The eventful history of FC Hörgersdorf: change of coach, sports gala, final, Malle

Ballermänner am Ballermann – FC Hörgersdorf celebrates the championship (back row, from left): Christoph Stöckl, Tobias Huber, Sebastian Walter, Johannes Wendlinger, Florian Landersdorfer, Martin Stöckl, Georg Strohmeier, Johannes Wurzer, Korbinian Gruber, Klaus Reger, Daniel Karpfinger; (center, from left) Maximilian Blickle, Johannes Stürzer, Florian Lurz, Matthias Benningsfeld, Felix Stocklauser, Stefan Drobilitsch, Korbinian Schöberl, Markus Berger; (front, from left) Andreas Bichlmeier, Stefan Schraufstetter, Thomas Schmittner, Sebastian Deuschl, Johannes Irl, Michael Bichlmeier. FCH Association ©

Champion by a win in the last game of the season – it was the perfect end for Felix Stocklauser.

Hörgersdorf – champion by a win in the last game of the season – it was the perfect end for Felix Stocklauser. In September last year, he stepped in as coach of FC Hörgersdorf. Now he is stepping down as a champion coach and player – and has the boundless thanks of sporting director Matthias Berger: "It was just a perfect fit. He took us over a long time ago and now, exactly ten years later, we've risen with him." Fittingly, it was Stocklauser himself who scored the important 1-0 win for his favourite club in the decisive game against Fraunberg and set the course for victory.

"Of course, the goal was a dream come true for me," said Stocklauser. "But it would have been just as nice if I hadn't scored. Winning the championship with my team for the first time in Hörgersdorf's history was the biggest highlight for me. This has never happened before at FCH."

Stocklauser had taken over the team in a difficult situation. The bad luck of the aborted relegation match against Türkgücü Erding was still in everyone's minds. Then coach Hans-Peter Walter resigned from his post. Stocklauser took over on matchday six. The FCH was only in sixth place – and started a furious series with nine victories, which brought the FCH to the top of the table. Among them was the home game against Fraunberg, which was turned to 0-2 after a 3-2 deficit on the Golan Heights. "That was the point at which we knew we could do it," says Stocklauser.

As a result, FSV Steinkirchen, TSV Grüntegernbach and FC Inning also fought for the top of the table for a long time before Fraunberg and Hörgersdorf were able to pull away. On matchdays 24 and 25, FCF then held the top spot in the standings before the showdown took place last Saturday in front of more than 350 spectators. The week before, the FCH had received the "Special Editor's Prize" from the local newspaper at the Erdinger Sportgala. The laudator was Liverpool coach Jürgen Klopp, who wished the FCH good luck. The rest is known: Hörgersdorf won 3-0.

Of course, the championship was properly celebrated after the game. "We had a barbecue at one of our players' houses and celebrated for a really long time. Two days later, we flew to Mallorca," says Stocklauser.

He cites the commitment and willingness of his team as key success factors for promotion: "We've always trained long and intensively. Everybody wanted it, and you could see that on the pitch." FCH's goal-scoring prowess certainly helped. With 80 goals in 26 games, the champions have the best offense in the league. The most accurate players were Daniel Karpfinger and Martin Stöckl with 23 and 15 goals respectively. However, Stocklauser emphasised the versatility of his team: "With us, anyone could score a goal, and we were dangerous in many positions."

Berger also gives a small outlook on the coming season: "Actually, everyone is continuing to do so, and we are getting more growth from the youth. Apart from that, we are already looking forward to the new coach Jorgo Karisis, and I hope that we will play a good role in the difficult district class next year and that we can maintain the class."

LUKAS CHRISTOFORI