After a draw against Sturm
Coach Apologizes: “Very, very embarrassing!”
After Saturday’s 1-1 draw to kick off the Bundesliga season, Philipp Semlic apologized to the opposing team, Sturm Graz. “This is very, very embarrassing,” said the WSG Tirol coach, pointing to the field at the Innsbruck stadium.
Kronen Zeitung als bevorzugte Google-Quelle hinzufügen Even before the match, Philipp Semlic had sharply criticized the stadium conditions in Tyrol. After the final whistle, he doubled down. “I’m always a man of clear words, and I can only repeat: When a Champions League opponent like Sturm Graz comes to play here—a team that most recently played at Hearts on a ‘golf course,’ as Fabio Ingolitsch put it—then they have to play there. Then I have to apologize to Sturm Graz here,” Semlic said in an interview with Sky (video below).
He continued: “It’s very, very embarrassing for us that we could only offer this field. I’m sorry for the Graz players that they had to play there today. We take full responsibility for this!”
Because Wacker Innsbruck had kicked off the new second-division season the day before against Schwarz-Weiß Bregenz in its home stadium, the field was in such poor condition. Innsbruck will serve as a temporary home for WSG until the completion of their own Bundesliga-compliant stadium in Wattens, scheduled for 2027.
“Two lost” points for Sturm
On the sporting side: Runner-up Sturm dominated WSG in Innsbruck, especially in the second half, but was thwarted either by offside calls or by goalie Salko Hamzic. “It’s almost a mystery how we managed not to win this game. We weren’t able to show the efficiency we’ve had in recent weeks, which is why this really hurts,” explained coach Fabio Ingolitsch, referring to “clearly two lost points.”
Although the Styrians have been unbeaten in 17 competitive matches, they lost their perfect record after an ideal start to the season with three shutouts. Already on Wednesday, they face Fenerbahçe Istanbul on the road in the first leg of the third round of Champions League qualifying.
The Tyroleans are merely spectators in European competition; for them, earning a point against the Graz team was a major success. “We couldn’t have done any better—we have to be honest about that. We still have a lot of work ahead of us,” said Semlic.
This article has been automatically translated,
read the original article here.
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