A look inside the FCO bus: Oliver Rohrer (right) takes us along on an away trip. © P. Schwienbacher (all photos)

Autogrill, Pasta & Watten: Traveling with the FCO

FC Obermais will face Campodarsego away on Sunday. The journey from Merano to the town of 15.000 inhabitants in Veneto is around 270 kilometers. What's such an away trip like for South Tyrol's only Serie D club? Oliver Rohrer took SportNews along for the ride.

February 05, 2026

From: cst

Anyone who thinks that FC Obermais has become a luxury club since their promotion to Serie D is mistaken. The South Tyrolean team is one of the few truly amateur clubs in Italy's fourth division. The players still wash their own kit (yes, even the professionals in the FCO squad don't get any special treatment), and away games are completed in a single day. Oliver Rohrer, a 27-year-old from Dorf Tirol, told us exactly what a typical away Sunday at FC Obermais is like.

Saturday evening

"My match routine starts on Saturday. In the early evening, I eat a lot of carbohydrates. I pack my bag for Sunday so that it's less stressful in the morning. After that, it's quiet at home, and I go to bed early. I make sure I always get nine hours of sleep."

Sunday morning

"I get up at 6 a.m. I have breakfast, more carbohydrates. I also eat oatmeal, nuts, and a few supplements. After that, I do my mobility exercises, which I always need. Between 7 and 7:30 a.m., we meet on the Lahn River, from where we take the club's pullovers to Bolzano. A bus from Latemar Reisen is waiting for us there. Everyone has their own two-seater on the bus. It's quiet; many are still sleeping a little."

Martin Ciaghi and Marco Paulmichl (right) playing cards.

At one of the four tables, cards are being played. Marco Paulmichl, Samuel Villgrattner, Martin Ciaghi, and Michael Unterthurner are regulars at the Watten table. I only play on the way home, and even then, only if we've scored points. I've brought my books with me. The topic: mental training. Or I listen to podcasts and try to relax. At some point, we stop at a rest area. We go for coffee and play "gratta e vinci" (a card game). Our coach, Marek Malatinec, always wins a few euros; everyone else consistently loses their money.

The lunch

"We arrive at the restaurant for lunch at 11 a.m. The atmosphere is relaxed, and everyone is talking nonsense. The game is hardly mentioned. There are two tables. The players are sitting at one, and the coaching staff at the other."

The Obermais team at the restaurant. Lunch is at 11 a.m.

For food, there's always the classic footballer's menu: vegetables, pasta, bresaola or some prosciutto, followed by a crostata. A quick coffee, then it's off to the stadium again.

The moments before the game

"On the way to the stadium, I work up the tension. Every player has their own routines. I try to anticipate game situations and visualize them. Others listen to music or play on their phones. We arrive at the stadium an hour and a half before kickoff. We carry our gear into the locker room and check out the pitch."

At FCO, the players still carry their own equipment.

After changing, the coach gives a short speech. A few players do some activation exercises, then it's time for warm-up. This is led first by our athletic trainer, then by assistant coach Mussi. Shortly before kickoff, we go back to the locker room for final preparations. The last motivational speech is always given by a player. It's always someone different, depending on who feels up to it.

The journey home

"Once everyone has showered and changed after the game, we meet at the stadium bar. We order something to drink. That's part of the club culture, and it's important to the coach too. We drive home about 30 minutes after the final whistle. We haven't had a particularly exuberant drive home yet, because we haven't won an away game. After we win points, it's a bit more lively; after losses, it's very quiet. Then everyone does their own thing. We're back on the Lahn River by 21 p.m. That's where we go our separate ways."