For Kilian Bauernfeind & Co., the dry spell continues. © P. Schwienbacher

Licking wounds after a botched start to the second half of the season

After the 1-3 defeat against Este in their first match of the second half of the season, Obermais are looking ahead. Even though the upcoming match in Mestre won't be any easier, Flavio Toccoli and his teammates remain determined.

05 January 2026

From: cst

“We could have played all day without scoring a goal,” Toccoli said after the Home defeat against top team Este Disappointing. Manuel Brusco scored the only goal for South Tyrol from the penalty spot. The Obermais striker (five goals), who had recently returned to fitness, had missed a clear-cut chance early on.

In return, FCO conceded a counter-attack on the packed artificial turf pitch in Sinich, which resulted in a penalty for Este. "We're not converting our best chances up front and making mistakes at the back," analyzed Christian Platzer. The sporting director was referring to a short back pass from Alex Debiasi, which put goalkeeper Luca Tenderini under pressure. This led to a collision with an Este striker, resulting in the penalty.

Unlucky: FCO striker Manuel Brusco.

“Este is a great club with fantastic players for this league,” said Toccoli after the match, adding, “It’s no coincidence that they’ve been playing in this league for around 20 years.” Meanwhile, in Obermais, they are fighting to avoid falling further behind in the relegation zone. Next Sunday they travel to Meste, where Bolzano’s Lorenzo Melchiori and another top team (Mestre is currently in third place) await. Sporting director Platzer has set the tone: “We’ll have to grit our teeth and fight, and then we’ll turn things around.”