A photo from 2008: Luis Schwarz in action. © Franz Griessmair

Curious goalkeeper comeback at St. Martin Moos

While the upper league teams start the second half of the season this Sunday, the state league teams still have to be patient. A strange goalkeeper comeback is on the horizon at St. Martin Moos.

01. February 2024

From: det

The first half of the season was anything but a walk in the park for St. Martin Moos. Actually, they started out as title candidates in the national league, but hardly anything went together for the Mortiners and so they are only two points ahead of the relegation zone before the start of the second half of the season. In the winter there was bitter news for the people of Passiria: the goalkeeper said goodbye.

Alessandro Caula, who has been number 1 in St. Martin for the past few years, is moving to the USA for study reasons. So what to do now? The Mortiners got creative and found a solution within their own ranks.

Return of two legends

For the second half of the season, Luis Black and Gabriel Hofer two Passeir goalkeeper legends reactivated. Together with youngsters Thomas Gufler They form the goalie trio in the second half of the season. “We are happy that they have agreed to help us in the second half of the season,” says Alex Hofer, St. Martin’s sporting director.

Luis Schwarz wants to know it again at St. Martin.

Luis Schwarz (born 1982) has actually been in football retirement for eleven years. He ended his career in 2013 after having had the best season in the club's history with St. Martin: it was only in the playoff between the second-placed team against Triestina that it was over for the Mortiners.

Gabriel Hofer in action. © ukn

Gabriel Hofer (born in 1984) is now one of the greatest talents that the Passeier Valley has produced. The now 39-year-old was trained at Hellas Verona's youth ranks and then played for FeralpiSaló and Novara. Later he also put on the Bozen 96 jersey.

Most recently, the two goalkeepers played in the old team, Gabriel Hofer (he is the brother of the sporting director Alex Hofer) also worked as the first team's goalkeeper coach. Now they return to the ring.

Departures and injuries

St. Martin Moos certainly needs the experience. With Julian Pruenster (cruciate ligament tear) a defensive support is out for the entire second half of the season. Also for the midfield strategist Jan Pichler The season ended after another back operation, during Denis Trumpedeller is only available sporadically for work reasons. Elijah Margoni has moved to Bozner FC, but is new Dominik Schlögl, who was in the squad for Naturns (Oberliga) in the first half of the season.