Upper Vinschgau as South Tyrolean football fountain

Is the Upper Vinschgau Valley a South Tyrolean football hotbed? What may sound a bit odd at first glance turns out to be true upon closer inspection. A surprising number of Upper Vinschgau residents are currently making waves in various leagues – with the highest-ranking team from the Upper Vinschgau region playing in the 1st Amateur League (Schluderns).

But that doesn't bother Lukas Mazagg, Mathias Theiner, and the rest of the team. They lead the football squad from the far northwest of South Tyrol and earn their living as professionals abroad. Mazagg transferred from TSG Hoffenheim II to SSV Ulm this summer and is consistently playing time for the traditional 3rd division club. The Glurns native transferred to the football boarding school in Bad Aibling, Bavaria, at just twelve years old. Lukas Mazagg plays for Ulm in Germany's third division. © SSV Ulm/Social Media

Theiner, who hails from Laatsch and has been playing with Austria Salzburg in the Austrian second division since the summer, followed the same path. Theiner has been in the Violets' starting lineup three times this season. Olaf Stark and Leo Kahlert, who now play in Partschins and Schluderns, also completed their training in Bad Aibling.

Melanie Kuenrath plays in Switzerland Mazagg and Theiner are just the tip of the iceberg, though. Marco Paulmichl (Laatsch), Alexander Gander (Glurns), and 17-year-old Tizian Stecher (Mals) are three Upper Vinschgau natives playing with Obermais in the fourth-tier Serie D. The latter is considered one of South Tyrol's brightest talents and still has his entire career ahead of him. Melanie Kuenrath, however, is right in the thick of it. The Burgeis native is one of the country's best female soccer players. This summer, she moved from Altach to St. Gallen in the Swiss league. Marco Paulmichl is a constant at FC Obermais. © Thomas Debelyak

But why do so many strong footballers come from the upper Vinschgau and not in such numbers from the Pustertal or Passeier Valleys? A question Theiner answers as follows: "We started a wave with our move to Bavaria and showed that there is another path to the top levels of football. But not everyone has reached their goal by taking that route. Marco Paulmichl has continually improved and now deservedly plays in Serie D. Lukas Mazagg never attended a youth academy and also turned professional."

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Upper Vinschgau as South Tyrolean football fountain

The Upper Vinschgau Valley is a relatively unknown region for many South Tyroleans. However, when it comes to football, the players from Mals and the surrounding area are currently causing quite a stir.

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