Volleyball squad of Tirol bids a sorrowful goodbye
Fresh Take:
Friday was a day of mixed emotions for Tyrolean sports. The sports community gathered in Innsbruck for the annual awards ceremony, where Tyrol's Sportsman of the Year was to be crowned. But the cheer was cut short by the grim news that was about to unfold.
At this event, the self-congratulatory speeches of political dignitaries are as regular as clockwork, praising Tyrol as Austria's top sporting land. Yet, the recent weeks have painted a starkly different picture. On Wednesday, the volleyball team of Hypo Tirol clinched the championship title for the 13th time, defeating Hartberg 3:0.
The Fall of a Legend
The victorious match in Styria marked the swan song of this team. Series champion Hypo Tirol, despite their success, announced their departure from professional sports, Lifting the Sports Land of Tyrol of its most successful team of this millennium in one swift stroke.
The reasons behind this decision and the lack of a future for the champions left long-time manager, Hannes Kronthaler, disheartened. Kronthaler, the mastermind behind this success story that began a quarter of a century ago, felt increasingly isolated in recent years.
Not only once did Kronthaler speak out loudly about the poor conditions for top-tier sport in Tyrol. His complaints were regularly dismissed, to put it in volleyball terms.
The last home game of Hypo Tirol, in club history on Easter Saturday, was a stark reminder of the lack of support. Politicians from city and country were nowhere to be seen at the USI hall, as the club lamented in a statement.
Under these circumstances, the ambitious Kronthaler decided to step back, a decision he made months ago. "I would have preferred to be convinced to continue", the long-time boss admits. The volleyball equipment and the digital band, which Kronthaler bought himself, will now be handed over to other clubs.
His son, Niklas, who led Hypo Tirol to the 13th championship title as captain, also shows no interest in carrying on the legacy. "I've forbidden my son to take over Hypo", father Hannes Kronthaler made clear.
The withdrawal of volleyball series champions Hypo Tirol is a blow to Tyrolean sports. It doesn't look promising for team sports in Tyrol:
The ice hockey team of Innsbrucker Haie? They finished last in this season. The Bundesliga footballers of WSG Tirol? They've been struggling for years to avoid relegation. The ten-time football champion Wacker Innsbruck? Currently, they're playing in the fourth league.
** record-breaking crowd in the 4th league**Interestingly, Hypo Tirol is not the first prominent Tyrolean club to say goodbye as champions. 23 years ago, FC Tirol disappeared overnight from the Bundesliga. However, this happened under different circumstances: After three consecutive championship titles, the football club under Coach Joachim Löw faced bankruptcy.
- The esteemed captain, Hannes Kronthaler, felt disheartened and increasingly isolated due to the lack of support for top-tier sports in Tyrol, as his complaints were regularly dismissed, similar to volleyball terms.
- The lackluster support from politicians was evident during Hypo Tirol's last home game, as they lamented in a statement about the absence of city and country representatives at the USI hall.
- The decision to step back from his role as manager was made months ago by Kronthaler, who admitted that he would have preferred to be convinced to continue.
- The future of team sports in Tyrol seems bleak; while Hypo Tirol is the latest prominent club to depart, the ice hockey team of Innsbrucker Haie, the Bundesliga footballers of WSG Tirol, and the fourth-league football champions Wacker Innsbruck are all struggling significantly.
