The Styrian duel (read more here>>>) was not only heated in sporting terms, but also in meteorological terms. The temperatures in the stands and on the pitch were exceptionally high. A situation that caused problems for many.
“The temperature in the coaching zone was 50 degrees,” said Sturm coach Christian Ilzer at the press conference after the game. Extreme conditions that were particularly hard on the players. The Styrian duel must have drained one player of energy in particular: Mika Biereth. The striker was ill during the week and was probably not at 100 percent in the heat battle against Hartberg.
Ilzer: “Mika was ill during the week and had a fever of 38 degrees after the game. He can get extremely over the top. During a drink break I asked him if he could play the whole game, which he said he could. The game took a lot out of him.” A physical challenge that the striker was even able to overcome by scoring a goal.
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Hartberg’s Heil: “No longer nice to play”
But the heat battle was also very demanding for all the other players. This also applies to Jürgen Heil from Hartberg: “It was brutal. I have a headache now too. There is no fresh air here (on the pitch, note).”
The Hartberg captain is therefore calling for later kick-off times to avoid the extreme afternoon heat: “It’s not so nice to play football anymore. Maybe we should consider choosing later kick-off times in the summer. That would be good for the game, and it would also be better for the spectators in the stadium.”
For Heil’s coach, Markus Schopp, the high temperatures are no excuse for his team’s many mistakes: “The fact is that there are more pleasant times in midsummer. But the times are set and we have to stick to them. I don’t think the temperatures were the issue today.”
If the East Styrian team wants to avoid a dangerous situation at the bottom of the table, they have to play at home next week against Vienna Austria (Sunday, from 5 p.m. in LIVE-Ticker >>>) at least a first point.
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