The miracle FC South Tyrol

It's that fifth season again that you shouldn't miss as a South Tyrol fan. The transition from autumn into winter is strongly supported by Törggelen. The custom of celebrating after the grape harvest together with winegrowers and harvest workers with all sorts of regional specialties has long since become a tradition that is known far beyond South Tyrol. And for a few months a year, many businesses are allowed to open their Buschenschank. By the way, it's easy to see where the food is being served. Buses with Austrian or German license plates are an unmistakable sign of pleasant enjoyment. And the new wine also loosens the tongue, so that there are heated discussions during the breaks when there isn't exactly a musician playing happily with his diatonic harmonica.

Sport is of course a popular topic and I can still remember the past visits to Törggelen: with FC Bayern Munich, which is incredibly popular in South Tyrol, which I also had to learn, you are always up to date. Then of course there are the Milan fans or the Juve faction. Biathlon and of course the ever-popular “Doro” become the talk of the table. Dominik Paris, the downhill hero, always comes off well and recently, of course, the tennis prodigy Jannik Sinner too. A Pusterer as a global citizen. People are proud that he lives in Monte Carlo and has already become a millionaire through his sport. I have never heard a voice of resentment. He did it. That's the tenor. I think that's great.

A club that is a crowd favorite But Sinner, Paris and Wierer now have extreme competition. Not by another athlete. It's a whole team that suddenly secures speaking time. The miracle FC Südtirol is taking up more and more space. I was able to experience this firsthand on the last match day. I was standing with friends in my favorite bar at the Budel. There was no coherent conversation like usual this time because someone's cell phone was constantly buzzing. FC Südtirol played in Bari. Every report from there was given top priority. And then all hell broke loose. First goal for the promoted team. Then the second one followed soon after and the fragments of words flew back and forth as quickly as the ball on the Italian heel from one side to the other. Incredulous amazement accompanied the enjoyment of the wine. Cheers to our Buam.

Jannik Sinner's successes have been the number one topic of conversation in South Tyrolean sports in recent years. © GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / JULIAN FINNEY

The fact that Munich are top of the Bundesliga again after a small mini-low is no longer a basis for discussion. Not many people are interested in the World Cup in the desert at the moment, because the champion of football hearts is currently FC Südtirol in Serie B. Then the first goal conceded. It's not tragic, the friends say in unison, because, according to the unanimous opinion: They've already sunk two goals into the opponent's box. And coach Pierpaolo Bisoli sat in the stands and defensive lineman Andrea Masiello was omitted in order to avoid high emotions in Bari because of his past. And FC Südtirol was still leading. The house sausage went cold but the atmosphere couldn't have been better and it continued to be great even though Bari equalized. A draw, the new experts whispered to each other, would be great anyway, almost a miracle again. Then the host seemed to press hard on the South Tyrolean goal. The nervousness was palpable. Now just hold on. Everyone just looked at their cell phones and started counting the minutes. And then the final whistle. Draw. Away. Hammer. And they slapped each other on the shoulders, just as if they had been playing the game themselves.

The alternative to millionaires Statistics are shared with bright eyes. Undefeated for the tenth time. When you look at the new table, everyone gets excited and even starts to dream. “If it continues like this...S” And many people who previously thought, like many others, that they should be happy if they could just keep the league, suddenly started chattering cheekily and carelessly about Serie A. Nothing seems to be impossible anymore. People who previously weren't particularly interested in football are following FC Südtirol with an intensity they never thought possible and are suddenly absolute experts on the scene.

Fabian Tait & Co. also caused a sensation in Bari.

When Jannik Sinner played his first major tournaments, he also gained a new fan base. I see a similar development at FC Südtirol, whose successes are also noticed outside the Italian borders. The development from a regional league club to a professional club that has become a permanent fixture in Serie B is being followed with interest because a lot of data shows that you can be successful with economic expertise and down-to-earthness. In times of inflationary salaries and transfer fees in football, this is a very likeable trait and can rightly be seen as an alternative to clubs that go on big shopping sprees every year with millions of sheikhs and investment companies. FC Südtirol operates in the same way as local companies: you only spend as much money as you have available. The fact that with the special club structure (32 shareholders) you can survive and even play better than some clubs that are financed by a wealthy investor also contributes a lot to the newfound popularity. My impression was that FC Südtirol is seen as the new representation of the country's citizens. Sporty, but also as a social exclamation mark that the South Tyroleans are proud of. We seem to be saying that we may be small, but we should not be underestimated. Certainly no team in Serie B does that anymore.

About the author: Sigi Heinrich The renowned sports journalist, author and award-winning Eurosport commentator (including winner of the German Television Prize and the Bavarian Sports Prize) not only dedicates his column “Sigi's Spitze” to the entire diversity of sport. He also deals with topics outside of his usual profession. Sometimes very seriously, often with a mischievous wink and sometimes deliberately provocative. There should be something for everyone.

Serie B Italy	SP	TV	P
1. Parma	34	59:32	70
2. As	34	54:37	67
3. Venice	34	62:39	64
4. Cremonese	34	43:28	60
5. Catanzaro	34	53:42	56
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The miracle FC South Tyrol

Our columnist Sigi Heinrich recently saw how much FC Südtirol is now anchored in local society and is gaining more and more fans who previously weren't even that interested in football. FC Südtirol has become a flagship of the country.

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