LASK starts a new era on Friday (8.30 p.m. / live Sky). The Bundesliga home game once morest SC Austria Lustenau is the first in the new Linz stadium. With a capacity of 19,080 spectators, the opening game in the Raiffeisen Arena will not be sold out. LASK trainer Dietmar Kühbauer expects a boost for his team. “We plan to get a threesome here in the first game,” emphasized the Burgenlander.
On Wednesday and Thursday, the athletes completed the first training sessions in their new home. “If you saw the Raiffeisen Arena four months ago, you would not have thought that we would find these opportunities now,” said Kühbauer, who has so far all played his home games as LASK trainer in Pasching. “The most important thing is that we get the points here with this great support. And when I’m gone, they should still get the points.”
The Raiffeisen Arena is something that will last – and according to LASK President Siegmund Gruber it is essential in order to be able to keep up economically with national competitors such as Rapid or Austria Wien. “We are in third place in the table. We want to consolidate that and possibly also move forward,” said the club boss. Four laps before the end of the regular season, the gap to second-placed Salzburg hunters Sturm Graz is eight points.
Kühbauer has been warned regarding the opponent in the opening game. “Lustenau won’t just drive here to see the new stadium,” said the ex-international. In the first duel of the season in September, his team in Vorarlberg did not get beyond a 1-1 draw. “We definitely dropped two points in the autumn.” His players would say they are “hot” or even “hot” to play in the new stadium. “I hope I’m not burning hot following the game.”
Video: OÖN TV got a picture of the new arena
He doesn’t care who scores the first league goal in the Raiffeisen Arena. “As long as we score one goal more than the opponent,” emphasized Kühbauer. His team is unbeaten in three competitive games this spring, but has never scored more than one goal. Playmaker Robert Zulj was recently struggling with an illness, central defender Felix Luckeneder will miss a league game for the first time this season due to his suspension. Philipp Wiesinger might make a comeback following his pubic bone problems. “He’s definitely an alternative,” said Kühbauer.
With the exception of the suspended Darijo Grujcic and the ailing Yuliwes Bellache, the Lustenauers have plenty to draw from. “We’re all looking forward to this game because we can be the first Alex Reed when the stadium opens,” explained coach Markus Mader. “We’re also expecting a very strong Linz team. We know what’s coming, but we’re looking forward to it.”
LASK has only lost one of its last seven league games (0:1 at Rapid), promoted Lustenau only one of the youngest six – at the start of spring with 0:4 in Salzburg. After their 1-0 win once morest Austria Vienna, the bottom of the table still has a chance of participating in the championship group. Only two points are missing in sixth place. After the final training session on Thursday, the coach journey to Linz took place.
It will be a return for Lustenau’s Stefano Surdanovic, as he played in the LASK city rivals Blau-Weiss from 2019 to 2022. “The stadium is ultra-modern, it will definitely be a highlight this season,” said the Upper Austrian. “We’ve been training for a lifetime so that we can play in stadiums like this,” added LASK full-back Rene Renner. All players would have been happy to return to Linz following more than two years in Pasching. “I think we’ll experience a lot of really cool moments here.”
