The diary from Antalya provides daily insights into the training camp. What was said, how they trained, who excelled. You won't miss a thing here.

Visit and birthday

On Wednesday evening, analyst Lorenz Kutscha-Lissberg, who moved to FC Schalke 04 in the summer, paid the Violets a visit at the hotel. The team from Gelsenkirchen are currently preparing for the spring in Belek, and for the 28-year-old it was a stone's throw away - so the joy of the reunion was all the greater. Of course, they also talked shop over a drink with the violet coaching team.

A coach who Kutscha-Lissberg himself brought into the Austria analysis team celebrated his 27th birthday today, Thursday: Daniel Gasser. After the congratulations, the Italian was “allowed” to walk through the violet trellis during the afternoon training session, and there was cake at dinner. Videos of this can be found in our Instagram story.

In the gym in the morning

The first training session in Turkey took place in the hotel's own gym. The gym at the Titanic Mardan Palace plays all the tunes and has loosened up the Violets again - or more precisely the two athletics trainers Christian Balga and Daniel Gangl. “We activated the whole body properly to get back into it after yesterday's arrival day with the flight,” says Balga.

On the pitch in the afternoon

Manfred Fischer & Co then made their way to the Titanic Sports Complex at 3 p.m. on the dot. In perfect conditions, they first warmed up on the finest grass, before practising counter-pressing and creating goal-scoring opportunities. “The focus today was on the processes in our own third and in the attacking third, gaining control of the game and establishing dominance,” explained Helm.

Before the start of training, the coach addressed the team, demanding full focus and the violet principles in training and, above all, in the first test against NŠ Mura on Saturday at 1 pm (local time: 3 pm).