L.A.S.K. Linz facts for kids

LASK Linz is a football club from Linz, which is the capital city of Upper Austria. They currently play in the First League, which is the second-highest football league in Austria.

About LASK Linz

LASK Linz is a well-known football team in Austria. They are famous for being the first club outside of Vienna to win the top Austrian league. The team plays its home games in Linz, a city in Upper Austria.

The Club's Story

The club started on August 7, 1899, as Athletiksportclub Siegfried. The football part of the club began later, in February 1919. Their very first match was on May 4, 1919, against Fußballverein Wels, which LASK lost 1:4. Because the football section became very successful, the club decided to change its name to Linzer Athletik-Sport-Klub, or LASK for short.

Before 1938, LASK won many titles in the Upper Austrian league. In the 1938/39 season, they moved up to the Gauliga XVII, which was the highest league in Austrian football at that time. However, they moved back down to a lower league in the same season.

After World War II, LASK had a very special season in 1964/65. They won the top Austrian league title! This was a huge deal because they were the first team not from Vienna to achieve this. In the same season, they also won the Austrian Cup, making it a double victory. The years after that had ups and downs, with some successes and times when they moved down to the second division. In 1997, LASK Linz joined with their city rivals, FC Linz. The LASK name, colors, and members stayed the same.

In the 2010/11 season, LASK moved down to a lower league again. Today, they play in Austria's First League, which is the second division of Austrian football.

What's in a Name?

The club's name has changed a little over the years:

• 1908-1996: Linzer ASK
• 1996-present: LASK Linz

Playing in Europe

LASK Linz has also played in several European football competitions over the years. These are big tournaments where clubs from different countries play against each other. They have taken part in competitions like the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, UEFA Champions League, Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, and UEFA Cup. They also played in the UEFA Intertoto Cup. Playing in these tournaments means they were one of the top teams in Austria at those times.

Trophies and Wins

LASK Linz has won many important titles and awards throughout its history:

• Austrian League: 1964–65 (This is the top league in Austria!)
• Austrian Cup: 1965. They were also runners-up (came in second place) in 1963, 1967, 1970, and 1999.
• Austrian Amateur Championship: 1931
• Upper-Austrian Championship: 1924, 1925, 1926, 1927, 1929, 1930, 1931, 1932, 1936, 1939, 1947, 1948, 1950
• Upper-Austrian Cup: 1929, 1931, 1932, 1935, 1937, 1946
• Upper-Austrian Championship (reserves): 2001, 2003
• Second Division: 1958, 1979, 1994, 2007 (They won this league to get promoted to the top division!)