After brutal attack, Carinthian football club tightens security measures

The Klagenfurt football club ASK, the head of the sports department of the Klagenfurt city council and many amateur footballers are in shock: The ASK groundskeeper was brutally beaten last week. Now there are further details about the attack.

The man was there as a vacation replacement for the actual groundskeeper. “He had just mowed the lawn when he saw three men with a German shepherd walking around the changing rooms,” says Mario Polak, who is responsible for the facility as head of the sports department and who spoke to the victim of the attack.

Kicked and beaten

The groundskeeper asked the three men to leave the sports field because there was no play going on. “Then three of them formed up in front of him and beat him down with a plastic pipe.” They also kicked him. “They were brutal,” Polak said. The victim heard one of the three men say: “Beat him to death.” The groundskeeper could not remember anything else because he then briefly lost consciousness. This is also what the police report says.

“After the attack, the injured man wanted to go home.” But on the way to his bike he collapsed twice.” He had to go to hospital, was bleeding from the head and had to be stitched up twice, Polak knows. The groundskeeper is now back on duty, but he is exhausted. “It's bad,” says Polak. “I have now given the order that – when there are no games – all doors to the Fischl sports center are to be locked.” Because apparently you are no longer safe even in broad daylight.”

Video surveillance?

Further measures will be discussed, says Polak. “We may need video surveillance at such sports facilities in the future.” Executive President Franz Petritz also says: “To protect the employees, we must draw conclusions and close the sports field.” But our goal was actually to leave a public facility open.” ASK official Günther Kramer, who has been with the club for 50 years, and sports director Matthias Dollinger are also appalled: “We are very disappointed that there are people who do such things.” It is completely incomprehensible to us and just sad.”

The police have been searching for the perpetrators since the incident. The public has already been asked for help in a press release. “But we have not yet received any information,” says police spokesman Markus Dexl.