Whether the new season will be started with coach Gerald Baumgartner, who was unable to successfully complete the mission relegation, and sports director Georg Zellhofer, who had previously had no success as an interim coach, is still in the stars. In St. Pölten there was an improvement over the first game, but overall it was far too little to turn the duel around. The Klagenfurters defended cleverly, you never had the feeling that they could still gamble away the lead.
At Klagenfurt, a substantial part of the sporting success goes to Peter Pacult. The coach had been brought in to replace Robert Micheu in the winter in order to realize the promotion, which actually succeeded in the end. That is also thanks to ten wins in the last eleven games. Pacult made his return to the Bundesliga almost exactly a decade after his departure from Rapid. As a thank you, there was a beer shower from his players, who, in contrast to the narrowly missed promotion in 2020, were able to cheer at the end this time.
St. Pölten tried hard, but with few chances
“I already have the feeling that the boys want to show once again that they have always been beaten under value in the end,” SKN trainer Gerald Baumgartner had announced before the game. On the pitch, his protégés were more committed and tried than they were on Wednesday in the Wörthersee Stadium, but found hardly any means to pose real problems for the guests’ defense. On the other hand, the Klagenfurters almost took the lead. Striker Pink just missed the goal (15th).
It was only shortly before the break whistle that the home side, who were clearly defining the game, were at least initially dangerous. With a Ljubicic header, the timing was not right (43rd), a Hugi shot was deflected to the corner (45th + 1). Even after this corner, the conclusion left a lot to be desired. A look at the statistics also made this clear: With a plus of 5: 1 shots for St. Pölten, the shots on goal were 0: 0 as in the match.
Pink hits and is brutally fouled
After the break, the game picked up speed. The hosts were forced to risk everything and presented themselves better than before. The ball just didn’t want to go into the goal. Kofi Schulz failed after a Booth corner and Muhamedbegovic extension on the crossbar (54th). Muhamedbegovic missed from the best position from 14 meters (73.).
Klagenfurt contented themselves with managing the lead in the first leg, but won anyway, as Pink made everything clear with his third goal in the relegation in the 86th minute. Two minutes later, Robert Ljubicic struck Pink down from behind and was rightly excluded. He will therefore also be absent from his new Club Rapid at the start of the season.
Two Carinthian clubs first class
For the first time since 1984/85 (Austria Klagenfurt, SV Spittal / Drau), two clubs from Carinthia will again be represented in the top division in the next season with Austria Klagenfurt and the WAC. The executive committee of the association, which has led tax consultant Herbert Matschek as president since November 2020, is particularly pleased about this. He is supported by media manager Zeljko Karajica as vice president. From a financial point of view, the Hamburg entrepreneur (project and real estate developer) Tomislav Karajica plays a decisive role.
Bundesliga relegation, second leg
Saturday:
St. Pölten – Austria Klagenfurt 0: 1 (0: 0)
St. Pölten, NV Arena, 2,000 spectators, SR Lechner.
St. Pölten: Gremsl – Servania (52./Blauensteiner), Muhamedbegovic, Maranda, Schulz – D. Luxbacher (58./Asadi), R. Ljubicic, Schütz (52./Tetteh) – Booth (77./Halper), Hugi, Schmidt
Klagenfurt: Menzel – Straudi, Gkezos, Mahrer, Moreira – Rusek, Cvetko – Andersson (60./Paul), Greil (72./Hadzic), Miesenböck (58./Hütter, 72./Saravanja) – Pink
Rote Maps: R. Ljubicic (88./Foul)
Yellow cards: Muhamedbegovic, D. Luxbacher, Schütz, Servania or Miesenböck, Pacult (trainer), Moreira
The best: Schulz and Mahrer, Gkezos, Greil
First leg: 0: 4 – Klagenfurt with a total score of 5: 0 next season in the Bundesliga, St. Pölten is relegated to the 2nd division.
