50 years of Bundesliga: Emotions, highlights, and defining moments

For the 33rd time since the founding of the Bundesliga in 1974, the Athletiker are represented in Austria's top tier. In the inaugural season of 1974/75, Linz was part of the then ten-team league after prevailing in the relegation tournament against Stockerau, Kapfenberg, and Dornbirn. Under coach Felix Latzke, the team finished the first season in sixth place.

The season began with a 2-1 home victory over SK Rapid, with Gert Trafella scoring the historic first Bundesliga goal. With 269 appearances in the top flight since 1974, Trafella ranks second in this ranking behind Klaus Lindenberger (283). In the inaugural season, Linz also produced the league's top scorer: Helmut Köglberger, who returned from Wiener Austria in the winter, secured the crown with 22 goals, 13 of which were for the Schwarz-Weißen. "I'm finally where I belong," said the striker after his return. With a total of 75 Bundesliga goals, Köglberger still leads the club's all-time scoring list in the top flight ahead of Geir Frigard (48) and Michael Toppel (46).

In the 1976/77 season, the team surpassed city rivals SK VÖEST with a 2-0 victory over Vienna on the final matchday, securing a spot in the UEFA Cup. After the first-ever relegation in the following season, Linz achieved an immediate promotion under coach Dolfi Blutsch (also thanks to the top scorer Köglberger with 25 goals) and subsequently finished in third place - the best performance of a Bundesliga promoted team, along with Admira (11/12), Grödig (13/14), and Altach (14/15). They also achieved a curious record with 17 draws in 36 rounds in the same season, equating to a unique season. This season also saw the attendance record at a Bundesliga home game for LASK: On August 17, 1979, 25,000 fans flocked to the Linz Stadium to witness the 3-1 derby victory over the local rivals.

After the end of the Blutsch era, the Athletiker, under his successor Johann Kondert - with 150 Bundesliga matches on the sidelines of the Schwarz-Weißen, second only to his predecessor (160) - finished two more seasons in third place and two in fourth. The historic triumph in the UEFA Cup against Inter Milan in 1985, courtesy of Hans Gröss' goal, also fell within this period. However, the sunny days of success gave way to challenging times in the late 1980s, which were temporarily put aside with promotion under Walter Skocik in 1994. Goalkeeper Josef Schicklgruber played a crucial role in the championship year, keeping a clean sheet for 1241 minutes, equivalent to 13 games.

After the merger in 1997, LASK fans were treated to exquisite Norwegian football artistry, particularly from the likes of forward and fan favorite Geir Frigard, Vidar Riseth, or coach Per Brogeland. Frigard crowned himself as the Bundesliga top scorer in 1998, becoming the second LASK player after Köglberger to do so, scoring 23 goals and capturing the hearts of fans. 'LASK will always be a part of my life. It was the most beautiful time in my football career,' said the goal scorer later. Unforgettable moments include the Norwegian's four goals in the 5-1 away victory against Admira, the 4-0 rout against the then-league leader Sturm, or the 5-0 thrashing of Rapid in front of 19,000 spectators, which ironically led to Brogeland stepping down from his position.

Financial problems halted the former star-studded ensemble including Frigard, Markus Weissenberger, Peter Stöger, Zeljko Pavlovic, Walter Kogler, or Jerzy Brzeczek, coached by Otto Baric in 1998/99. Instead of being able to compete for the title as hoped, the club found itself in the relegation battle of the Bundesliga in the early years of the new millennium after a brief stint in the UEFA Cup and losing the Cup final against Sturm in a penalty shootout. Subsequently, they even found themselves in the second division.

The turning point came with the signing of Ivica Vastic, who emerged as the top scorer in the second division for two consecutive seasons - thanks in part to a four-goal haul against Kapfenberg, during which he converted three free kicks. In 2007, coach Karl Daxbacher led the Schwarz-Weißen back to the top flight, where they immediately made an impact, even briefly challenging for the title and leading the table on matchdays 25 and 26. Particularly memorable was the 4-1 rout of RB Salzburg, managed by star coach Giovanni Trapattoni. 'Certainly the best performance in my era as LASK coach,' beamed Daxbacher at the time. His tenure also saw the spectacular 4-4 draw against SK Rapid, where Linz fought back four times from behind, with Michael Baur scoring the equalizer in stoppage time with a bizarre goal.

A poor finish denied LASK a spot in international competition, and in the following season, former national team coach Hans Krankl saved the club from relegation once again. In the 4-0 victory over Wiener Austria, Michael Baur and Ivica Vastic scored their last Bundesliga goals before retiring, securing their places in the history books. At 40 (Baur) and 39 years old (Vastic), they top the list of the oldest goal scorers in the top flight.

A plethora of offensive spectacles unfolded in the autumn of 2009, including a 4-5 defeat against Wiener Austria, during which the Schwarz-Weißen turned a 0-3 deficit into a 4-3 lead at one point. In 2011, the Upper Austrians bid farewell to the top tier once again. The Bundesliga history of LASK continued in 2017 after enduring arguably the toughest phase, including the relegation to the Regional League. However, the Schwarz-Weißen made a successful comeback: following an emotional promotion under coach Oliver Glasner, they secured fourth place, marking their return to European competition. A year later, they achieved their greatest success since the founding of the Bundesliga by clinching the runner-up title, earning them the opportunity to participate in the Champions League qualification for the first time. This period was not only marked by international triumphs but also by national highlights, such as the emotionally charged home victory against Rapid, sealed by a spectacular long-range shot from Christian Ramsebner and a last-minute goal from Philipp Wiesinger, or the 1-0 win over RB Salzburg, which remains one of the three home triumphs over the Mozartstädter to date.

LASK set an internal points record in the 2019/20 season. Despite the points reset after the basic round, they accumulated the equivalent of 64 points, one more than in the previous season. Simultaneously, the Upper Austrians became the only team in Bundesliga history to win their first eleven away games and secured a total of 13 victories on the road - also a record.

However, a disappointing championship group prevented them from remaining in the title race. Nonetheless, since their return to the top flight, the LASK's record is impressive: they achieved one second-place finish, one third-place finish, and three fourth-place finishes. Only once did they fail to qualify for the upper playoffs, settling for eighth place. In 2022, the Athletiker equaled their highest Bundesliga victory with a 6-0 win over WSG Tirol. This result had also been achieved in 1985 against Eisenstadt and in 1984 against St. Veit. Following their third-place finish in the previous season, the Schwarz-Weißen currently occupy the same position with six rounds remaining in the current season.

The LASK played its first Bundesliga match in 1974 at the old Linz Stadium, with Wels, Schwanenstadt, Traun, and eventually Pasching serving as temporary venues. Each of these locations is inseparably linked to the eventful and extensive history of the club. Since the Raiffeisen Arena was ceremoniously opened on February 24, 2023, against SC Austria Lustenau (1-0), it has become the home to the most modern stadium in Austria. 'You train your whole life for this, to be able to play in such a stadium,' said Rene Renner at the time. 'This is a stadium that everyone dreams of.'

The inaugural goal in the aforementioned dream arena was scored by Marin Ljubicic. The Croatian also secured another entry into the historical books by scoring four goals in a match against WAC, making him the first Athletiker since Frigard to achieve this feat.

The new home quickly proved to be not only a gem but also extremely rewarding in sporting terms. Before the match against Hartberg on Sunday, the Athletiker had played 20 times in the Bundesliga at the Raiffeisen Arena, securing 13 victories and three draws. They kept a clean sheet in nine games. Ideally, on the 50th anniversary of the Bundesliga on Sunday, they would add triumph number 14. It would be the 393rd victory in the 1,099 appearances of the Schwarz-Weißen in the football top flight. Another reason to celebrate.