20 years after the double

The GAK champions celebrated their anniversary

Red lap of honor in the Gösser: Bazina, Pötscher, Schranz, Milinkovic, Ramusch, LR Kornhäusl, Amerhauser, President Roth, Sick, Coach Schachner, Ehmann (from left)(Bild: Christian Jauschowetz)

Numerous players from the GAK's 2004 championship team responded to former president Rudi Roth's call to celebrate this success together exactly 20 years later. The "class reunion" was a time to reminisce and there was also plenty of banter. The "Krone" was there live.

It was exactly 20 years ago to the day. On May 15, 2004, GAK celebrated the greatest success in the club's history. With a 1:1 at home against Pasching and Austria's simultaneous 1:4 in Mattersburg, it was clear that the "red devils" were Austrian soccer champions for the first time in their history. Less than a week later, they also won the cup in a penalty shoot-out against Vienna and thus the double.

Didi Ramusch (left) and Nikola Milinkovic(Bild: Christian Jauschowetz)

Provincial Councillor for Sport Karlheinz Kornhäusl with champion coach Walter Schachner and champion president Rudi Roth(Bild: Christian Jauschowetz)

The anniversary was celebrated in a convivial atmosphere.(Bild: Christian Jauschowetz)

Martin Amerhauser, Gregor Pötscher and Mario Bazina (from left) did not miss the opportunity to attend.(Bild: Christian Jauschowetz)

The then captain Toni Ehmann with Schachner.(Bild: Christian Jauschowetz)

Reason enough for Styrian sports councillor Karlheinz Kornhäusl to invite the former champions to a meeting. He was supported in the organization by the then president Rudi Roth. "I didn't reach everyone and unfortunately some of them didn't have time. But luckily some of them came," said the entrepreneur happily in the shady garden of Gösser Bräu in the heart of Graz.

"Schoko" arrived with a distinguished delay
First and foremost master coach Walter "Schoko" Schachner, who was a little late after a hard search for a parking space. Captain Toni Ehmann, Gregor Pötscher, Andi Schranz, Didi Ramusch, Martin Amerhauser, Gernot Sick, Mario Bazina and Nikola Milinkovic also answered the call. It was reminiscent of a class reunion: the banter ran throughout.

Even though some of them hadn't seen each other for years. "I haven't seen Ramusch for almost 20 years," laughed goalkeeper Schranz. The man in question also had a plausible explanation: "I moved to St. Pölten. My wife accompanied me everywhere back then. After my career, I followed her back home." 

We'll have another meeting like this in a year or two. Hopefully all the players from back then will be there.

Ex-GAK-Präsident Rudi Roth

Over lunch, everyone involved around Bazina, who had traveled all the way from Zagreb, reminisced. Funny moments in the training camp, spectacular matches such as the 1:0 victory in Liverpool or the championship celebrations were just some of the many topics. The careers of many a player after the GAK era were also puzzled over. But also about the current successes of the "Red Jackets". And Rudi Roth promised: "We'll have another meeting like this in a year or two. Hopefully everyone from back then will be there."