Football Season Guide

Given the rich history of the club, there is little doubt that most Bundesliga neutrals will be pleased to see LASK return to the top flight after a six-year absence. The Linzers' power and ambition became clear at the end of the previous season when they managed to persuade SV Ried manager and club legend Oliver Glasner to take over as their boss. The young coach has done an outstanding job with the club, as he assembled a young and talented squad that won their league with a 17-point margin, while also enjoying a decent Austrian cup run. LASK were not happy to rest on their laurels and have gone on to have a busy summer, getting rid of players that Glasner does not want as a part of their Bundesliga adventure while bringing in several promising players. However, they've also drafted in some proven quality in Gernot Trauner, who joins from Ried and, perhaps most importantly, former Austrian international Emanuel Pogatetz who returns to his home country at the age of 34 following an illustrious career abroad. Interestingly enough, Pogatetz is only the second player over the age of 30 in LASK's current squad. The other one is Rene Gartler, the only player still at the club that was also a part of the LASK side that played in the Bundesliga in the 2010/11 season. Of course, it is always difficult to judge the changes of newly-promoted side whose players have limited Bundesliga experience but, given how easily they won the second division and how well they are run, LASK will be expected to have nothing to do with the drop.