World Cup Hit in Mörbisch

Krankl, Polster, and Co. Rocked the Lake Stage

Hans Krankl, Toni Polster, and Stefan Maierhofer were the star guests, but the fans were the real stars of the show. The “Krone” public viewing event turned out to be a huge hit—despite the rain.(Bild: Imre Antal)

Zero points against Argentina—but a resounding success for Mörbisch and the “Krone”! The public viewing on the lake stage turned into a huge triumph. In the end, Krankl, Polster, and Co. even sang “I am from Austria” and “Rostige Flügel” live.

Suddenly, the World Cup trophy—a replica costing 99 euros—tumbled off the armchair. “Hey, watch out! Think about what that’s worth,” laughed Thomas amid the commotion at the “Krone” public viewing event on the Mörbisch lake stage. “We’re so happy to be here. This arena is absolutely amazing.”

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“So many young people”
After a brief evacuation due to a thunderstorm warning, the atmosphere in the well-attended stands was electric. “We used the time to grab some beer,” said the Viennese man, who, like 50 other “Krone” subscribers, had enjoyed the trip on the ÖFB team or fan bus. “It’s great that so many young people are here, too.” In front of him was a large group of young fans who broke into a rendition of “Immer wieder.” “It’s great here—Austria feels like one big family because everyone’s cheering together,” said Martin, Lukas, and Jakob, who had come from Mörbisch, Zagersdorf, or by ferry from Illmitz. “Despite the 0–2 score: We’re going to the quarterfinals!”

A group of women was also in high spirits at first. “Maybe Messi is having trouble and we’ll win 3–2,” hoped Sabine, whose father-in-law Otto Gollnhuber had played for the team and in his hometown of Kapfenberg—a hope that ultimately proved in vain. “We’re a soccer-loving family; we love ‘Gregerl’—if only because of Kapfenberg.” She was, of course, referring to ÖFB striker Michael. 

Back to the “Krone” public viewing event, which was also held in Graz, against the picturesque backdrop of the lake: Harald was cheering along with his son Veit, brother Alex, and their dad Paul: “If we’d won, I would’ve given my coworkers the day off and donated my vacation time for it,” laughed Harald, who works in the banking sector in Eisenstadt. “But the evening had a great atmosphere.” Former striker Stefan Maierhofer, who—like Hans Krankl and Toni Polster—shone as an expert alongside the hosts, “Krone Online” editor-in-chief Michael Fally and Elisabeth Gamauf-Leitner: “The setting was outstanding—and Austria held its own very well for a long time.” 

“I am from Austria”—and everyone sang along
And then there was the big show number. After the final whistle, the Mörbisch “Seebühne trifft Fußball” choir was formed. Krankl, Polster, Maierhofer—the “Three Tenors”—sang “I am from Austria,” accompanied by Michael Fally on the piano. And the crowd went wild—see and hear for yourself:

Rusty Wings
When the “Goleador” then performed his classic “Rusty Wings” as an encore, the Mörbisch night really came alive one last time.

(Bild: Imre Antal)

“Krone” Managing Director Gerhard Valeskini was also delighted at the end, when everyone—including Burgenland’s tourism chief Didi Tunkel—took the stage to sing “I am from Austria” together: “A fantastic experience! It’s sensational that we at ‘Krone’ filled the lake stage—that shows just how passionate our readers and customers are about soccer.”