Raphael Kofler impressed against Spezia as a sweeper in midfield. © DLife/LO

Kofler in the FCS midfield: “He gives us guarantees”

Fabrizio Castori surprised everyone with his line-up against Spezia. Raphael Kofler was allowed to play from the start - but not in defence. The Rabland native was more convincing as a sweeper in midfield.

March 02, 2025

From: cst

For former coach Pierpaolo Bisoli it was always clear that Kofler was best suited to midfield. Under Bisoli, the South Tyrolean top talent always played at number six. Kofler later stated in an interview that he was not actually that good at the position. As a central defender, he made numerous starting appearances under Federico Valente, before Fabrizio Castori recently brought him on as a substitute at number six.

On Friday against Spezia (1:1), Kofler played from the start as a sweeper in front of the defense. "He gives us certain guarantees in this position. Our midfielders have had a few physical problems in this position recently. Kofler is strong in the air and that helped us a lot," Castori explained his decision after the game. The South Tyrolean top talent himself saw it similarly: "I think that I helped the defenders with my physique."

comeback of Fabian Tait

Almost four and a half months after his injury, Fabian Tait celebrated his comeback on Friday. The Salurn native was substituted for Kofler after around 70 minutes and was greeted with great applause by the crowd in the Drusus Stadium. This marks the end of a long period of suffering for Tait - including an operation. Coach Castori can now rely on the captain for the decisive final part of the season for the first time in his tenure.