LASK Is Unstoppable

ÖFB Star for Free? “No One Will Be Mad!”

LASK Coach Didi Kühbauer(Bild: GEPA)

LASK is racing from victory to victory in the Bundesliga. But after Saturday night’s 3-0 win over Altach, everything in Linz revolved around one man who wasn’t even there: Sasa Kalajdzic. Austria’s World Cup hero is set to return to the Gugl. The sensational Champions League qualification has made it possible. The Linz club is set to sign Kalajdzic on a free transfer—with a salary to match. “If he comes, no one will be upset,” said LASK coach Dietmar Kühbauer. 

Kalajdzic played a key role last year in the Upper Austrians’ double victory while on loan from the Wolverhampton Wanderers. “We don’t need to debate that he’s a good player,” Kühbauer emphasized. “Any club in Austria would be happy to have him.” According to English media reports, Kalajdzic has already said goodbye to his teammates in Wolverhampton. He has until the transfer window closes on Thursday (5 p.m.) to sign with Linz.

Sasa Kalajdzic(Bild: GEPA)

“If that’s the case, it’s fantastic,” said Kühbauer. “The player is simply ‘outstanding.’” However, he added that he isn’t responsible for signings other than his own. Kühbauer didn’t deny being in frequent contact with Kalajdzic, whom he had already wanted to sign during his time as Rapid’s coach. “I’ve had him for almost a year now, so we’ve gotten to know and appreciate each other.” Many of his former players still ask him for advice. “Because they know I’ll give them an honest answer. It’s been no different with Sasa so far.”

Adeniran likely to wear a mask
LASK CEO Siegmund Gruber didn’t want to commit to anything just yet. “Sasa is always an interesting player. We’ve said that the door is, of course, wide open,” the club president told Sky. However, in light of the Champions League millions, he also pointed to longer contract terms and the resulting salaries to be paid over several years. “We certainly won’t do anything foolish,” Gruber said. In any case, he ruled out a possible move by captain Sascha Horvath to the MLS: “I don’t think they can afford Sascha.”

Kühbauer, however, is still hoping for reinforcements. “If you look at the top teams in Austria, we have the smallest roster.” On top of that, top striker Samuel Adeniran is sidelined with a facial injury. Adeniran is a tough guy, Kühbauer said regarding a possible comeback by the American while wearing a mask. “The key factor will be how confident he feels and when the doctors say it’s feasible.” That also depends on the healing process. “It’ll take some time, but I don’t think it’ll be too long.”

Samuel Adeniran(Bild: GEPA)

Against Altach, Kühbauer would have liked to play even more efficiently. “But we didn’t burn through our energy. We’ll need every player in the coming weeks— that’s why we have the squad.” For LASK, the action continues on Tuesday (7:30 p.m./live on the sportkrone.at live ticker) with a rescheduled match at WAC. The Cup match on Saturday against Regionalliga side Deutschlandsberger SC will be followed on September 8 by the Champions League debut at AEK Athens.

Lang Shines as a Goal Scorer
Christoph Lang wants to build on his form after scoring eight goals in the first seven competitive matches of the season. “I’m playing one position further up the field now and I feel comfortable there,” emphasized the attacking player, whom Kühbauer moved to striker due to a shortage of players. “He had to accept what we offered him,” said the coach about the 24-year-old, who had long been in a reserve role. “He flipped the switch in his head to realize that he can play not only in the spaces behind the defense but also up front.”

Against Altach, the new bottom team in the standings, Lang put his team on track early with two goals. For the Vorarlberg side, Yann Massombo—who had been dropped from the squad—made his comeback in the second half following the farce surrounding a transfer he had sought but failed to secure to Sturm Graz. Rodney Elongo-Yombo made his debut as a new offensive player. However, according to coach Ognjen Zaric, the club will no longer be signing a center forward—a position he had long wanted to fill. “We have to, and we want to, work with the players we have and help them develop further.”