The GAK comeback

Once to heaven, hell and back again

After a 17-year absence, the team returned to the top flight this year.(Bild: GEPA)

This incredible "rollercoaster ride" will go down in soccer history. No other team in Europe has been promoted six times in a row. Now GAK is finally back in Austria's top division and is eagerly awaiting its opening match against runners-up Salzburg.

It was a rollercoaster ride fit for Hollywood that GAK completed in the summer - "once to heaven, hell and back" was practically the motto! In 2004, the Red Jackets celebrated the highlight of their club history with the double under Walter Schachner, only three years later the Bundesliga was over after insolvency and points deductions. In 2012, in their sixth attempt in the regional league, their promotion ambitions finally came to an end when the club ceased playing.