These words go down like a treat: Even though the SV Guntamatic Ried players were knocked out of the ÖFB Cup after their 1:3 defeat against Austria’s reigning double winners Sturm Graz, the Innviertel team received praise from all sides for their courageous performance. “I have great respect for Ried’s performance. I really liked them in the preparation for this game. Even though it’s still very early in the season, Ried is ready for the Bundesliga for me,” said championship coach Christian Ilzer, who had already spoken of the “toughest possible draw” in the second round of the cup before kick-off.
Video: Ried coach Maximilian Senft after the game:
A little later, the 46-year-old went into even more detail: “You can only congratulate the way the team works here. The squad is well put together, and a clear idea can be seen in every phase of the game. But not only the team, but also the support team and the environment with the stadium belong in the Bundesliga.” 5,800 fans turned the Innviertel Arena into a madhouse – and despite the defeat, they celebrated their players long after the final whistle. Ilzer: “They also infected the audience with their energetic performance.”
But it wasn’t just the Graz coach who was full of praise – Sturm’s sports director Andreas Schicker, who played in Ried between 2004 and 2006 and between 2012 and 2014, even spoke of a black eye that his team got away with in the early stages: “Ried made it really difficult for us. It was important that we got through the early stages without conceding a goal.”
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Schicker keeps his fingers crossed for Ried
It wasn’t enough for his former club in the cup – but the 38-year-old is keeping his fingers crossed for Ried this season: “I was in Ried for a long time and had a great time here. I would like to be able to play in the Bundesliga in Ried next year. When I see how they performed today and started in the second division, then that will happen.”
But will he still be working in Austria? The German Bundesliga club Hoffenheim is said to be still closely pursuing Schicker, and a transfer in the winter is rumored. In Ried, Schicker was reserved: “Everyone knows how comfortable I feel at Sturm. We still have important days ahead of us in the final stages of the transfer process, and then we will see what my future holds.”
Video: This is what Ried goalkeeper Andreas Leitner says about the first goal conceded:
Senft was positively surprised
After the game, Ried coach Max Senft also looked to the future: “Lafnitz is waiting for us in less than 72 hours. We must not make the mistake of thinking about this game any longer, neither positively nor negatively. Lafnitz is a completely different opponent now, I think it will be one of the most dangerous games of the season.”
The performance of his team against Sturm surprised him somewhat – in a positive way: “I had high hopes for my team, but I didn’t expect them to start like that. If you want to create a cup sensation against the reigning double winners, you have to take a lead of at least 1-0 in this phase.”
