Julian Bacher on the sickbed: The Stegen captain has been seriously injured.

Unlucky Julian Bacher: “This fits in with my plague year”

He is a tragic figure in this early phase of the Oberliga season: Julian Bacher, captain of Stegen, suffered a cruciate ligament tear on Sunday and will be out for months. SportNews spoke to the midfielder.

September 27, 2024

From: det

Julian Bacher turned 25 on Wednesday. Of course, he never imagined that he would be celebrating his birthday on his sickbed. And yet it happened. The captain of the Oberliga club Stegen tore his cruciate ligament on Sunday in a duel against Virtus Bozen without any external influence and will be out for the next few months. "When I changed direction, I got caught in the grass and immediately noticed that something was wrong," said Bacher.

The experienced midfielder underwent successful surgery at the start of the week, and now Bacher will be out for at least six months. "That fits in with my bad year," says the Stegen captain, "In the winter (Bacher was still playing for St. Georgen, editor's note) I missed the entire preparation because of an inflammation in my knee. In the penultimate championship game I twisted my ankle and injured it, which meant I couldn't go to the Europeada. And now, after four games, I've torn my cruciate ligament."

Stegen is a matter of the heart

The loss of his captain is of course extremely bitter for Stegen. Bacher is not only an exceptional footballer with great fighting qualities, but also the leader of his team. He was actually supposed to play for SSV Brixen this season, but then decided at short notice to join Stegen, his passion.

“I wanted to help the club.” Julian Bacher

"Firstly," explains Bacher, "because I was still struggling with my ankle injury in the summer and didn't want to move to a new team as an injured player. But above all, I felt sorry for the situation in Stegen. It would have been bad if the club hadn't entered the championship. So I put my personal interests aside and wanted to help the club." When Bacher made the commitments, several other players - who were actually thinking about moving - also decided to stay in Stegen.

Stegen's driving force: Julian Bacher (left). © David Laner

Now Bacher will have to cheer on his team from the stands. "We did well in the four games and are an unpleasant opponent for any team. Nevertheless, I think we will have to fight to avoid relegation until the end. It is bitter that I can no longer help the team for the time being, but I will do everything I can to get fit as quickly as possible. Maybe there will be a few more appearances this season," said Julian Bacher. On Sunday, Stegen will face Vipo Trento on the fifth Oberliga matchday.

Top games on both sides

Also interesting: St. Georgen (currently in 4th place) invites Levico (2nd place) to a top match. From a domestic perspective, the South Tyrolean duels between Obermais and Bozner FC and Brixen against Partschins are particularly in focus. There is also a derby in the regional league, where the struggling Kiens meets top team Bruneck. High-flyer Val Gardena invites Riffian Kuens to dance, while Ahrntal is a guest at Lana.

Oberliga, 5th matchday (Sunday, 15.30:XNUMX p.m.)

Brixen – Partschins
Obermais – Bozner FC
Vipo Trento – Stegen
St. Georgen – Levico
Tramin – Benacense
Rovereto - St. Paul's
Virtus Bozen – Comano
Anaune-Mori

State league, 5th matchday

Saturday, 15.30 p.m
Gitschberg Jochtal – Latzfons Verdings
Kiens – Bruneck

Sunday, 15.30 a.m
Val Gardena – Riffian Kuens
Lana – Ahrntal
Naturns – Laces
Salorno – Terlano
Schenna – Leifers ahead
Wine Route South – Tscherms Marling