Hopefully SV Guntamatic Ried will show a different face again after the last international break: Most recently, the Innviertel team suffered two defeats in a row – today the team of coach Maximilian Senft wants to play in the 2nd football league against Bundesliga relegated Austria Lustenau (6 p.m.). return to winning ways. The Vikings had a lot of conversations during the league break – but Ried captain Andreas Leitner doesn’t want to know anything about a crisis mode. “We know that the results recently have been anything but satisfactory, and some of the performance has been poor, but to speak of a crisis mode would be an exaggeration.”
Now it’s about showing the right reaction: “We’re going to Vorarlberg to start a new successful run.” Lustenau, of all people, wants to prevent this from happening because he played in Ried for years in the past – and in the summer he returned to the club where he grew up: Seifedin Chabbi. “It’s always nice to play against former clubs. I spent a total of three wonderful years in Ried, even if the end with relegation wasn’t what you’d like. I’m still a fan of the club, he was an important stage in my career,” says Chabbi.
But he is not doubly motivated – because Ried no longer planned with the attacker a year ago after relegation from the upper house -: “Ried wanted to restart everything after relegation, that’s okay. I don’t take it personally.” With Lustenau, the youngest Bundesliga relegated team resorted to the 31-year-old’s services: After a year-long stint with the Swiss second division club Vaduz, Chabbi returned to the country. “I grew up here, even when my dad was still a coach here. My whole family still lives in Vorarlberg, except for dad, who is currently a coach in Kuwait. Lustenau tried very hard, everything worked out perfectly.”
Lustenau is also doing well in terms of sport and has not lost a game yet (three wins, six draws). “The team has a lot of potential. We have players in the ranks who probably wouldn’t play in Austria’s second division without the cooperation with Clermont. But we’re not yet able to deliver our performance every game.”
Lustenau in the Ried role
His team wants to take on a similar role to that of SV Ried after relegation: “We are in a certain phase of discovery. Things can get really interesting next year at the latest.”
If Chabbi has his way, SV Ried should no longer be one of the opponents: “In terms of the squad, the finances and the environment, there is no discussion: Ried is and remains the favorite for the title.”
Nevertheless, there remains a big “but”: “In 2017 we also had players like Haring, Grgic, Ziegl and Reifeltshammer – everyone said that we would make it through. In the end, Ried didn’t even get promoted, although three clubs were allowed to get promoted. The second league cannot be planned, the games have to be played first.”
Rasner and Havenaar closed
The Rieders have to provide three supports for today’s guest appearance in the Ländle: In addition to the long-term absence Saliou Sane, the suspended Nikki Havenaar and Martin Rasner are also missing. A new face could be in the squad for the first time today: South African newcomer Antonio Van Wyk, who has already trained with his new team for two weeks. Ried also announced yesterday the signing of defender Thomas Jungbauer (19), who is without a club.
