As few fans as on Friday evening in the 4-2 draw against Israel have never been to a post-war international match in Austria. So far that was the game against the Czech Republic in the Lehen stadium in May 1996 – at that time without local heroes.
Klagenfurt would have gladly waived this “record”: With 4,300 spectators, the international match against Israel was the worst-attended home game in the post-war period, when there were no pandemic restrictions. So far, this negative mark was held by Salzburg. 5100 saw a 1-0 victory in 1996 in the Lehen stadium. On May 29, 1996, 5,100 fans made the pilgrimage to the Lehen stadium in a 1-0 win against the Czech Republic. The atmosphere in the much smaller Lehen oval was nowhere near as eerie as in the arena in Carinthia, which is approved for 29,200 fans. One reason why no more fans came to Salzburg 25 years ago: the local heroes were missing. Wolfgang Feiersinger and Heimo Pfeifenberger were injured. “I don’t remember exactly what I had. But it was before I moved to Bremen, ”recalls Pfeifenberger. Czechia became vice European champion shortly afterwards. In addition, it was not a qualifying game, but a friendly match before the European Championship in England. Where Nedved, Poborsky and Co. became vice European champions behind Germany. All the more remarkable was the 1-0 victory of the ÖFB team coached by Herbert Prohaska through a late goal by Arnold Wetl. Pfeifenberger cites several reasons The negative backdrop on Friday has several reasons for Pfeifenberger. “In general, the general mood is very negative when it comes to the national team. Then there is the 2-G rule and that this match was no longer about anything for the World Cup qualification. ”More than 90,000 came in 1960 in the 3-0 win in Vienna, making the debut of Bullen-Kuchler Nicolas Seiwald all the more delighted. “There’s no getting around that.” But it will take time to trigger a new wave of euphoria. The 90,726 fans in Vienna in 1960 in a 3-0 win against Spain will remain the most popular home game in the post-war era for a long time.
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