PREVIEW: Kick off for Austrian Bundesliga

PREVIEW AND COMMENTS TO THE FIRST ROUND OF AUSTRIAN BUNDESLIGA - 15 to 17 february

Austrian season starts heart-break finish
The Austrian Bundesliga beginns the new year, which will just bring 13 games until the end of April. Beause of EURO 2008 in Austria and Switzerland the season will have the quickest end in history and maybe the most thrilling as well. After 23 of 36 rounds Sturm Graz, Red Bull Salzburg and FK Austria all have 37 points, with SK Rapid (36) and LASK (35) only one and two points short of the leading trio. On the other end of the table it could also be heartbreaking, with Altach (23), FC Wacker Innsbruck (20) and Austria Kärnten (20) all hoping to avoid relegation.
Sensational top-team Sturm start with the away-trip to Wacker Innsbruck on Saturday, champions Red Bull Salzburg (on Friday against Mattersburg) and FK Austria (on Satuday against Altach) both has home-games on their programme. RED BULL SALZBURG - SV MATTERSBURG (15/02, 19:30)

In Salzburg there was just one name talk of the town: Giovanni Trapattoni. The star-manager from Italy accepted the Republic-of-Ireland-job and hopes to qualify with them for the World Cup 2010 although he will meet his homecountry with the boys in green. But first "Trap" wants to make big investor Dietrich Mateschitz a favour with making the Red Bulls to back-to-back-champions.

"We are well prepared and ready", said Trapattoni before the home-game against Mattersburg. "This is a test where we have to show our maturity. A good start is very important." Mahop (suspended), Miyamoto and Bodnar (both injured) are all out, in addition to it Lokvenc was sent to Basel on loan. With Steinhöfer (after the season to Eintracht Frankfurt) and Carboni (likely to leave for a new club in Spain) there are other players who don't see their future in Salzburg but now just the title counts for the big Bundesliga-favourite. Mattersburg is without suspended striker Jancker and fears for Naumoski too, but Manager Franz Lederer thinks that his side is in a good shape. "We work together as a good team and are looking for a good result against the title holder."

FK AUSTRIA - SCR ALTACH (16/02, 18:00)
Magna or not Magna? That's the question in Wien-Favoriten where FK Austria face Altach and probably goes into their last 13 games with the financial power of patron Frank Stronach. The millionaire plans a new club with whom he can make an impact with his young talents from the youth-academy. The violet war of roses could bring a significant change to the cup-winner. Stronach was purposed to build a new stadium in Rothneusiedl but now everything is doubtful after some disputs.
Manager Georg Zellhofer just wants to concentrate on the championship and says clearly: "This could be the best title-chance for a while, so we have to go for it. We want to stay in the top positions and in the end hopefully we will lie in first place." The National-trio Schiemer, Gercaliu and Kuljic had problems in the last weeks and Zellhofer is not sure, if he could bring them right from the beginning. Altach suffered a major-shock before the start. Captain Schoppitsch will be out for the whole campaigne after a rupture of the Achilles tendon and Pfister will be the new standby-skipper. New Manager Heinz Fuchsbichler followed Manfred Bender who got into the line of fire hopes for a happy end: "We will be satisfied if we are in a safe position at the end. It will be very tight and even the ninth place would bring a smile to our faces."

FC WACKER INNSBRUCK - SK STURM GRAZ (16/02, 18:00)
There is no doubt about the sentimental favourite in the Austrian Bundesliga: Sturm Graz took the hearts of not even their fans by storm with their offense-power and a young-team with home-grown-talent. Young guns like Prödl (who will be at Werder Bremen next season) and Säumel even made impact in the national team, Salmutter is probably the biggest genius of the whole league and there is more to come. The trip to FC Wacker Innsbruck will show if the side from Manager Franco Foda can continue where the stopped last year.
Säumel and Salmutter both could miss the game but Foda stays optimistic: "Who lies in first place after 23 games can also do this after 36 games. We have a young squad with so many talented players and the next are waiting to come into the team." Wacker Innsbruck are likely without defender Madl, new signing Arthur is the possible replacememt. Manager Helmut Kraft, who also welcomed Lindström, Idrizaj and Clottey as arrivals during the winter break, is in good mood: "We want to stay on course for a place in the top flight for next season and then the cards are new sorted. We have land in sight and are full of self-confidence."

SK AUSTRIA KÄRNTEN - SK RAPID (16/02, 18:00)
Sinks Austria Kärnten into the Wörthersee at the end of the season? The retort-club bought the licence from Pasching but it seems that the were getting a licence to lose. 13 defeats in 23 games were to much for Walter Schachner who lost his job like his team their games: embarassing. The home-game against SK Rapid on Saturday should bring a turn-around to their forgettable season but the guests from Vienna are looking for a record 32. Austrian championship and want to take all three points from Klagenfurt.
New Kärnten-Manager Klaus Schmidt, who was assistant-coach under Schachner, hopes that a new defense will help in their fight against relegation. It's not without juicy that Martin Hiden will play his first game for the club against his former side, where he had problems with Peter Pacult all the time. The Rapid-Manager got a prolongation to his contract and will stay until 2009 if things go in his way. "We have good quality in the team and are well balanced. It will be very tough on the top and I don't think that one club will be able to run away."

LASK - SV RIED (17/02, 15:30)
It's Derby-time in Oberösterreich on Sunday when LASK and Ried face each other at the Linzer Stadion. The men from the "Gugl" are the promotion-sensation with guys like Baur, Mayrleb and Vastic who remember with their performance on the only title for the Black and White back in 1965. The fans have a new dream 43 years later and even Manager Karl Daxbacher doesn't want to wake them up: "We are good prepared." Rodriguez and Torres came from Boca Juniors, Wemmer "only" from Gratkorn but alle three are new options for the coach who stands by his routiniers. "The older players don't get younger, that's clear but the give their best in every single game and practice." Vastic who is a fan-darling in Linz and even in other Austrian regions with many prefering him to make a comeback in the national team at the EURO 2008 got a new contract until 2009 and defense-organizer Baur also stays for another year. Ried are without former international Dospel who is suspended but Manager Thomas Weissenböck hopes for a good start: "A derby is always difficult but my team has no fear."

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