S.K. Sturm Graz facts for kids

The UPC Arena, home ground of SK Sturm Graz

SK Sturm Graz team in 2010

Franco Foda, a former player and coach for SK Sturm Graz

S.K. Sturm Graz is a popular football club from Austria. They were started way back in 1909. Their team colors are black and white, which is why they are often called the "Blackies"!

The Story of Sturm Graz

How the Club Started

The club was officially founded on May 1, 1909. It was started by a group of students, mostly between 16 and 18 years old. The club became fully official in 1912.

Early Successes

From 1921 to 1949, Sturm Graz was very strong in their local area. They won the Styrian championship 11 times! In 1949, Sturm Graz made history. They became the first team not from Vienna to join Austria's national football league.

A Golden Era

A new successful time for the club began in the 1990s. This was when Hannes Kartnig became the new president. In 1994, a great coach named Ivica Osim joined the team.

Sturm Graz started winning big!

• In 1995, they finished second in the league.
• In 1996, they won their very first major title, the Austrian Cup. They beat Admira Wacker in the final.
• In 1998, they won their first league title, the Austrian Bundesliga.
• In 1999, they won the league again!

Playing in Europe

Sturm Graz also played in the UEFA Champions League, which is a huge competition for top European clubs.

• The first time they played, they earned one point.
• The second time, they finished third in their group.
• In the 1999/2000 Champions League season, they did amazingly well! They won their group against strong teams like Galatasaray Istanbul, Glasgow Rangers, and AS Monaco FC.

Recent Times

After their big successes, some key players and coach Ivica Osim left the club. Around 2005, Sturm Graz faced some money problems. Because of this, they had to rely on younger players.

Under coach Franco Foda, this plan worked out well! Sturm Graz became one of the top four teams in the league again. In 2010, they won their third Austrian Cup. They also played in the qualification rounds for the Champions League, but lost in the play-off round. They then played in the UEFA Europa League.

Meet the Team: Current Squad

Here are the players who make up the SK Sturm Graz team:

No. Position Player 1 GK Christian Gratzei 2 DF George Popkhadze 4 DF Dominic Pürcher 5 DF Ferdinand Feldhofer 6 MF Manuel Weber 7 FW Mario Haas 8 MF Andreas Hölzl 9 MF Haris Bukva 10 MF Samir Muratović 11 FW Imre Szabics 13 DF Thomas Burgstaller 14 MF Florian Kainz 16 DF Florian Neuhold

No. Position Player 17 DF Martin Ehrenreich 18 DF Joachim Standfest 22 GK Silvije Čavlina 24 FW Roman Kienast 26 FW Marvin Weinberger 27 MF Christian Klem 28 MF Jürgen Säumel 29 MF Sandro Foda 33 MF Patrick Wolf 34 GK Alexander Schachner 20 MF Mathias Koch

Club Trophies and Awards

Sturm Graz has won many important titles over the years:

• Austrian Football Bundesliga (Top League)

• Champions (3 times): 1998, 1999, 2011

• Austrian Cup

• Winners (4 times): 1996, 1997, 1999, 2010

• Austrian Supercup

• Winners (3 times): 1996, 1998, 1999

• Austrian Amateur Champions (1 time): 1934
• Styrian Regional Champions (11 times)
• Styrian Cup Winners (9 times)

Sturm Graz in European Competitions

Sturm Graz has played many matches against teams from other countries in Europe. They have taken part in big tournaments like the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Europa League.

They have faced famous clubs from all over Europe, including teams from England, Germany, Italy, and France. They even reached the Quarter-Finals of the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup in 1975–76 and the UEFA Cup in 1983–84.

Their best run in the UEFA Champions League was in the 2000–01 season. They won their group in the first stage, beating teams like Rangers and Galatasaray! This showed they could compete with the best clubs in Europe.