Reaction to debacle

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A heavy defeat for LASK in the Conference League. And also one with personnel consequences?

(Bild: GEPA/GEPA pictures)

After the 0:7 debacle away against Fiorentina, the signs at LASK are pointing to a change. The revelation in the form of a record defeat is not the first time they have realized that changes are needed. "If you look at the international performances, you have to be honest and say that LASK has lost nothing internationally this year," summed up coach Markus Schopp and announced changes.

The Linzers lacked a lot and had nothing to counter the enthusiasm of the Serie A fourth-placed team. There was a lack of class, but also a lack of resistance. "The way we played from the first to the last second was catastrophic. We didn't have a single chance. We had ten total failures in the game," said captain Robert Zulj in the ServusTV interview, taking himself and his team to task.

"If you lose 7:0, you have no business playing internationally. I feel bad, almost embarrassed," said Valon Berisha. "You can lose to a team like that, but not like that," said Sascha Horvath after the second 7-0 defeat in the club's European Cup history, having also lost by the same margin in the UEFA Cup first round second leg at Ujpest in Budapest on September 28, 1977.

Schopp sees no collective
LASK have collected just two points in five games in this Conference League season, which puts them 34th in the league table with 36 clubs. In the Bundesliga, the Black & Whites are only in seventh place for the winter and therefore outside the championship group ranks. Schopp, who took over from Thomas Darasz at the beginning of September, initially saw an upturn in fortunes, but this has recently fizzled out again.

No surprise for Schopp. "It was pretty clear for weeks and months, even at times when we had better results, that we had a very long and difficult road ahead of us," said the coach in an interview with Sky. He criticized the lack of team structure, "many individualists" and that "LASK is miles away from being compact and performing well as a collective".

Markus Schopp

(Bild: GEPA/GEPA pictures)

The Linzers still have their final home game in the Conference League against Vikingur Reykjavik on December 19, which they want to win. Then it's time for the winter break, during which changes will be made. But that's not the end of it. "We need clarity and changes to get LASK where it wants to be. This is certainly not a story of weeks or months. You need a clear picture of the direction you want to go in. I'm pretty sure in which direction it has to go. We'll see later which player will be involved," announced Schopp.