Kilian Bauernfeind from the Zillertal valley has settled in very well in Merano. © P. Schwienbacher

The Zillertal resident in Obermais: “A big change”

Kilian Bauernfeind is a professional footballer for FC Obermais. The North Tyrolean moved from SV Horn to South Tyrol in the summer. In Merano, the Zillertal native is trying to learn Italian and help FC Obermais stay in Serie D.

30 October 2025

From: cst

The life of a professional footballer looks something like this: training in the morning, followed by physiotherapy sessions, plus strength training once or twice a week and a bit of video analysis. Kilian Bauernfeind from the Zillertal valley was used to this life for years. Now the 23-year-old plays for FC Obermais in Serie D and, while still a professional footballer, his daily routine has changed considerably. He talked about how he's coping with it in a conversation with... SportNews betray.

Kilian Bauernfeind is one of three professional players at FC Obermais (the other two are Armand Srmcka and Mike Seaton). This is nothing new for the North Tyrolean, as he's never done anything else in his professional life. From the AKA Tirol academy, Bauernfeind moved to Wattens at the age of 17, where he signed his first professional contract. This was followed by a loan spell at Dornbirn (second division) and brief appearances in the Austrian Bundesliga, before the midfielder transferred to SV Horn in Lower Austria, also in the second division. "I couldn't establish myself at Wattens, and unfortunately, after my loan to Dornbirn, I had to do three months of military service," said Bauernfeind, who truly blossomed in Horn.

Kilian Bauernfeind took his first professional steps at WSG Tirol in Wattens. © transfermarkt.at

Things also started off really well on the pitch ("The first year was great. We finished seventh."), before many players left the club due to financial problems. Horn was relegated to the Regionalliga Ost (fourth tier) and Bauernfeind was without a club in the summer. "I was looking for a club and had always wanted to play abroad. Obermais is closer to my hometown than Horn," Bauernfeind explains his reasons for moving to Merano.

No towel at the first training session

Bauernfeind and Srmcka provided the first chuckle at the "amateur club" Obermais during their very first training session. "You could immediately see they were professionals," laughed coach Flavio Toccoli, adding the reason: "They only brought their boots to the first training session. They didn't even have a towel to shower with." The fresh start in Merano wasn't easy for Bauernfeind either. "From a footballing perspective, it was a big adjustment. Serie D is extremely physical, there are a lot of tackles and second balls – considerably more than in Austria. It took me some time to find my feet," said the 23-year-old.

Bauernfeind has now grown accustomed to Italian football. He gets along very well with coach Toccoli: "He's very involved on the sidelines and places great emphasis on tactics. That's a bit different than in Austria." Bauernfeind has also settled in well in Kurstadt itself: "Most people speak German, which helps me. I don't speak any Italian yet." But because he only trains in Obermais at 19 p.m. – and no longer in the morning – that will soon change. "In the mornings, I go to the gym and learn Italian. I try to keep myself busy," says the Tyrolean.