Austria round-up: Win may not save Matthaüs
Thursday, May 9, 2002
Article summary
SK Rapid Vienna coach Lothar Matthaüs fears for his job despite the victory over SK Sturm Graz.
Article body
Former Germany captain Lothar Matthaüs expects to be fired as coach of SK Rapid Vienna despite his side finishing the Austrian Bundesliga season with a victory over league runners-up SK Sturm Graz.
Worst finish
Roman Wallner scored both goals in the 2-0 win but it was not enough to save Rapid from eighth place in the rankings - the worst finish in their 103-year history. The last time the club suffered such ignominy was back in the 1943/44 season, when they finished seventh.
'A difficult job'
Matthaüs, who signed a two-year contract with Rapid last September, said he would have liked to continue working with the team but that the board was of a different opinion. "I think it was a difficult job," he said after today's victory. "I think it has been a small success and I think we would have liked to carry on working together. However, I assume that the board will finally decide otherwise tomorrow."
'Board is of a different opinion'
Matthaüs added: "I have fulfilled the task I was set. What has happened in the last two to three months has been sensational - we have had to integrate new players and train up younger ones. But the board is of a different opinion and a trainer has to accept that."
Gilewicz double
Elsewhere champions FC Tirol Innsbruck completed their campaign with a 3-1 victory over FC Kärnten - their 23rd in 36 matches. The hosts, who had long since tied up their third successive title, opened the scoring after 29 minutes through Polish striker Radoslav Gilewicz. Roman Stary equalised for the visitors in the 60th minute but Tirol sealed the win with a second from Gilewicz and a late effort from Jerzy Brzeczek.
Grazer hit five
Third-placed Grazer AK scored five first-half goals in a 5-1 dismantling of VfB Admira Wacker Mödling. Ronnie Brunmayr scored four times with Jones Kusi-Asare claiming Grazer's other goal. Kliton Bozgo scored the visitors' late consolation. In tonight's other games, Schwarz-Weiss Bregenz and SV Austria Salzburg drew 1-1 while Herwig Drechsel's goal gave SV Ried a 1-0 victory against FK Austria Wien.
