Next turf drama

Hartberg’s “nomads” have to train here!

Hartberg's training ground, where the Bundesliga team will train.(Bild: Kallinger)

The "Krone" recently announced the forced departure of Hartberg's footballers due to the poor condition of the grass on their own training pitches - now the time has come. Schopp and the Hartberg players will be training in Schielleiten from the middle of the week. However, TSV does not want to be a "nomadic club" and is now even speculating about building its own training center. The background to the next Styrian infrastructure dilemma.

It's getting embarrassing. The problems with suitable infrastructure in Styrian soccer continue unabated. After the involuntary departure of Sturm's two-man team from the alternative stadium (!) in Gleisdorf, Hartberg, a Bundesliga club, is now affected. We reported on the turf tragedy in the run-up to the match (see below).

On Wednesday, head coach Markus Schopp's men will leave Hartberg and train away from home. Schielleiten, just under 20 minutes away by car, is now TSV's "training home" until further notice. "Unfortunately, it's nothing new for us," sighs Hartberg chairman Erich Korherr. Since the promotion of the team from Eastern Styria in 2018, the TSV manager has been largely occupied with keeping up with the club's sporting growth in terms of infrastructure in Hartberg (twice in the championship round, once even in the European Cup). However, this is not working out.

Problem number one: the stadium dilemma. Hartberg's mobile stands in the Profertil Arena will no longer be recognized by the Bundesliga from the 2025/26 season. The club itself (see above) has wanted to implement a new stadium project for several years and concepts are already in place. When it comes to financing, however, there is a standstill in the struggle with politicians. 

Plan B instead of A
Which is why "Plan B" MUST now be tackled: In other words, a conversion of the mobile stands, which will no longer be permitted by the Bundesliga from 2025/26, to be replaced by new, fixed ones. "However, our problems at the current location will remain," says Korherr. "Because of the neighboring school and our teams with their youngsters, we don't know where the many children should train on our pitches."

Which brings us to problem number two: the training pitches. The quality of the three "meadows" not far from the Profertil Arena is obvious at a glance. Especially as a total of 33 (!) teams (including TSV two-a-side, junior teams, academy) and between 2500 and 3000 pupils have to share the infrastructure.

Doesn't understand the world: Markus Schopp(Bild: Sepp Pail)

Unfortunately, the situation has been known for a long time. "As I said, we've had to make frequent trips for training purposes with our team," says Korherr about trips last year to Pinkafeld, Rohrbach, Vorau, Buch/St. Magdalena, Greinbach, Waltersdorf - or even Schielleiten. Where the Schopp eleven, which already passes for a "nomadic club", will now train again for the time being. "I don't know for how long. We have to be grateful that we're being accepted there at all. Rent costs extra for the fun."

Hartberg will bauen

Plan C: Neues Trainingszentrum!

After the relocation fiasco, TSV chairman Korherr has now had enough. The first talks took place on Sunday, followed by the next "summit" on Monday. Goal: Hartberg needs a new training center. Where a new stadium was supposed to be built anyway according to Plan A (not far from the highway feeder road, next to the Hatric shopping center), three training pitches including a cabin wing are to be built "as quickly as possible". "There is no other way. Our pitches are at 200% capacity, which is no longer possible for a Bundesliga club." Financing the small project? Open.