Lustenau captain Maak:

“Then promotion is definitely realistic”

Daniel Tiefenbach with Austria Lustenau captain Matthias Maak (r.).(Bild: GEPA pictures)

Austria Lustenau captain Matthias Maak has put the difficult pre-season, including relegation from the Bundesliga, behind him. After three test match wins in a row, he is optimistic about the future. And even the dream of direct promotion does not seem to be completely up in the air.

Lustenau have celebrated three wins in three test matches so far. Matthias Maak also confirms that this is good for self-confidence. "After the long season last year, which really took its toll, training is now really fun again. And victories are particularly good, of course. The test matches are certainly helping us, even if not everything works over 90 minutes. It's just the little things that are still missing," says the captain, sensing an extremely positive mood in the team. Relegation is no longer an issue, especially as many new players have joined the team.

Maak knows the opponents
New coach Martin Brenner is also providing a lot of momentum. "His sessions are very intensive and demanding, he has a clear plan of what he wants." The 32-year-old captain feels fit as a fiddle. "I don't have any aches and pains, I'm not sore anywhere. The break has certainly done me good." The goal is clearly to play for the championship title. "If we add a bit more quality and the squad is big enough, that's definitely realistic. We want to play in the Bundesliga. But everyone knows how difficult it is to get promoted." Maak rates Ried, Admira and St. Pölten as particularly strong. "They're doing really well in terms of the squad."