Marco Hödl: The former ball boy is returning to his roots in Sturm with Salzburg
To speak of a traditional duel before today’s meeting in the ÖFB Cup between SK Sturm and Austria Salzburg (6 p.m., ORF 1 live) would be going too far. After all, the guest club was only founded in 2005 – 104 years after that of Graz. And yet many refer to it as the “only true Salzburg club”. After all, Red Bull took over the club originally founded in 1933 as SV Austria Salzburg in 2005. The current figurehead of Austrian football is still being attacked by parts of the “violets”.
Monetary envy should undoubtedly be there. The newly founded Austria quickly marched up to the 2nd Bundesliga thanks to four promotions. However, since the company took over at short notice, insolvency could only be prevented thanks to a settlement. Relegation to the Salzburg league followed a little later. Only because of loans from powerful financiers from the fan scene did they escape the collapse a second time. With the takeover of chairman Claus Salzmann, an entrepreneur from Pinzgau, the club has consolidated. Next year, the regional league leaders will be debt-free. However, promotion to the second division seems to be a long way off. The home ground in Maxglan is not suitable for the second division. Another reason why today’s party will be held in Graz.
Austria is unbeaten in eleven competitive games in a row. This record should be expanded further. Marco Hödl, who scored three goals against Telfs in the first round, should also help. It is a very special game for the Seiersberger native. “I played eight years in Sturm’s youth. I was at almost every home game as a ball boy. Back then, Jürgen Säumel, Mario Haas and Roman Kienast still played in Graz. Now, for the first time, I can play in this stadium with the great Sturm fans. In addition, in front of my family and many friends who are rooting for me live. It’s going to be a big squad,” says the 25-year-old with a laugh, who knows the Sturm players Tobias Schützenauer (Sturm juniors), Alexander Prass and David Affengruber (both at the Salzburg Academy) from special times and has also been known by Christian Ilzer ( fitness coach in the ÖFB U19 team) and Uwe Hölzl (Hartberg).
Hödl, who has been attending the police school for nine months and is already in his fourth season with Austria, is waiting for a surprise today. The appendix should also help with this. “Our fans can certainly keep up with the volume in the Bundesliga. Against the storm it will be the game of games, a real football festival,” says Hödl.