SK Sturm Graz covered the word “Graz” on the crests of their training jackets during the team’s walk-on ahead of their Thursday Europa League fixture in Bournemouth, staging a direct protest against the sponsorship cuts of Holding Graz GmbH.
Sturm Graz Covers City Crest in Bournemouth
The Austrian club taped over the city name on their apparel before kickoff in Bournemouth. Sturm officials released a statement via social media declaring Kein Sport-Sponsoring, kein Respekt, keine Wertschätzung.
The club argued that because they represent Graz on the European stage (Der SK Puntigamer Sturm Graz repräsentiert Graz in Europa
), the planned reductions by Holding Graz GmbH send a damaging signal to the entire regional sports community (Die angekündigten Kürzungen der Holding Graz sind daher ein verheerendes Signal für den gesamten Sportstandort
). The team stated that the taped-over crest served as a visible stand against the perceived lack of backing from their hometown: Hier in Bournemouth setzen wir ein Zeichen gegen die fehlende Wertschätzung unserer Heimatstadt – der Schriftzug Graz im Wappen wird beim Walk-on der Mannschaften abgeklebt sein.
Scharfe Kritik kam auch vom GAK.
Graz99ers Strip City Name from Identifiers
Hours prior to the football club’s demonstration in England, the Graz99ers announced they would remove the city’s name from all of their team names, official writings, and logotypes from Friday noon until Sunday midnight. General Manager Bernd Vollmann expressed strong frustration, noting that the funding cut arrived just as the club was representing Graz internationally in the Champions Hockey League and in Norway (Auch uns hat diese Nachricht just zu einem Zeitpunkt erreicht, als wir in der Champions League und in Norwegen Graz vertreten und weit über alle Grenzen hinausgetragen haben
). Vollmann confirmed that the ice hockey club will stand one hundred percent in solidarity with Sturm Graz and GAK 1902, with further coordinated measures planned following Sturm’s return from the Europa League in England.
Bournemouth vs Sturm Graz — European spark, domestic slumpPreview · UEFA Europa League · League Phase, Matchday 2 · Thursday 15 October 2026Bournemouth are living two different seasons. In Europe they started with a 2-1 win away at Real Sociedad; in the Premier League they…
Broader Financial Backlash Across Styrian Sport
The sponsorship withdrawal by Holding Graz GmbH at the conclusion of the current season has triggered widespread friction across local sports organizations. GAK voiced sharp criticism regarding the municipality’s budgetary decisions. Meanwhile, local citizens have also criticized city leadership, pointing out that sports receive a minute fraction of the municipal budget (Nur 0,27 Prozent für den Sport
) while facing funding contractions under Elke Kahr and Finance City Councilor Eber. Andreas Gassner, a father of two boys playing ice hockey and basketball and a former handball player of HSG, wrote to the city government urging them to rethink (Und ich hoffe, die Verantwortlichen beginnen zum Nachdenken
), noting that sport’s value goes far beyond movement. Criticizing the cuts made right in the middle of the season (Aber gerade 0,27 Prozent des Gesamt-Budgets ist der Stadt der Sport wert – und jetzt kürzt man mitten in der Saison auch noch die Förderungen. Das ist Wahnsinn!
), he demanded that Elke Kahr (KPÖ) and Finance City Councilor Eber increase the sports budget by at least one million euros.
Match Schedule and Upcoming Checkpoints
The Moser Medical Graz99ers return to win2day ICE Hockey League action on Friday, October 16, 2026, facing EC iDM Wärmepumpen VSV at the Stadthalle Villach at 19.15, playing under their temporarily modified branding. SK Sturm Graz prepares to resume domestic competition following their return from the Europa League in England.
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