The Cup final repeated the championship – Swarovski Tirol against Admira/Wacker. Admira/Wacker won the first leg 2-0, but in the second there was no doubt who was best this season – Swarovski Tirol won 6-2 and the Cup.
This was more or less the last great run of the old club from Vienna. They came close to winning championship and Cup, a championship, if not the Cup; a Cup, if not the championship… but finished second in both competitions. Who know what their fate would have been, if they won a trophy this year… may be they will be still playing in the city they were founded today and not representing another town. But they lost.
Swarovski Tirol (Innsbruck) won a great double. It was their first – in fact, their first trophies ever. Football in the city of Innsbruck has weird history, closely related to the famous jewelry firm Swarovski. Fate depended on the whimsical involvement of Swarovski and still depends… So, there is always a principal team in the eyes of city fans, but… it is not the same club. Amalgamations, name changes, new establishments, sometimes buying league licenses from already existing ot just folding club, bu the colours are always white, black, and green, so… it is the same club and it is not… Even the names repeat themselves – Wattens, Wacker, Tirol, with or without Swarovski attached to them. By the rules, Swarovski Tirol was new club, formed in 1986, which immediately bought the license of Wacker, seemingly on their last legs (only to be reincarnated later for better confusion). Once again, it was ambitious Swarovski project, but if fans recall the great early 1970s, officially this only 3-years old club, which in this short time managed to triumph – 1st title, 1st Cup, 1st double! If it was really brand new club, such a sharp rising from nothing to national domination would be great… but in local eyes it was just continuation, their boys finally came back on top again. Today this club does not exist and for many years too, but… there is still white, black and green in Innsbruck. Anyhow, when Swarovski decides to invest in football, they do not joke – Ernst Happel was hired to coach and he was a winner to the end of his career. He got a good skeleton of solid players – aging stars, in the Austrian tradition, but what names! Bruno Pezzey (now 34) was back from West Germany and was joined by 33-years old Yugoslav Ivica Kalinic in defense. The West German Hansi Muller (32) commanded midfield, helped by former Rapid star Peter Hrstic (28). Austrian national team striker Peter Pacult (30) was the force in front of the opposition’s net and experienced Austrian goalkeeper Klaus Lindenberger (32) was solid defender of Tirol’s own net. No matter how weird Happel was, he delivered always – and his team quickly delivered first success – and not just success, but a double!
Innsbruck was happy again and the future… ah, the future depended on Swarovski…
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