Image: GEPA pictures
As a self-confident outsider, Sturm Graz travels to the Principality for the “ultimate challenge”. The football Europa League kick-off on Thursday (9 p.m., ServusTV, Sky) at AS Monaco has provided the glamorous backdrop for the Graz comeback in an international group phase for a decade. “We want to take something with us tomorrow and sell ourselves as dearly as possible,” said sports director Andreas Schicker on Wednesday before departure.
The Polish charter plane took off from Graz-Thalerhof Airport at 11:13 a.m. Inside sat the fully fit storm squad – except for the long-term injuries. Also playmaker Otar Kiteishvili, who was a little beaten again after the successful dress rehearsal against Klagenfurt (2: 1). Also with you: Confidence in your own strengths. “We will try to show our way of football internationally,” said coach Christian Ilzer recently.
The anticipation of the comparison with last year's French third was noticeable in the actors. “Nice opponent, nice destination, great challenge,” said Jakob Jantscher. “Two worlds collide,” said club president Christian Jauk. “It will be exciting to see how an independent membership association can stand up to a millionaire association.”
It's going to be a hot autumn. In addition to Monaco, the group opponents are the Spanish top club Real Sociedad and PSV Eindhoven, the immaculate leaders of the Netherlands, who will be in Graz for the next round on September 30th. “We caught a Champions League group,” noted Jauk.
It was also the premier class that last led the Styrians to the principality. The excursion ended fatally in 2000 when Ivica Osim's usual attacking team ran into the Monegasque. The little Italian Marco Simeone scored a hat trick at 5-0 before the break. Among other things, because of a 2-0 home win against Monaco, Sturm later made the much-acclaimed ascent as group winners.
21 years later, Austria's currently first pursuer of Salzburg expects another practical test in the compact Stade Louis II (audience capacity: 18,500). After all: a cauldron is not to be expected, for the home games of the Association Sportive de Monaco Football Club rarely more than 10,000 people pass the turnstiles. “After the game we will see where we stand. That is a big indicator, I'm curious”, known Schicker, while Ilzer emphasized: “In terms of sport, an ultimate challenge awaits.”
The assumed transfer value of the players certifies that the Monegasque is more than ten times the value of Sturm. But market values do not necessarily score goals, as the stuttering start in Ligue 1 shows with just one win from five rounds. In addition, the eight-time French champions had to digest a bitter end after extra time in the CL qualification as a better team against Shakhtar Donetsk.
This is another reason why Ilzer was convinced that the team of the former FC Bayern coach Niko Kovac would “focus on us and show up with the strongest team”. The people of Graz want to have done their homework themselves. “We have prepared ourselves very well and forged a good plan,” revealed Ilzer and, after a brief smile, added: “Maybe we will also play with a three-man chain.”
According to information from the club, the team is accompanied by over 600 storm fans who arrive by bus or day charter plane. The authorities did not allow the visiting fans in the noble town to get into the mood for a long time before the match. Storm fans are only allowed to enter the principality three and a half hours before kick-off.
