Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | Roland Gunther Linz | ||
Date of birth | 9 August 1981 | ||
Place of birth | Leoben, Austria | ||
Height | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) | ||
Position(s) | Forward | ||
Youth career | |||
1995–1997 | DSV Leoben | ||
1997–1999 | 1860 Munich | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
1999–2001 | DSV Leoben | 53 | (27) |
2001–2006 | Austria Wien | 81 | (26) |
2003–2004 | → Admira Mödling (loan) | 31 | (15) |
2004 | → Nice (loan) | 15 | (0) |
2005 | → Sturm Graz (loan) | 13 | (4) |
2006–2007 | Boavista | 28 | (10) |
2007–2009 | Braga | 33 | (11) |
2009 | → Grasshoppers (loan) | 16 | (7) |
2009–2010 | Gaziantepspor | 5 | (0) |
2010–2013 | Austria Wien | 86 | (40) |
2013–2014 | Muangthong United | 4 | (1) |
2014 | Belenenses | 3 | (0) |
Total | 368 | (141) | |
International career | |||
2002–2010 | Austria | 39 | (8) |
*Club domestic league appearances and goals |
Roland Gunther Linz (born 9 August 1981) is an Austrian former professional footballer who played as a forward.
He spent most of his extensive professional career with Austria Wien, winning five major titles including three Austrian Bundesliga championships. He also competed in France, Portugal, Turkey and Thailand.
Linz earned 39 caps for Austria, appearing for the nation at Euro 2008.
Born in Leoben, Styria, Linz started in the youth teams of local DSV Leoben. Aged 15, he left for Germany to finish his football development on Bavaria with TSV 1860 München.
Two years later, Linz returned to Austria to rejoin his hometown club, this time being featured in the professional squad. Over the two following seasons, he scored 27 goals in 53 games combined, and his good form in the second division attracted the attention of bigger sides in the country, which led to him signing with FK Austria Wien.
Linz had his first taste of success at his new team, winning both the Bundesliga and cup in the 2002–03 campaign. One year later, he moved on loan to VfB Admira Wacker Mödling, located in the southern outskirts of the capital.
Linz left Austria for the second time in 2004, joining Ligue 1 club OGC Nice on loan. [1] However, he failed to establish himself and returned home after just six months, to play for SK Sturm Graz until the end of the season.
Linz then returned to Austria Wien for a final campaign, which again ended with the double as the player was crowned league top scorer. It was around this time that he established himself in the national team, with two goals in a 2–3 defeat against Poland at the Silesian Stadium in Chorzów in the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
After excellent performances for both club and country, interest in Linz's services increased, and he eventually joined Boavista F.C. during the 2006 summer, on a three-year contract. He finished his debut season with ten Primeira Liga goals, and subsequently moved to S.C. Braga. [2]
In the 2007–08 UEFA Cup, Linz netted five goals before his team was eventually ousted by SV Werder Bremen, [3] [4] and added 11 in the league, relegating veteran goal-getter João Tomás to the bench [5] as Braga finished seventh and again reached the UEFA Cup, through the UEFA Intertoto Cup.
After a run-in with manager Jorge Jesus, following a substitution during a 0–2 loss at Leixões S.C. in September 2008, Linz lost his importance in the Braga squad [6] [7] and, on 30 January 2009, signed for Grasshopper Club Zürich on loan until June. [8] In his first competitive fixture for his new club, in the local derby against FC Zürich, he scored but was also sent off after two yellow cards, in the 39th and 41st minutes.
Linz joined Gaziantepspor during the 2009 summer on a three-year contract, moving alongside Braga teammate Jorginho. In January 2010, however, he returned to his country and Austria Vienna, scoring on his debut – a 4–3 home win against Kapfenberger SV – to make the Bundesliga Team of the Week. [9]
In 2013, Linz switched teams and countries again, after agreeing to a transfer to Muangthong United F.C. in the Thai Premier League. He netted his first official goal on 30 March, contributing to a 3–0 win over Songkhla United FC.
Linz made his debut for Austria in a friendly match with Slovakia, a 2–0 win in Graz on 27 March 2002. He remained a regular until September 2007, when he made a public outburst against Austrian Football Association president Friedrich Stickler which meant that, for the next 18 months, he was cast into the international wilderness. [10] [11]
Linz returned to the national side in time for UEFA Euro 2008 on home soil, starting in the first two of Austria's matches during the tournament but finishing goalless as the nation crashed out at the first hurdle.
Club | Season | League | National cup | League cup | Continental [a] | Total | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
League | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
DSV Leoben | 1999–2000 | Austrian First League | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 2 | 0 | ||
2000–01 | 12 | 3 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 13 | 3 | ||||
Total | 12 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 3 | ||
Austria Wien | 2001–02 | Austrian Bundesliga | 29 | 8 | 3 | 3 | — | — | 32 | 11 | ||
2002–03 | 21 | 3 | 3 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | 25 | 3 | |||
Total | 50 | 11 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 57 | 14 | ||
Admira Mödling | 2003–04 | Austrian Bundesliga | 31 | 15 | 3 | 3 | — | — | 34 | 18 | ||
Nice | 2004–05 | Ligue 1 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 17 | 0 |
Sturm Graz | 2004–05 | Austrian Bundesliga | 13 | 4 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 13 | 4 | |
Austria Wien | 2005–06 | Austrian Bundesliga | 31 | 15 | 1 | 0 | — | 4 | 3 | 36 | 18 | |
Boavista | 2006–07 | Primeira Liga | 28 | 10 | 4 | 1 | — | — | 32 | 11 | ||
2007–08 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | |||
Total | 28 | 10 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 33 | 11 | ||
Braga | 2007–08 | Primeira Liga | 27 | 11 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 5 | 39 | 16 |
2008–09 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 3 | 15 | 4 | ||
Total | 33 | 11 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 8 | 54 | 20 | ||
Grasshoppers (loan) | 2008–09 | Swiss Super League | 16 | 7 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 17 | 7 | ||
Gaziantepspor | 2009–10 | Süper Lig | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 5 | 0 | ||
Austria Wien | 2009–10 | Austrian Bundesliga | 15 | 6 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 16 | 6 | ||
2010–11 | 36 | 21 | 4 | 2 | — | 6 | 3 | 46 | 26 | |||
2011–12 | 28 | 12 | 3 | 2 | — | 10 | 2 | 41 | 16 | |||
2012–13 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 2 | — | — | 9 | 3 | ||||
Total | 86 | 40 | 10 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 5 | 112 | 51 | ||
Muangthong United | 2013 | Thai League T1 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | 6 | 0 | 10 | 1 | |
Belenenses | 2013–14 | Primeira Liga | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 5 | 0 | |
Career total | 327 | 117 | 35 | 14 | 4 | 0 | 41 | 16 | 407 | 147 |
Austria Wien
Braga
Individual
Anton "Toni" Polster is an Austrian professional football coach and former player. He is the all-time leading goalscorer for the Austria national team with 44 goals and was known to fans as "Toni Doppelpack" – "Toni Brace" because of his tendency to score twice in a match.
Carsten Jancker is a German football coach and former player. He played as a striker for various teams between 1993 and 2009, including FC Köln, Rapid Wien, FC Bayern Munich, Udinese Calcio, FC Kaiserslautern, Shanghai Shenhua F.C., and SV Mattersburg, as well as the Germany national team.
Élber de Souza, commonly known as Giovane Élber, is a Brazilian former professional footballer who played as a striker.
The Bundesliga, also known as Admiral Bundesliga for sponsorship reasons, is the top level of the Austrian football league system. The competition decides the Austrian national football champions, as well the country's entrants for the various European cups run by UEFA.
Dietmar ("Didi") Kühbauer is an Austrian professional football manager and former player who is currently the head coach of Austrian Bundesliga club Wolfsberger AC.
Aílton Gonçalves da Silva, also known as Kugelblitz, is a Brazilian former professional footballer who played as a striker. A journeyman, Aílton began his career in Brazil where he played for Ypiranga, Internacional, Mogi Mirim, Santa Cruz, and Guarani. Following a stint with Tigres UANL in Mexico, he moved to Germany joining SV Werder Bremen. He spent six seasons with Werder Bremen, winning the double of Bundesliga and cup in the 2003–04 season, before transferring to league rivals FC Schalke 04. In the latter stages of his career he played for Beşiktaş, Hamburger SV, Red Star Belgrade, Grasshoppers Zürich, MSV Duisburg, Metalurh Donetsk, SCR Altach, Campinense, and Chongqing Lifan. He ended his career in the lower leagues with KFC Uerdingen 05, FC Oberneuland, Rio Branco-SP, and Hassia Bingen.
Walter "Schoko" Schachner is a football manager and former player, who played as a forward. He made 64 appearances scoring 23 goals for the Austria national team.
Václav Svěrkoš is a Czech former professional footballer who played as a striker. He was the opening scorer in the Euro 2008 tournament.
Ivica Vastić is an Austrian retired professional footballer, who played as a midfielder and as a striker, who is currently youth head coach of HNK Šibenik U19.
Martin Hiden is a former Austrian football player, who is currently assistant coach at FC Pasching.
Linzer Athletik-Sport-Klub, commonly known as LASK, or Linzer ASK, is an Austrian professional football club based in Upper-Austrian state capital Linz. It is the oldest football club in that region, and plays in the Austrian Football Bundesliga, the top tier of Austrian football. The club's colours are black and white. The women's team plays in the second highest division of Austrian women's football.
The 2008–09 UEFA Cup was the 38th season of the UEFA Cup football tournament. The final was played at the Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium, home ground of Fenerbahçe, in Istanbul on 20 May 2009. It was the final season to use the UEFA Cup format; starting in 2009, the competition was known as the UEFA Europa League. Ukraine's Shakhtar Donetsk beat Werder Bremen 2–1 after extra time to win their first European title. Zenit Saint Petersburg were the defending champions but were eliminated by Udinese in the Round of 16.
Steffen Hofmann is a German football coach and a former player, who played most of his career for SK Rapid Wien of the Austrian Bundesliga. He played as an attacking midfielder. He works as a sports coordinator for Rapid Wien.
Johannes Bruno Ertl is a former Austrian professional footballer who played as a defensive midfielder. He played for several notable football clubs during his career, including Sturm Graz, FK Austria Wien, Crystal Palace, Sheffield United, and Portsmouth FC. After retiring from professional football, Ertl became the spokesperson for the Portsmouth F.C. supporters' trust and also served as the assistant coach of the Portsmouth under-16s team.
The Austrian Football Bundesligaof 1994–95 was organised by the Austrian Football Association (ÖFB). The Austrian First League served as a stepping stone for promotion to the 1. Bundesliga. The Regional Leagues acted as a third step on the footballing ladder, East, Central (Mitte) and West.
Ronald Brunmayr is an Austrian football manager and a former player who is currently the assistant manager at Premier League club Crystal Palace.
August Starek is a former international Austrian footballer and football manager.
Goran Djuricin is an Austrian football manager, coach and former player.
The 2021–22 season was the 113th season in the existence of SK Sturm Graz and the club's 56th consecutive season in the top flight of Austrian football. In addition to the domestic league, Sturm Graz participated in this season's edition of the Austrian Cup and the UEFA Europa League.
The 2023–24 SK Austria Klagenfurt (2007) season is the club's 116th season in existence and its second consecutive season in the top flight of Austrian football. In addition to the domestic league, SK Austria Klagenfurt (2007) will participate in this season's edition of the Austrian Cup and the UEFA Europa League. The season covers the period from 1 July 2023 to 30 June 2024.