Who impressed, who didn't: FCO players under scrutiny

FC Obermais has secured its place in Serie D! What sounds like a simple achievement of a season goal was a real feat for the club. Over the past few months, the club did everything in its power to stay in the league. "Everyone thought we were going to be relegated anyway. After 19 games, we only had twelve points. But we always believed in ourselves; the atmosphere in and around the club was always positive," explains sporting director Christian Platzer.

The relegation play-off game in Vigasio was incredible, it couldn't have been better: "The atmosphere was electric. The mood was unique. I've experienced a lot in amateur football, but I've never seen anything like it."

Sporting director Christian Platzer analyzes the season. © andgia

For Obermais, a season that couldn't have been more grueling and nerve-wracking came to an end on Sunday. Having started with great enthusiasm, the Merano-based team looked like a sure bet for relegation during the winter break. Then the squad was tweaked somewhat, and in the final third of the season, Obermais was virtually unbeatable. Nevertheless, they only narrowly avoided relegation. "All the South Tyrolean players have made tremendous progress. They are the foundation for staying in the league. Their improved performances were essential for us to remain in the division," Platzer summarized.

The squad should stay together. Players like Tizian Stecher and Marco Paulmichl have improved so much that they are now very good players in Serie D. This is one of the reasons the club wants to retain the majority of the squad. However, not all players will remain. Captain Martin Ciaghi ("we would be very happy if he stayed") is likely to leave. Center-back Oliver Rohrer is moving to Hamburg, where he will play in the sixth tier and further his coaching career.

Tizian Stecher has made a big leap. © P. Schwienbacher

The coaching staff, led by head coach Flavio Toccoli, will also remain. Contrary to some rumors, the Bolzano native was never in question. "The coach was never up for discussion," Platzer states emphatically. Regarding new transfers, the club primarily intends to look to South Tyrol for talent. "Our approach is that we still want to have the best South Tyrolean players in our squad. There are one or two who have the potential for Serie D," Platzer reveals, without naming names.

The professionals: Not all of them were convinced During the season, seven players from outside the region were used: backup goalkeeper Steve Tchokokam, the Austrians Sebastian Leimhofer, Kilian Bauernfeind and Armand Srmcka, the Jamaican maverick Mike Seaton and the winter signings Mamadou Ngom and Nikolas Spalek.

Not all of them lived up to expectations. Seaton impressed with his skills, but struggled with discipline both on and off the pitch. After Toccoli failed to connect with the 14-time Jamaican international, the club parted ways with the highly talented striker in the winter.

Armand Srmcka (right) arrived in Obermais with an impressive record of 75 appearances in the Austrian second division. © P. Schwienbacher

Srmcka's injury problems of recent years continued. The technically gifted Viennese player succumbed to the physical demands of Serie D and rarely delivered the performance he should have. Leimhofer arrived in Merano in the winter at his own request and was a real asset to the club on a personal level. However, he didn't have the impact on the pitch that he had hoped for. The Lower Austrian left South Tyrol before the end of the season.

Bauernfeind, on the other hand, grew increasingly impressive as the season progressed. The professional from the Zillertal valley had to adapt to Italian football, but internalized it more and more as the season wore on and became the team's top assist provider. In the end, Bauernfeind was one of the key players in Obermais staying in the league.

The same applies to Ngom, who contributed important goals and was the hoped-for reinforcement in attack. Slovakian Spalek didn't score, but was enormously important for the quality of the attacking play and the team's morale in the locker room. Nevertheless, one might have expected a few more points – after all, Spalek has played in Serie A. The likelihood that one or more of the aforementioned professionals will also be playing in Obermais next season is high.

Platzer: “The foreign players all fit in perfectly with us. We were really lucky there. They are all great guys. They showed the South Tyroleans how much more you can get out of yourself – besides training. That was very important for the locker room.”

The surprise: Samuel Villgrattner From regional league player to Serie D key performer. Who would have bet before the season that Samuel Villgrattner would make such a huge leap in development? The 19-year-old from the lower Adige Valley is a real discovery and shows what great potential lies dormant in South Tyrolean amateur football – you just have to discover it. This workhorse (his GPS data even surpasses that of professional players) overtook Austrian professional Srmcka for the starting position during the season and finished as one of the players in the FCO squad with the most playing minutes (2.182). Other local youngsters like Raphael Unterthurner (who came from regional league relegated side Riffian Kuens) and Simon Larcher (from the second amateur league of Ritten) also improved enormously.

The upcoming season won't be any easier for Obermais. Financially, they remain a small fish in the cutthroat Serie D pond. Regarding infrastructure, they want to replace the artificial turf at the cattle market. "The first team is our flagship, but FCO is much more than that. We have 400 youth players in the club. We want to offer everyone the best possible conditions," Platzer concluded.

Series D size C Italy	SP	TV	P
1.Treviso	34	50:25	69
2. Legnago Salus	34	62:41	61
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Who impressed, who didn't: FCO players under scrutiny

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