At the national level, things are going well for SK Sturm Graz again this season; the Austrian double winners have suffered three defeats in the Champions League so far. The big highlight awaits on Tuesday at Borussia Dortmund.
It wasn't too long ago that there was a complete state of emergency in Graz, Austria: On May 19, 2024, SK Sturm won the league and cup double for the second time in the club's history – and thus broke the years of dominance of Krösus Red Bull Salzburg. As if that wasn't enough, the club qualified for the Champions League for the first time in 23 years. However, we hadn't yet grown up to it.
CL league phase – 4th matchday
With zero points from three games, Sturm is only in 32nd place in the table before the guest appearance at Borussia Dortmund (Tuesday, 9 p.m., LIVE! on kicker). The Graz team scored their only goal so far in the premier class on the first matchday at Stade Brest (1:2), after which Sturm was in the home games – which the club has to play in Klagenfurt – against Club Bruges (0:1) and Sporting Lisbon (0 :2) largely without a chance.
Ilzer's teaching
It seems extremely unrealistic that Sturm's points account would increase with last season's Champions League finalist. Although the Styrians – unlike Red Bull Salzburg – did reasonably well in terms of results, a difference in class was visible in all three matches. This was particularly evident against Sporting, in which head coach Christian Ilzer deviated from his preferred 4-4-2 formation with a diamond and instead relied on a 4-2-2-2 system. This was probably also a lesson from numerous European Cup games in the past, in which Sturm often had (too) little to counter them on the wings.
Of course, Ilzer's measure against Sporting was not successful. The much higher quality of the individual players compared to the domestic Bundesliga has meant that his team has reached its limits in the premier class. And yet – although the result tells a different story – the game against Sporting was the most appealing at Champions League level. “That was the best performance so far,” said the 47-year-old himself – and was referring to something that has characterized Sturm for years: the ability to quickly adapt to new challenges.
While Sturm was still an Austrian medium-sized company when Ilzer took office in the summer of 2020, the club gradually developed into Salzburg's biggest challenger over the past four years. This was made possible primarily through clever transfers orchestrated by Managing Director Sport Andreas Schicker, who has since moved to Hoffenheim. For Rasmus Höjlund, Emanuel Emegha and Alexander Prass, the Black and Whites earned transfer income in the double-digit million range. Something that was considered unthinkable before the Schicker era.
Stable framework and talented loan players
However, there have been no major personnel losses in the recent past. Key players like Jusuf Gazibegovic and Otar Kiteishvili as well as the currently injured Gregory Wüthrich and Jon Gorenc Stankovic have formed the team's framework for many years, which this season will be supplemented by some talented loan players. Lovro Zvonarek (Bayern Munich), Erencan Yardimci (1899 Hoffenheim) and Malick Yalcouyé (Brighton & Hove Albion) are currently wearing the black and white jersey.
Getting the loan players used to the intensive running and pressing game took a little longer this season than hoped in Graz. After a slow start to the season, the wheels are now meshing better and better. In the league, Sturm leads the table by three points over the Viennese after the 1-1 draw in the top game against Rapid. In the cup, only three wins separate the club from their third triumph in a row. Ilzer was also satisfied with the path taken and was “definitely” on the way to getting back to the level of the double season. But: “Internationally it's of course a different level.” Next reality check: Tuesday, 9 p.m., Dortmund.
