any case, he has no worries about the personnel situation in defense. Michael Lang had to pull out of training on Thursday. "I'm in good spirits that he'll be able to play on Saturday." In addition to the suspended defenders Milos Jovicic and Benjamin Rosenberger, Lukas Graf, who was injured in the game in Linz, will also be missing. "There are always situations like this in soccer, that's why we have such a big squad. Otherwise you'd only need eleven players anyway. That's why I'm quite relaxed about it. Now other players get their chance and can prove themselves."