The antiphon “Vorwärts”-“Steyr” from the south stand via the “east block” to the main grandstand continues to resonate in the second Bundesliga. After a safe 2:0 (0.0) win over SKN St.Pölten in the second half, Steyr ended the championship in midfield in a secured tenth place in the table. Because there was not much more at stake than prestige, coach Daniel Madlener could afford to send Michael Halbartschlager, who was forced to end his career due to injuries, onto the field with the starting eleven for seven minutes to say goodbye to the red-whites. The crowd favorite almost hit the short mission, in the 4th minute he missed completely alone in front of the St. Pöltner goalie Franz Stolz. The goals were scored by professionals Joel Daxbi (51st), whose contract was extended, and Alberto Prada (57th), whose commitment to the Steyr team is still ongoing.
“The will can move mountains,” said club sponsor Christkindlwirt Gregor Baumgartner, he always hoped, even when the forwards had to spend the winter as a relegated team on the penultimate place in the table.
Yesterday, after the final whistle, the south curve fans chanted “Daniel Madlener” chants at a “happy hour” during which the club reduced the price of drinks in the stadium by half. The former player of the century was brought in as an emergency helper. The medicine of the miracle healer, such as a sip of whiskey before the match, worked for every player against the fear of losing. In the spring table, the eleven, equipped with a new will to win, rose to the top four. “I’m speechless,” said the otherwise talkative Vorarlberger with a penchant for preaching, “but I can hardly believe how the team has changed.”
“All’s well that ends well,” Forward President Reinhard Schlager summed up. But after the good end there is a new beginning, which perhaps is not yet clear to everyone. The club has turned to professional football, which inevitably has to lead to the gates of the first division. Deals with key players like Alberto Prada and Oliver Filip are ongoing and current pillars like Pasic, Gunes, Dombaxi, Sivrikaya and Ezeala have already signed for an extension. Goalkeeper Bernhard Staudinger said goodbye yesterday with a shot-out, for him a football career and a job no longer go hand in hand. Schlager and board colleague Michael Obermair are in talks with the city regarding a stadium renovation and a modern training center. In addition, they also want to expand women’s football. Forward promoters Ben Klausberger, Alex Untermaurer and club doctor Christoph Heiserer paid 950 euros to equip the women’s team’s masseur with a medical kit.
Source: Nachrichten
