Grazer AK

Grazer AK

Full name	Grazer Athletik-Klub
Nickname(s)	Die Roten (The reds) Rotjacken (the red-jackets) Die roten Teufel (the red devils) Athletiker (Athletics)
Founded	1902
Ground	UPC Arena Graz- Liebenau (Capacity: 16,000)
Chairman	Benedikt Bittmann
Manager	Ales Ceh
League	Regional League Central
2009–10	Austrian Regional League Central, 5th
Home colours Away colours

Grazer AK, founded 18 August 1902 as Grazer Athletik-Sport Klub (in Austria the abbreviation GAK is more common), is an Austrian sports club, from the city of Graz in the federal state of Styria (Steiermark). The football section is one of the most traditional Austrian clubs, most successful in the decade 1995–2005. The other sections are basketball, diving and tennis.

History

The club arose from an informal association of local academics around the medical student Georg August Wagner from Prague, later a professor at the Charles University and the Charité in Berlin. Acquainted with football from his hometown, he organised the first public match in present-day Austria on 18 March 1894 in the Graz municipal park. The Grazer Athletik-Sport-Club – modeled after the Wiener AC – was established eight years later on the 72nd birthday of Emperor Francis Joseph.

Bankruptcy

During the 2006–2007 season, 'Grazer AK' went into administration. The club was docked 28 points as a result. In the 2007–2008 season, the club was not allowed to participate in the professional leagues and was relegated to the Austrian Regional League Center. After a second bankruptcy, the club managed to achieve a settlement and accommodation with its creditors in September 2008, ensuring its survival.

Achievements

GAK celebrates its Austrian Championship 2004 on Hauptplatz in Graz.

• Austrian Championship (1): 2004 (runners up 2003, 2005)
• Austrian Cup (4): 1981, 2000, 2002, 2004 (finalist 1962, 1968)
• Austrian Supercup (2): 2000, 2002 (finalist 2004)

Managers since 1990

• Heinz Binder (8.1.1990 – 11.9.1990)
• Savo Ekmecic (11.9.1990 – 16.4.1992)
• Milan Miklavic (16.4.1992 – 24.10.1993)
• Hans Ulrich Thomale (26.10.1993 – Summer 1996)
• Ljupko Petrović (Summer 1996 – 11.9.1996)
• Hans Peter Schaller (11.9.1996 – 20.9.1996)
• August Starek (20.9.1996 – Summer 1997)
• Klaus Augenthaler (Summer 1997 – 2.3.2000)
• Rainer Hörgl (2.3.2000 – April 2000)
• Werner Gregoritsch (April 2000 – 21.9.2001)
• Christian Keglevits (21.9.2001 – 29.9.2001)
• Thijs Libregts (29.9.2001 – 12.8.2002)
• Christian Keglevits (12.8.2002 – 7.10.2002)
• Walter Schachner (7.10.2002 – 9.1.2006)
• Lars Söndergaard (9.1.2006 – 20.5.2007)
• Dietmar Pegam (1.6.2007 – 31.12.2007)
• Stojadin Rajkovic (January 2008 – Aug.2008)
• Gregor Pötscher (Aug.2008 – Jan. 2010)
• Heinz Karner (Jan. 2010 - Nov. 2010)
• Peter Stöger (Nov. 2010 - June 2011)
• Aleš Čeh (June 2011 - current)

Current squad

Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player 1 GK Rene Pösendorfer 6 DF Rene Raudner 7 FW Thomas Murg 8 FW Jakob Färber 9 MF Dominik Messner 10 FW Herbert Rauter 11 FW Daniel Brauneis 12 DF Michael Berger 15 DF Christian Deutschmann 17 MF Stefan Nutz 18 DF David Fink 19 DF Ivan Simurina

No. Position Player 20 FW Christian Tschermanek 21 DF Sebastian Radakovics 22 GK Stefan Leitner 23 MF Patrick Durlacher 24 DF Stefan Kammerhofer 25 DF Danijel Brezic 26 MF Mario Steiner 27 DF Christian Schilling 28 FW Roland Kollmann 29 MF Michael Hofer 30 GK Christoph Weissenbacher 34 DF Benjamin Hepflinger

Famous players

• Skelley Adu Tutu (1999–2004)
• Rudolf Hiden (1925–1927)
• Paul Halla (1951–1953)
• Wilhelm Huberts (1955–1960, 1971–1975)
• Saleh Selim (1962–1963)
• Bernard Vukas (1964–1965)
• Jozef Móder (1980–1982)
• Eduard Glieder (1987–1994, 1995–1996)
• Roland Goriupp (1987–1992)
• Dieter Schatzschneider (1987–1988)
• Matjaž Kek (1990–1994)
• Aleš Čeh (1992–2003)
• Adolf Hütter (1988–1989, 1992–1993, 2000–2002)
• Carlos Castro (1994)
• Alexander Manninger (1996–1997)
• Boban Dmitrovic (1996–2003)
• Benedict Akwuegbu (1998–2003)
• Ross Aloisi (1999–2000)
• Mario Bazina (2001–2006)
• René Aufhauser (2001–2005)
• Mario Tokić (2001–2005)
• Richard Hastings (2002–2003)
• Péter Halmosi (2002–2003)
• Michaël Goossens (2003–2004)
• Emanuel Pogatetz (2003 – 8.3.2005)
• Libor Sionko (February 2004 – 1.6.2004)
• Éric Akoto (2006–2007)

Statistics

List of international games of GAK in UEFA-Cup, Champions League Qualification, Cupwinners' Cup and in Fairs' Cup:

1962/63:

1. B 1909 Odense (CdCs – 1/8 Finale) 1:1 (H) 3:5 (A)

1964/65:

1. NK Zagreb (MC R1) 0:6 (H) 2:3 (A)

1968/69:

1. Ado Den Haag (CdCs R1) 0:2 (H) 1:4 (A)

1972/73:

1. Panachaiki Patras (UC R1) 0:1 (H) 1:2 (A)

1980/81:

1. Dinamo Tbilisi (CdCs – 1/16 Finale) 2:2 (H) 0:2 (A)

1982/83:

1. Corvinul Hunedoara (UC R1) 1:1 (H) 0:3 (A)

1996/97:

1. Vojvodina Novi Sad (UC Q2) 2:0 (H) 5:1 (A)
2. Germinal Ekeren (UC R1) 2:0 (H) 1:3 (A)
3. Inter Milan (UC R2) 1:0 (H) 0:1 (4:5 i.E.)(A)

1998/99:

1. VPS Vaasa (UC Q2) 3:0 (H) 0:0 (A)
2. Litex Lovech (UC R1) 2:0 (H) 1:1 (A)
3. AS Monaco (UC R2) 3:3 (H) 0:4 (A)

1999/2000:

1. KÍ Klaksvík (UC Q) 4:0 (H) 5:0 (A)
2. Spartak Trnava (UC R1) 3:0 (H) 1:2 (A)
3. Panathinaikos (UC R2) 2:1 (H) 0:1 (A)

2000/01:

1. FC Kosice (UC R1) 0:0 (H) 3:2 (A)
2. Espanyol Barcelona (UC R2) 1:0 (H) 0:4 (A)

2001/02:

1. HB Tórshavn (UC Q) 4:0 (H) 2:2 (A)
2. FC Utrecht (UC R1) 3:3 (H) 0:3 (A)

2002/03:

1. FC Sheriff Tiraspol (CL Q2) 2:0 (H) 4:1 (A)
2. Lokomotiv Moscow (CL Q3) 0:2 (H) 3:3 (A)
3. APOEL Nicosia (UC R1) 1:1 (H) 0:2 (A)

2003/04:

1. SK Tirana (CL Q2) 2:1 (H) 5:1 (A)
2. Ajax Amsterdam (CL Q3) 1:1 (H) 1:2 (A)
3. Vålerenga I.F. Fotball (UC R1) 1:1 (H) 0:0 (A)

2004/05:

1. Liverpool F.C. (CL Q3) 0:2 (H) 1:0 (A)
2. Litex Lovech (UC R1) 5:0 (H) 0:1 (A)
3. AJ Auxerre (UC Gruppe F) 0:0 (A)
4. Amica Wronki (UC Gruppe F) 3:1 (H)
5. Rangers F.C. (UC Gruppe F) 0:3 (A)
6. AZ Alkmaar (UC Gruppe F) 2:0 (H)
7. Middlesbrough F.C. (UC 16tel-Finale) 2:2 (H) 1:2 (A)

2005/06:

1. Nistru Otaci (UC Q) 2:0 (A) 1:0 (H)
2. RC Strasbourg (UC R1) 0:2 (H) 0:5 (A)

Derby Statistics vs. SK Sturm Graz (as of 23.8.2005)

Total (in 1st Austrian League):

• 46 Won
• 42 Drawn
• 42 Lost

(Goals: 174:168)

External links

• official homepage
• fansite with basic information in English, French, Spanish, Polish and Dutch
• supporters-club
• supporters-club