Austria enjoyed excellent year, may be the best since 1950s. International success on both national team and club level, a number of players recognized as major international stars. Small, but talented generation of player, perhaps benefiting of the reduction of the Austrian league: now they were concentrated in fewer clubs, competing between themselves. It was the most Austria could do – a small country, there was simply no way to produce big quantity of top players and maintain large league. Second division was already a different world, hardly having anything in common with the top teams. It was standard 16-team league and it was clear that most members had no place in first division. Some had no place even in second level. The divisions were overwhelming: the three teams in the relegation zone were clear outsiders – ASV Stockerau were last with 16 points, 15th was ASK Salzburg with 17 points, and 14th was SC Tullin with 18 points. The club at the safe 13th place, SCA Saint Veit, never worried – they finished with 7 points more than SCA Saint Veit. Most of the league was similar to SCA Saint Veit – small clubs, which even if they reached promotion, it would have been useless. There was no fight for the single promotion… Austria (Salzburg), the only club with a chance of surviving in first division, was too much for the rest of league: they lost only 3 matches and finished 10 points above the nearest ‘competitors’. First division obviously concentrated everything the Austrians had.
Which means 10 clubs… five of them were located in Vienna. Two represented Graz and two – Linz. Austrian football was practically concentrated in four cities, which given the low attendance and limited money, was actually good – local derbies attracted more viewers and traveling coasts were down. The teams played 4 times against each other, which was not exactly a blessing: yes, the best players had to be in good form and benefited from constantly playing against each other, but it was a bit boring and familiar – same teams playing again and again. But the reduced league seemingly worked – at least, there were no meaningless matches, everybody had to give their best to avoid trouble. There was no comfortable, sleepy middle zone. Escaping relegation was on everybody’s mind for the most of the season – at the end, the final table reveals that only 4 clubs were really safe. The unfortunate last place was decided by goal-difference, Admira Wacker and Linzer ASK finishing with 28 points. Admira Wacker was -22; LASK ended -23… one goal was the whole difference between relegation and survival. LASK went down.
Relegated clubs almost never have much of a squad and LASK was no exception: two unknown Yugoslavians, Nebojsa Vuckovic and Miroslav Vukasinovic, two still only promising talents – Klaus Lindenberger and Helmut Koglberger, and one aging and over the hill veteran – Walter Gebhardt. Not much, but other clubs were not having very different squads either. Perhaps a little worse than the rest, perhaps a bit weaker team, perhaps a bit unlucky… LASK was not a hopeless outsider, compered to other clubs, but down they went.
The top four were familiar and constant in those years. They also built a 5 point difference between themselves and the lower six clubs. Three of the best competed to the end for better place – 4 points separated second from 4th, but it was entirely expected and according to each relative strength. Sturm (Graz), the weakest, ended 4th.
Swarovski Wacker (Innsbruck) took bronze, having a point more than Sturm. Yes, Bruno Pezzey was in the squad, already named ‘the new Beckenbauer’, but the peak of Swarovski Wacker was may be two years ago. It was solid, experienced, but it was also clear that the top players – Pezzey, F. Koncilia, and Welzl – must go to other, bigger and stronger clubs, almost surely abroad.
Second finished Rapid (Vienna). No surprise either – traditional favourite, the club with most titles in the country, and also improving in the last few years.
Rapid was rising, but was not at its peak yet. It was still the second best and finished accordingly the season – managed to built a small 3-point from the pursuers, but lagged 16 points behind the champions. Still in need of few top quality players, still shaping. And it was not an easy task – Hans Krankl was already among the very best European players. It was unlikely Rapid can keep him – and it did not: after the end of the season Krankl went to Barcelona. But what a season he had!
Krankl scored 41 goals in 34 total league matches: more than one goal per match average. He alone score more than 50% of Rapid’s goals – 41 out of 76. The next best scorer not only achieved only a half of Krankl’s numbers, but the combined record of the second and third year’s scorers was still less than his – Hans Pirkner with 20, and Thomas Paritz with 15, both of Austria (Vienna) together was 6 goals short. Astonishing season for the 24-years old Krankl – no wonder Barcelona eyed him and quickly grabbed him to replace no other but Cruyff.
Fantastic Krankl, but he was outdone by clearly the best Austrian team of that time – Austria (Vienna) had their finest season if not ever, than at least in the 1970s. A peak year, when everything clicked right. Supreme in the domestic league and excellent in Europe – the first Austrian team to reach the final in European club tournament. Austria lost the final, but was absolutely superior at home.
Austria at its best: from left: Baumeister, Gasselich, Obermayer, Daxbacher, Drazan, Prohaska, Jozef Sara, Pirkner, Morales, Baumgartner, Robert Sara.
A carefully made in the last few years squad, climbing up season after season, reaching its peak. Swarovski Wacker had Pezzey and Rapid – Krankl, but Austria had Prohaska, the fine, elegant, imaginative midfielder. He, in turn, had better teammates than Pezzey and Krankl. Austria lost only 3 matches this season. They 23. They scored the most goals – 77. And naturally received the least – 34 in 36 championship games. Less than goal per match. Austria had no match, nobody came even close. Absolutely superior.