Reunion

Change of sides! What Schopp says about the Hartberg duel

Markus Schopp(Bild: GEPA)

For a long time he was responsible for Hartberg's success: Markus Schopp. His departure shortly after the start of the season to Linz and LASK caused quite a stir. On Saturday, Schopp and "his" East Styrian friends will meet again for the first time.

The surprising news came shortly before the end of the transfer window: Markus Schopp, coach and sporting director at Hartberg, was leaving the club to join LASK in Linz. A shock for the East Styrians. The change came unprepared. But nobody in Hartberg was angry with him for long - after all, the 50-year-old has shaped and molded the club.

The first reunion will take place in Linz on Saturday. Schopp now wears the LASK logo on his chest. The man from Graz spoke to the "Krone" about:

The big reunion: It's certainly not a game like any other for me. We're meeting a team with whom I've had many great moments. Hartberg is a club that has developed great things from small structures, and many people, such as president Brigitte Annerl and chairman Erich Korherr, deserve special mention.

His departure: " It's certainly not an easy situation when you leave a club during the season. Nevertheless, I made a conscious decision to take this opportunity at LASK. The opportunities we have here are extraordinary. We now have to fill them with life. I want to play my part in this.

Great emotions: Hartberg will always remain a very important part of my coaching career. I was given the opportunity here to gain a foothold as a head coach in the professional game. I was able to work with great personalities and was also able to develop as a coach.

His new role in Linz (with many former Hartberg "pupils" such as Max Entrup and Florian Flecker): You can't transfer the playing idea in Hartberg one-to-one to LASK. Of course, as a coach you stand for certain ideas, but you also have to be prepared to adapt them based on the available team.