Linz, the soccer capital

Stadium gates open + police line up

(Bild: APA/EXPA/ REINHARD EISENBAUER)

The new Austrian soccer champion is Linzer ASK. On Sunday evening, a massive celebration took place in front of the Raiffeisen Arena in Linz, featuring players and fans (see video above). Read the live updates from krone.at. 

The most important news in brief: 

• Match reports from the decisive games to read: 
  Austria Vienna – LASK 
  Sturm – Rapid

• Between Schatzi and possible adoptions: Immediatelyafter the final whistle, LASK really let loose at Austria Vienna.

• Public viewing and championship party: A state of emergency prevailed all day long in front of the Raiffeisen Arena in Linz. 
• LASK coachDidi Kühbauergot teary-eyed during an interview when thinking of his wife: “She’s the most important person to me!”

• Gloom in Graz. But at least the Sturm fans were able to give Stefan Hierländer a fitting send-off in his final game.

The best photos of the day: 

The LASK players with the championship trophy(Bild: APA/EXPA/ REINHARD EISENBAUER)

Rapid fans “welcomed” Graz in Mundl style.(Bild: Georg Kallinger)

In contrast, gloom in Graz(Bild: Georg Kallinger)

At least Sturm legend Stefan Hierländer was given a fitting send-off in his final game for the Graz team.(Bild: Sepp Pail)

Security measures in Graz(Bild: Sepp Pail)

The live ticker to read: 

LASK: First Championship Title in 61 Years
So, after 61 years, LASK has returned to the domestic soccer throne. Coach Dietmar Kühbauer’s team won 3-0 against Wiener Austria on Sunday in the final round of the Bundesliga and were crowned Austrian champions for the second time. Just as in 1965, the historic Linz club can celebrate the double.

Sturm “only” runners-up
Sturm, on the other hand, had to settle for the runner-up title after two consecutive championships. But emotions ran high here as well after the final whistle: club legend Stefan Hierländer (who scored a goal in the 2-0 victory over Rapid Vienna) received a fitting send-off after his last game for the Graz side.

The Rapid fans “welcomed” Graz in true Mundl style.(Bild: Georg Kallinger)

At 4:46 p.m., the object of desire, the championship trophy, was finally in the hands of LASK captain Sascha Horvath. And this happened, of all places, at the Generali Arena of Wiener Austria. The obligatory shower of confetti followed, before the LASK pros celebrated with the trophy in front of the thousands of fans who had traveled with them.

 “Double Winners ASK”
The fans from Upper Austria had hung a large banner in their section reading “Double Winner ASK”; they celebrated the triumph with the championship players for minutes on end even before the trophy was handed over. Beer showers were absent, at least for the time being, but they were likely to follow by evening at the latest. The LASK contingent set off for Linz relatively soon after the final whistle, where the big party was taking place at the stadium.

Kühbauer with tears in his eyes
There were already strong emotions in the Generali Arena beforehand. Captain Sascha Horvath spoke of a “miracle,” and a visibly moved coach Dietmar Kühbauer added, with tears in his eyes, that “what happened was something no one had expected—not even me.”

Sports director Dino Buric described the signing of the Burgenland native last October as “an absolute stroke of luck. He was the spark the team needed to reach its full potential.”