How our league rivals have spent the winter
This Friday at 20:30 CET, we lastly kick off the 2026 Bundesliga spring season with our residence encounter with FK Austria Vienna! Earlier than we get began, let’s have a look across the league and see what’s been occurring with the opposite 11 groups through the winter break. How did their pre-season coaching go, and what modifications have been made to their respective squads to this point? [note – the transfer window is still open until Friday]
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LASK (2nd place | 29 factors)
The wave of euphoria is constant beneath Dietmar Kühbauer even after the winter break, as LASK superior to the cup semi-finals with a 3-2 victory within the derby in opposition to FC Blau-Weiß Linz.
The Linz group have been in Belek concurrently us, which allowed representatives from each groups to look at one another’s matches.
They’ve been lively within the switch market, bolstering their central defence with the signing of Xavier Mbuyamba (FC Volendam). In return, Lenny Pintor (Eyüpspor) and Kevin Lebersorger (Dynamo Dresden) have been loaned out.
We’re to face them nonetheless in Matchday 20 of the common season after we journey to the Raiffeisen Enviornment on Sunday 22 February at 17:00 CET.
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SK Sturm (third place | 28 factors)
The beginning of the yr was eventful for SK Sturm – each constructive and detrimental. First, Fabio Ingolitsch, previously of SCR Altach and coach of Liefering, took over as head coach, bringing in defensive stalwart Paul Koller as a brand new signing. Jusuf Gazibegovic was additionally introduced again on mortgage from Cologne, and Swiss midfielder Ryan Fosso was signed from the Eredivisie to bolster the defensive midfield. In return, Tochi Chukwuani left the Blackies for Rangers for a number of million euros, Tomi Horvat joined Bristol Metropolis, and Tim Oermann’s mortgage from Bayer Leverkusen was prematurely terminated.
A coaching camp in Marbella was adopted, like us, by two UEFA Europa League matches: a 0-3 defeat in opposition to Feyenoord and a 1-0 residence win in opposition to SK Brann Bergen. The home aggressive opener, the cup quarter-final, then proved to be an entire catastrophe. Ingolitsch’s group misplaced 1-3 in additional time in opposition to his former group SCR Altach and also will need to do with out their common goalkeeper Khudyakov for a number of weeks on account of harm.
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TSV Hartberg (4th place | 26 factors)
Dominik Prokop (who transferred to Zeljeznicar Sarajevo in Bosnia) and Patrik Mijic (on mortgage to AE Kifisia in Greece) left the membership through the winter switch window, however the group has strengthened its defence with two mortgage signings. Luca Pazourek arrived from Austria Vienna, and Konstantin Schopp from Mainz.
We are going to play one in every of our two remaining ADMIRAL Bundesliga residence matches of the common season in opposition to Hartberg, after they go to us on Sunday 1 March at 17:00 CET (tickets can be found ).
FK Austria Vienna (fifth place | 26 factors)
Austria Vienna have been largely inactive within the switch market (a minimum of to this point). Luca Pazourek has been loaned to TSV Hartberg. The Helm-coached group, which held its coaching camp in Aspect (close to Belek), have but to play a aggressive match earlier than their sport in opposition to us in Salzburg this week.
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We’re kicking off the Bundesliga spring season with a Friday night match at 20:30 CET in opposition to Austria Vienna. Tickets can be found .
SV Ried (sixth place | 26 factors)
On the pitch, issues received off to a flying begin after a coaching camp in Belek: with a powerful 3-0 victory within the cup quarter-final in opposition to Speedy Vienna! The Vikings have strengthened their midfield with the signings of Evan Aisowieren (FAC) and Jussef Nasrawe (on mortgage from FC Bayern). Departures embody Mark Grosse (switch to GAK) and Ekain Azkune (mortgage terminated), each of whom had solely made sporadic appearances anyway
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Speedy Vienna (seventh place | 25 factors)
The constructive ambiance gathered on the coaching camp in Benidorm beneath new coach Johannes Hoff Thorup was instantly dampened as Speedy Vienna suffered a 0-3 slip within the cup quarter-final in opposition to SV Ried.
There may nonetheless be some exercise within the switch market within the coming days. Noah Bischof has moved to FC Dordrecht within the Netherlands. No additional signings have been introduced but, and the rumor mill continues to be churning with quite a few names.
No less than yet another (away) Austrian Klassiker awaits us after we conclude the common season at SK Speedy – on Sunday 8 March at 17:00 in Hütteldorf.
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WAC (eighth place | 24 factors)
After a coaching camp in Jerez, Spain, Wolfsberg appear to have maintained their autumn kind effectively even after their teaching change. Though they misplaced a key defensive pillar in Chibuike Nwaiwu (Trabzonspor), the Carinthian facet nonetheless look extraordinarily stable beneath Ismail Atalan. In our cup match final Sunday, the Wolves gave us a tricky combat, which we in the end gained 1-0 (regardless of having a lot of the possibilities).
SCR Altach (ninth place | 21 factors)
Altach have been the one group to not maintain a coaching camp overseas, however loads of exercise happened in Vorarlberg itself. Coach Fabio Ingolitsch left the Rhine village membership and moved to SK Sturm Graz – taking defender Paul Koller with him. Altach strengthened their assault although with Treasured Benjamin, a mortgage participant from Hoffenheim.
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Their first aggressive match was the cup quarter-final in opposition to none aside from Sturm Graz, and Altach, beneath coach Ognjen Zaric, made fairly an announcement! Altach gained 3-1 in extra-time and can due to this fact go to us within the semi-final at first of March (extra particulars to comply with).
WSG Tirol (tenth place | 21 factors)
The Tyrolean group frolicked in Malta for pre-season coaching, and after a tough begin, they completed strongly with a 6-0 pleasant win in opposition to Austria Lustenau. Issues have remained quiet on the switch entrance in Wattens with no new signings confirmed. The one departure was that of Florian Rieder to Austria Salzburg.
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GAK (eleventh place | 15 factors)
Franz Stolz (GK/Genoa CFC), Leon Klassen (LB/Darmstadt 98) and Mathias Olesen (CDM/Greuther Fürth) are set to bolster Feldhofer’s squad on mortgage this spring. Sadik Fofana (Lecce), Marco Gantschnig (First Vienna), Petar Filipovic (free agent) and Tio Cipot (mortgage terminated from Spezia Calcio) have left GAK.
Our first match in opposition to them is on Sunday 15 February at 14:30 after we journey to Graz. Earlier than that, Graz will face WAC of their first aggressive match of the season this week.
FC Blau-Weiß Linz (twelfth place | 11 factors)
One other group that, like us, held a camp in Belek. The Blue-Whites suffered a slender 2-3 defeat of their first aggressive match of the brand new yr, a cup quarter-final loss to their metropolis rivals LASK.
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The Linz facet, beneath new coach Michael Köllner, have strengthened their squad with a well-known face. Along with Cheick Conde (on mortgage from FC Venezia), Nico Mantl has additionally been loaned from FC Arouca in Portugal till the top of the season. Nonetheless, there might be no reunion with our former goalkeeper, as each common season matches in opposition to us have already been performed, and qualification for the championship group is out of attain for the struggling Linz group.