FC Wacker Innsbruck (2002)
| Full name | Fußballclub Wacker Innsbruck |
|---|---|
| Founded | 21 June 2002 |
| Ground | Tivoli-Neu, Innsbruck |
| Capacity | 30,000 |
| Chairman | Josef Gunsch |
| Manager | Maurizio Jacobacci |
| League | Erste Liga |
| 2015–16 | 3rd |
FC Wacker Innsbruck is an Austrian association football club from Innsbruck. The club was formed in June 2002 as FC Wacker Tirol, and plays their home games at Tivoli-Neu. The club regard themselves as the spiritual continuation of the team FC Tirol Innsbruck, which went bankrupt in 2002 as well as the original FC Wacker Innsbruck which had been founded in 1913. In honour of this heritage, FC Wacker Tirol was renamed FC Wacker Innsbruck in 2007. However, legally it is a distinct and separate club, and is not entitled to claim the honours won by its predecessors.
The ascent of Wacker Tirol into the Bundesliga took only two years from formation, with promotion to the top division achieved in 2004. This was possible because the club made an alliance with 3rd league club Wattens and thus avoided starting in the bottom league. After finishing first in Regionalliga West (2002–03), Wacker advanced to Red Zac Erste Liga, and only a season later (2003–04) was promoted to Bundesliga.
FC Wacker Tirol finished 6th out of 10 in their first Bundesliga season (2004/05) and 7th in their second (2005/06). In 2006–07 the Tyroleans avoided relegation only because Grazer AK went into administration and was docked 28 points as a result. One year the club, now named FC Wacker Innsbruck, finished last and was relegated to the Austrian Football First League (second tier).
After finishing runner-up in the 2008–09 season, FC Wacker Innsbruck won promotion back to the Austrian Bundesliga in 2010 in a tight run. About 5000 Tyrolean supporters had travelled to the final away game on 28 May 2010 in Pasching against Red Bull Juniors, which FC Wacker Innsbruck won 2–0.
As in 2004–05, FC Wacker Innsbruck finished their first Bundesliga season (2010/11) again 6th and then 7th in 2011–12 when they had been close to the Europa League spots for much of the season. After a disastrous start into the 2012–13 season (ten losses in eleven matches) it seemed unlikely that the club could avoid relegation. In a dramatic season finale against relegation which involved four teams, FC Wacker Innsbruck on 26 May 2013 managed to turn a 0–2 against Wolfsberger AC into a 3–2 victory within 10 minutes and, thanks to this miracle of Wolfsberg stayed in the league. With one-year delay FC Wacker Innsbruck finishing last in 2013/14, 8 points behind FC Admira Wacker Mödling which even had been docked 5 points due to financial problems.
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