LASK's Moment of Glory

“Unbelievable!” Pure Ecstasy After the Miracle in Linz

After the 5-1 victory over Celtic Glasgow, there was no holding back the LASK fans and players.(Bild: GEPA)

LASK treated itself—and Austrian soccer—to a moment of glory on Tuesday evening. “That performance was unbelievable to me; I’m really proud,” coach Didi Kühbauer exclaimed.

The 5-1 victory over Celtic Glasgow in the Champions League playoff—following an unprecedented comeback and a dramatic extra time—has certainly secured its place in the annals of Austrian soccer. The immediate result is that Dietmar Kühbauer’s team will advance to the group stage of the Champions League. “We’ve earned the right to play among the big boys,” Kühbauer proclaimed.

Didi Kühbauer(Bild: GEPA)

LASK will thus make its Champions League debut this fall. For a long time, however, it hadn’t looked like that would happen at all. After a 0–3 loss in the first leg in Glasgow, the Athletiker were also trailing 0–1 in the second leg in front of a sold-out crowd in Linz against Scotland’s record champions, trailing 0–1—and 0–4 on aggregate. The Scots had everything under control at that point. “After the 0–1, you say, ‘Pack it in!’” Kühbauer recounted.

A blunder and a quick goal by Ljubicic turned the tide
But the 1-1 equalizer by Moses Usor following a major Celtic blunder brought the Athletiker back into the game. “At halftime, we said, ‘We’re not losing this game today,’” said the successful coach, for whom Robert Ljubicic’s quick goal after the break was a game-changer. “After the 2–1, they played great; Celtic was nowhere to be seen. The 4-1 score was kind of forced because they (the Scots, ed.) were completely knocked out.” With the score at 4-1 after regulation time, the match went into a 30-minute overtime period. “In extra time, I knew my team was the better side that day. That performance was incredible to me—I’m really proud,” said Kühbauer.

Robert Ljubicic scored to make it 2–1.(Bild: GEPA)

He couldn’t recall any similar game in the recent past, said the Burgenland native. “That heart, that love, that passion—they’re truly incredible. The guys deserve all the praise they’re getting today. When it hit 4–1, the roof almost came off.” There was praise from Celtic as well. “We played against a very strong opponent today. LASK was once again very intense, very physical. They deserved to win in the end,” said Coach Martin O’Neill. One small downside was that Florian Flecker suffered a head injury while scoring the 4-1 goal. “It’s a shame that he took a knock to the head. It’s likely a concussion,” said Kühbauer.

“Delivered a masterpiece”
For the 55-year-old, LASK’s historic qualification for the Champions League was also another opportunity to reflect on the past ten months since he took office in Linz. In October 2025, the experienced coach had taken the helm of the team that was then second-to-last in the standings. “When I arrived, I tried to get the players on board with honest analyses.” The result seven months later was winning both the league title and the cup. “The double was brutal. This is like a fairy tale or a Hollywood movie. Today they pulled off a masterpiece,” Kühbauer commented on the international triumph.

“I rate this victory—or this rise to the top—very, very highly. Above all, it’s a step forward for the team. Because often, players fall into a slump after they win—a championship title, a cup victory. The guys stayed on track despite that,” Kühbauer emphasized. The players, too, were aware of the significance of what they’d achieved. “Today we achieved something great together,” said Sascha Horvath. “It’s unbelievable that we’re now playing in the Champions League. Now it’s just a matter of enjoying every game and making the most of it,” said goalkeeper Lukas Neuwirth.