Preview of the Home Game Against Hartberg

Max Uhlig led his first practice session with the first team on Sunday afternoon. The final practice for the Cup round of 16 match against TSV Hartberg was already scheduled for Monday. That doesn’t leave the new head coach much time to prepare—but he’s still very much looking forward to his first home game.

“I sensed a lot of positive energy during the first practice. All the players are very open to learning something new,” Uhlig says, describing his first impressions. The short preparation time poses a challenge, but at the same time, the 33-year-old wants to start making his mark: “A fresh impetus is important for the team—and that’s what I want to provide. We’ll see how much of that is already visible on the field on Tuesday. We have a home game in front of a large crowd, and we want to get our fans on board right from the start, create good energy in the stadium, and get the stands fired up so everyone is fully engaged,” says Uhlig.

TSV Hartberg is an opponent that has had a strong season so far. After ten rounds, the Styrian team has seven more points than Austria and sits in sixth place in the ADMIRAL Bundesliga. Most recently, coach Markus Schopp’s team celebrated a 1-0 home victory against WAC. In its last eight competitive matches, Hartberg has lost only once—to the current league leader. The team has won five matches.

“We want to approach the game with a lot of conviction and a positive attitude. My goal is to get the most out of the current squad. I believe there’s more to this team than it has shown in the games so far. I hope we put in a good performance against Hartberg and clear this hurdle,” emphasizes Max Uhlig ahead of his first game as Austria’s head coach.

Team update

Aleksandar Dragović is back in contention for the roster, and Philipp Wiesinger might be ready in time for Sunday’s derby.