Oberwart is champion

After 22 final games, the Gunners fairytale came true

Oberwart's basketball players celebrate the title.(Bild: GEPA pictures)

Oberwart's basketball players wrote a piece of local basketball history with their sensational title win after missing the first round. And unlike their Corona Cup victory, they celebrated winning the Superliga together with their fans after beating Graz 81:80 in the third final game in Kapfenberg.

A sweep in the final to win the championship
These are the days that will be remembered long after their careers are over. Never before had a team from the qualifying round (or lower play-off before that) even made it to the final, but Oberwart's Superliga basketball team crowned themselves Austrian champions with a 3:0 sweep over Graz!

Edi Patekar delivered a strong performance in the final 81:80 win over Graz.(Bild: GEPA pictures)

"Talk of the title internally in January"
 And that despite only finishing the basic round in ninth place (!). "At the time, everyone had long since written us off and was already talking about focusing on the next season," says Edi Patekar, whose father Goran was assistant coach when the team won the title in 2011 and 2016. "But we as a team pulled ourselves out of it, we were already talking about the title internally in January and knew that every game was now a final."

Fans and players celebrated together in the Kapfenberg hall.(Bild: GEPA pictures)

It feels so good that we were able to celebrate the triumph together with our fans - we were denied that after winning the cup because of coronavirus.

Oberwart-Spieler Edi PATEKAR

This was followed by as many as 22: 10 victories in the qualifying round (bitterly needed for the quarter-finals), a 3:1 over champions Gmunden, a 3:2 over Traiskirchen and the Furioso final against Graz. After which all the dams broke, fans and players celebrated exuberantly. "That feels so good because we couldn't do it after winning the Cup in 2021 due to coronavirus," Patekar recalls of the first trophy for him, Jonathan Knessl and coach Horst Leitner.

Horst Leitner leaves the Gunners after more than six years as head coach(Bild: GEPA pictures)

Successful coach Leitner leaves

The mastermind, who always believed in the team and blocked out any unrest, announced his departure amidst the celebrations. However, his extended arm on the pitch must remain a Gunner for future successes!

Sebastian Käferle was voted MVP of the final series.(Bild: GEPA pictures)

Sebastian Käferle, who was already a youngster in 2016, was voted the most valuable player of the final series. And virtually "ennobled" by Jason Johnson, his predecessor as captain. "I'm so happy to see how the guy I played with has grown," praised "JJ", who has long been at home in Oberwart, "he always does exactly what the team needs, carries it, steers it." And then also set the tone at the championship celebrations.