Hartberg secured participation in the championship group with a draw against Sturm Graz. After the 1-1 draw in the derby, the Styrians were self-critical but also proud.
Markus Schopp (Hartberg coach): “We really deserve this. We have 22 rounds behind us and 34 points. This is something extraordinary for Hartberg. We did it on our own – in this way, that’s great! This is a moment that you can and should enjoy. And that against a team that has ambitions to become Austrian champions. We messed up in Wattens, but wanted to make good on it today. Today I always felt that we had it in our own hands. That made us strong. We were good for the 90 minutes. We got what felt like an own goal out of nowhere. But my team’s reaction after half-time was huge.”Donis Avdijaj (Hartberg goalscorer): “Personally speaking, it’s a big moment, but it’s not about me, it’s about the big picture. The success is a credit to the players and the coaching staff. We worked meticulously to create this. After 22 rounds it is a deserved success, that is not normal for this team with this budget.” Jürgen Heil (Hartberg captain): “After the final whistle I almost cried. We have invested so much in all this time, even though we are financially very far away from other clubs. We have a clear idea – and when you sum up, you have to say that we performed very, very strongly today. Our goal now is to achieve an international place. Donis is for special moments, even if it’s not always easy with him.” Christian Ilzer (striker coach): “After Thursday’s game against Lille, today was a big challenge against a team with quality that is no longer inferior to make light of the name Hartberg. I think we were the better team overall. We also worked well against the ball. However, our ball possession game was not optimal. I’m happy with the performance, but not with the result. TSV Hartberg has individual class and a great attitude. I’m looking forward to two more Styrian duels.”David Affengruber (striker defender): “We did well what we set out to do. We defended well. We defended many set pieces well. The fact that he then hits a free kick like that is just the way it is. I think maybe you don’t have to give the foul beforehand, I can’t just disappear into thin air. I don’t know where to go. We maybe missed scoring the second goal a little bit. There would have been more inside.”
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