"We can be satisfied with third place"

The Autumn Season

Just like the previous year, the athletes finished the autumn season in Austria's top division in third place. After a difficult start, the Linz team had an impressive autumn, notably defeating SK Sturm and, for the first time in over three and a half years, RB Salzburg. The 2-0 victory in the first Linz Bundesliga derby since 1997 in front of a sold-out Raiffeisen Arena against Blau-Weiß remained a highlight, as did the strong performance in the 2-0 win over Wiener Austria or the spectacular 3-3 draw against SK Rapid.

The Spring Season

The start of the spring championship did not go as planned. After a 2-2 draw against Austria Klagenfurt, the athletes went five games without scoring a single goal. The turnaround came in the championship group with a 3-1 win over RB Salzburg in the first match under interim coach Thomas Darazs. Under his leadership, the black-and-whites secured four victories and scored a total of 16 goals in seven games, including a 5-0 win over Rapid, their highest victory against the Hütteldorf team since 1998. Already after 30 rounds, they secured a top-three spot in the Bundesliga for the sixth time.

Best Performance Matched

Seventeen points at the end matched their best performance in the final round from the 2018/19 season and tied with Salzburg for the second most points in this championship group behind SK Sturm. LASK also finished third in the home table and in the ranking of the best defenses (33 goals conceded). In the goal-scoring list (Marin Ljubicic/12), the assists list (Sascha Horvath, Robert Zulj/each with 5), and the attendance table (13,076), they also secured third place.

The upswing in the season's finish can also be proven by statistical data. The points average in the last seven games under Thomas Darazs increased from 1.52 to 1.86 per game. Metrics like a pass accuracy of 79.54 percent (previously 74.06), a pass accuracy of 64.1 (previously 60.3) in the final third, or the xG value of 1.89 after previously 1.38 also rose significantly. Linz also ranks second in late goals: they scored eleven goals in the last quarter of the first half and twelve goals in the final quarter of the second half.

"We've Shown What We're Capable Of"

"I think we can be satisfied with third place. It was a season with ups and downs, but especially in the championship group, we showed what we're capable of. Next season, we need to try to generally deliver performances like we did in the final round. Then we can really look forward to next year," summarized Florian Flecker, who extended his contract until 2027, as did Adil Taoui.

Meanwhile, Sanoussy Ba, Peter Michorl, Philipp Wiesinger, and Felix Luckeneder bid farewell. The latter was allowed to wear the captain's armband in the season finale against Salzburg and was celebrated for minutes by the traveling LASK supporters in the sold-out away sector after the game. "That was very emotional. It was a long journey with many positive and beautiful moments. I'm a native of Linz, I've always given everything for the club, and I will always remain a black-and-white. If there's ever something to celebrate, I'll definitely be there," grinned the long-time central defender.

Bundesliga Record:
32 games, 14 wins, 10 draws, 8 losses
Goal difference: 43:33

For the sixth consecutive time and the eighth time in the past nine years, LASK reached the quarter-finals of the ÖFB Cup. After victories in Röthis, Imst, and Kapfenberg, their journey ended in the round of the last eight with a narrow 2-3 defeat against RB Salzburg, despite a strong performance.

Austrian Cup Record:
4 games, 2 wins, 1 draw, 1 loss
Goal difference: 11:3

With an aggregate score of 3-2, LASK triumphed over Zrinjski Mostar in the Europa League play-off, marking their fourth appearance in an international group stage in the last five years. Among the highlights of the club's history were the two matches against FC Liverpool. Florian Flecker's spectacular goal for a temporary 1-0 lead in the first leg and the breathtaking atmosphere created by the black-and-white supporters both at home and away left a lasting impression, even at Anfield Road. The brilliant 3-0 performance at Raiffeisen Arena against Saint-Gilloise was also a standout moment of the 2023/24 season.

Europa League Record:
8 games, 2 wins, 2 draws, 4 losses
Goal difference: 8:15

Total:
44 games, 18 wins, 13 draws, 13 losses
Goal difference: 62:51

Most Minutes Played:
1. Tobias Lawal - 3780 minutes
2. Philipp Ziereis - 3555 minutes
3. Andres Andrade - 3554 minutes

Most Appearances:
1. Tobias Lawal - 42 appearances
2. Florian Flecker - 41 appearances
3. Marin Ljubicic - 41 appearances

Top Scorers:
1. Marin Ljubicic - 15 goals
2. Robert Zulj - 12 goals
3. Florian Flecker - 6 goals

Most Assists:
1. Sascha Horvath - 10 assists
2. Robert Zulj - 10 assists
3. Filip Stojkovic - 4 assists