In Varazdin, Austria’s World Cup journey continues on Tuesday (3:30 p.m./live ORF1) in the main round with the game against North Macedonia. Team boss Ales Pajovic is in good spirits before the three games. “I’m not a coach who makes excuses and complains. Of course, the absences of Mykola Bilyk, Janko Bozovic and Boris Zivkovic hurt. If we continue as before, with fire and heart, then I am optimistic that we will also get points in Varazdin.” We took two points with us from the preliminary round anyway.
Austria’s team is also relying on Viennese craftsmanship in the fourth World Cup game in Croatia, as 11 of the 16 players in the current squad were trained at Westwien or the Fivers from Margareten.
Frimmel, Lastro, Kaiper, Möstl, Kofler, Mahr and Paulnsteiner at Westwien, which was after all the first stop in Miskovez’s professional career. Damböck, Wagner, Hutecek and Nigg come from the Fivers.
Good trainers
There are several reasons for Vienna’s dominance. Lukas Hutecek, who moved from the Fivers to Lemgo in Germany in 2021, can name some: “Both clubs are doing a lot right from the youth perspective, training good players because they also have good coaches. That makes a big difference. And both clubs put a lot of emphasis on the young players and their training.” For Hutecek, this is the Austrian way anyway. “Our handball is developing towards training.”
ÖHB sports director Patrick Fölser is happy about well-trained players; he himself ended his career at Westwien. “This obviously benefits local handball. Both clubs value training early on and practice it. It’s also about conveying attitudes and values, i.e. human components. They give them a lesson in life.” Would he like other clubs to think and act similarly? “Yes. Point.”
profiteers
The cohesion in the current team is a result of the work of Westwien and the Fivers. Hutecek: “The core of the team is those born in 1994, then younger players came along. But we are 16 friends here on the team and we also have fun together off the pitch.”
Cyclist Tobi Wagner, formerly a Fiver, also has a geographical explanation ready. “The catchment area around Vienna is huge. The talents from the area then move to Westwien or the Fivers at some point. The 21st and 22nd districts are not at all developed when it comes to handball.” After all, there are around 400,000 inhabitants.
The World Cup is now against North Macedonia, Hungary and the Netherlands. Pajovic: “We can win all three games, but we can also lose all three.”