Helm: "Players eager for Bundesliga start"

Austria Wien will play Blau-Weiß Linz on Sunday (5:00 p.m.) to kick off the new season in the ADMIRAL Bundesliga. Coach Stephan Helm has worked through the European Cup exit with his team and knows that Manfred Fischer & Co are eager for the upcoming match.

It was a rollercoaster ride that you would hardly find in any amusement park in the world. Unfortunately, there was nothing to cheer about late on Thursday evening and the violet-white European Cup journey came to an early end. "Everyone was devastated straight after the game, of course. If you score four goals at home, you should have a sense of achievement at the end. Unfortunately, we didn't manage that and the fact that it ended in a penalty shoot-out is all the more bitter", said Stephan Helm.

Work better at the back, always good for goals at the front

However, he doesn't want to dwell on last Thursday for long and has his sights set directly on the next game. "We've said we'll keep our heads up and immediately focus on the tasks ahead. Of course you have to address things clearly, we simply have to do a better job in defense, there are no two opinions about that. On the other hand, we also know that our attacking players are always good for goals and assists when they're confident", said Helm, referring to the goals scored by Maurice Malone, Andreas Gruber and Nik Prelec recently.

"We are looking ahead. The players are now eager for the start of the Bundesliga, know how important the first games are and want to pick up their first points straight away", said Helm about the good spirit in his team. Blau-Weiß Linz are an opponent we know a lot about and we're well prepared, says the head coach. "Ultimately, however, it is essential that we do our homework."

Personnel situation

With the exception of Johannes Handl, Marko Raguž, Florian Wustinger and Ziad El Sheiwi, the Violet coaching team can practically draw on a full squad. It is still too early for new signing Aleksandar Dragović.