Andreas Gahleitner prepares for his first managerial fixture against his former club as SKU Amstetten hosts table-leader FC Blau-Weiß Linz on Friday at 18:30 in the 2. Liga, balancing his new club duties with his ongoing role as assistant coach of the ÖFB U21 team.
The 44-year-old coach spent four years working as an assistant coach at FC Blau-Weiß Linz before moving to SKU Amstetten in the summer to take on his first head coach role in professional football.
Gahleitner Balances SKU Amstetten Duties with International Duty
Gahleitner missed training sessions with his SKU Amstetten squad due to international duty, where the U21 team drew 1:1 against Denmark in Vienna—a result that cost them tournament qualification, alongside a parallel scenario where Denmark would have had to lose against Belgium while Amstetten’s side needed to make up a total of nine goals, which would have worked if they had scored two more goals and Denmark had lost—followed by a 7:1 victory away in Wales. However, the coach noted that his dual role was agreed upon from the start.
Es war von Anfang an mit Amstetten so ausgemacht, dass ich meine Co-Trainer-Rolle beim ÖFB-U21-Team weiter ausübe
stated Gahleitner, emphasizing that the arrangement was made in the interest of the club. The team and coaching staff were already accustomed to absences, as previous coach Patrick Enengl also periodically missed days over the prior year and a half while completing his Pro License.
Preparation for the Top Clash Against Former Club
Gahleitner confirmed that everything was well-planned and structured, assuring that the squad is fully prepared for the upcoming encounter against the league leaders. He noted that while the combination of two training camps made this absence relatively long, the players were given a few days to catch their breath and returned to training a few times in between, with the rest of the coaching staff handling operations during that week.
SKU Amstetten Holds Fourth Place in League Standings
Disregarding an early cup exit, the team’s starting capital can be seen as quite positive with fourth place in the league standings, featuring 12 points from seven matches divided into three wins, three draws, and only one defeat, which came away against Vienna.
SKU Amstetten faces FC Blau-Weiß Linz on Friday with live updates provided via Ligaportal-Liveticker.
