LASK said goodbye to four players

Alexander Schlager had already announced during the winter break that he would not be extending his expiring contract. Before the kick-off against Austria Wien, the 27-year-old was given a gift – as were Marvin Potzmann, Jan Boller and Nemanja Celic.

Alexander Schlager switched to LASK after spring 2017, when he was loaned from Liefering to the second division club FAC. He learned from then number one Pavao Pervan for a season and took over his post when he joined German Bundesliga side Wolfsburg in 2018. The 1-1 draw against Klagenfurt on May 7th is likely to have been Schlager’s 213th and last competitive game for LASK – since then, the designated successor Tobias Lawal has taken over. The changing of the guard was final proof that LASK not only lost a strong goalkeeper with Schlager, but also a team player: Schlager not only took professional note of the decision, but also supported Lawal all the more.

Schlager has not yet officially announced where the team goalkeeper will continue his career. The fact that he is returning to Salzburg has long been an open secret.

Marvin Potzman came from Rapid in August 2018. He has accumulated 107 appearances so far – but he was never a permanent regular player. What made him so valuable for LASK: Potzmann was always a reliable stand-in on both full-back positions. Also against Austria, his last home game in the LASK dress, he was the logical choice as a representative of the suspended Rene Renner.

The fact that the 29-year-old can’t continue after the contract expires is not just a question of quality: Rene Renner (29) and Filip Stojkovic (30), the competitors in external defense, are about the same age – LASK wants younger challengers lead with potential.

Potzmann will probably play against LASK in the coming season – it can be assumed that the defender will find accommodation with a competitor.

Jan Boller suffered a cruciate ligament rupture in training with the amateurs in October after his only Bundesliga appearance of the current season against Ried (1:1) and has been out since then. The former German youth team player came from Leverkusen to the then cooperation club FC Juniors OÖ in the summer of 2019 and worked his way into the Bundesliga squad. Shortly after the then coach Dominik Thalhammer said that Boller first had to get used to the level, the defender surprisingly gave his starting eleven in the play-off first leg in the Europa Conference League qualifier against HJK Helsinki (1-1) in August 2021 -Debut. After a promising autumn, things went downhill in the spring, as did the entire team. Boller’s contract expires.

Nemanja Celic returned to LASK on loan last summer after a season with hardly any playing time at the then German second division club Darmstadt. The step back should serve as a start – but an injury in the preparation slowed the Linzer down early. The midfielder was unable to catch up. Because the starting eleven had a good season, he didn’t get many chances – it was only enough for seven games. LASK let the purchase option expire, Celic is returning to Darmstadt, at least for the time being, where his contract will run for another season. After another season without significant playing time, it is now even more difficult for him to gain a foothold there: Darmstadt has been promoted to the first Bundesliga.

More departures could follow

These four departures are fixed, more could follow. Keito Nakamura, for example, has attracted the interest of many clubs. Access is fixed, even if the official confirmation is still missing: Ivan Ljubic comes free of charge from runner-up Sturm Graz. The 26-year-old from Vienna will increase the competition in central midfield. Several loan players are returning, at least for the time being: Thomas Sabitzer from Tirol, Husein Balic from Altach, Efthymios Koulouris from Alanyaspor and Filip Twardzik from Trnava.