The new ADMIRAL Bundesliga season is about to kick off. A perfect time to take a look at all 12 teams, key changes to the league, summer transfers, and the initial competitive results for each club.

ADMIRAL Bundesliga: No points divided, fewer European spots and new rules

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The ADMIRAL Bundesliga’s competition format remains unchanged, though there is one significant adjustment: the practice of dividing points in two after the regular season has been abolished. The schedule has also been modified - as the winter break ends earlier than usual this year, with teams back in action as early as January 23.

Austrian clubs now have a combined total of four European qualifying spots available across the league and the cup: the league champion enters the UEFA Champions League second qualifying round for the 2027/28 season, while the runner-ups and the winners of the European play-off both enter the UEFA Conference League second qualifying round. The cup winner begins in the UEFA Europa League's first qualifying round - though if they have already secured a (better) spot via the league, the cup spot reverts to the league.

There are also stricter measures against time-wasting, similar to those recently used at the World Cup: if a goal kick or throw-in takes too long, a countdown will begin before sanctions - such as a corner kick or a change of possession for a throw-in - are applied. Substituted players must now leave the pitch within ten seconds - otherwise, the substitute cannot enter the field until one minute after play has resumed. The same applies to injury treatment - leaving the pitch is mandatory, and a player cannot return until at least one minute has passed. The aim of these rule changes is to achieve more effective playing time and a smoother flow of the game.

LASK: Now the hunted

As the reigning double winners, LASK now find themselves as the team to beat in the league - an unfamiliar position for the Linz-based club. Coach Dietmar Kühbauer’s squad remained largely intact, with only targeted changes made after the title win: defender Keba Cisse moved to England to join Aston Villa, while Sasa Kalajdzic returned to Wolves following the end of his loan spell. Instead, the midfield and defence were bolstered by players such as Alessandro Schöpf and Robert Ljubicic, as well as new signings Miguel Freckleton and Manoel Verhaeghe. Juggling European competition and the domestic league schedule will likely prove challenging for the champions as their squad is still quite thin - particularly in attack, with new signing Ramiz Harakate sidelined for the long term due to injury. On the European stage, LASK begin their campaign in the UEFA Champions League play-offs, while in the domestic cup, they recently secured a commanding 7–0 victory over Kalsdorf.

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SK Sturm: Ingolitsch's side ready to seize the moment

After winning two consecutive league titles, Sturm finished as runners-up last season. Over the summer, the Graz-based club prioritised Bundesliga experience when recruiting new players - such as Simon Seidl and Jürgen Heil - and also added a new center-forward, Nelson Weiper, on loan from Mainz. Several long-serving players - Emir Karic, Dimitri Lavalee, and Stefan Hierländer (who retired) - left Fabio Ingolitsch’s squad. On the European stage, Sturm prevailed against Heart of Midlothian with a 6–0 aggregate score in the second UEFA Champions League qualifying round, while in the cup, they recorded a 3–0 victory over Seekirchen.

FK Austria Vienna: Stephan Helm ready to build further

It was a busy summer in the transfer market for Austria Vienna as the club saw three notable departures -Abubakr Barry (who moved to our Red Bulls), Ifeanyi Ndukwe (Liverpool) and Konstantin Aleksa (Hoffenheim). The Violets continue to be managed by Stephan Helm, who is now entering his third season with the team. In the cup, Austria won 5–0 against Wiener Sport-Club in the first round, while in Europe, they advanced past Liepaja in the second qualifying round of the UEFA Conference League.

SK Rapid: Smooth start to season

Coach Johannes Hoff Thorup, in charge since the spring, implemented a new playing philosophy during the pre-season featuring a significantly more attacking approach, without fundamentally overhauling the squad. New Danish signing Tonni Adamsen is expected to provide more firepower in attack, while long-time key player Andreas Weimann left the club on a free transfer. In Europe, Rapid advanced to the UEFA Conference League in the second qualifying round with a 9-3 aggregate victory against Santa Coloma, and a 3-0 win against Wienerberg was enough to secure their place in the second round of the cup.

TSV Hartberg: New-look opening opponents

A number of changes have taken place in Hartberg following the departure of Manfred Schmid. Markus Schopp, a familiar face, has returned to the sidelines and now also serves as Technical Director. Captain Jürgen Heil moved to runners-up SK Sturm, and striker Elias Havel and Tom Ritzy Hülsmann also left for international clubs. As a replacement in goal, Liverpool loanee Armin Pecsi has arrived, while new signing Angelo Gattermayer, among others, will be expected to compensate for the lack of goals in attack. Oliver Lukic will also be playing for them on loan this season. We'll get our first impression this Saturday when we host TSV Hartberg for our home opener at the Red Bull Arena!

WSG Tirol: All change in Wattens

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At WSG Tirol, the transformation following the departure of numerous key players is still in full swing. With captain and top attacker Valentino Müller and several other regular starters from last season, practically an entire starting XI left the club. Among the new faces is goalkeeper Salko Hamzic, a talent from our own academy. Coach Philipp Semlic remains with the Tyrolean side and is entering his third season with them. Staying in the league remains the primary objective before any higher ambitions can be considered. In the cup, WSG convincingly defeated Wieselburg 6-0 in the first round.

SCR Altach: A break from relegation battles with Zaric?

After years of fighting relegation, SCR Altach was finally able to breathe a sigh of relief last season: ninth place in the league and reaching the cup final marked their best season in recent memory. Coach Ognjen Zaric, who arrived in the winter and has been successful since, is now entering his first full year on the sidelines and is expected to lead Altach into the top six for the first time. The squad remained largely intact, with the biggest departure being Mohamed Ouedraogo, who moved to Lyon. New arrivals included Marko Raguz and Niklas Niehoff. Question marks remain, especially in attack. In the cup, Altach narrowly defeated Leobendorf 1-0.

SV Ried: Mutandwa's shoes need filling under new coach

The biggest challenge is replacing top scorer Kingstone Mutandwa, who contributed 14 goals last season and left the club (returning at end of loan to Cagliari). Ried significantly strengthened their midfield with former Rapid Vienna captain Stefan Schwab and Lukas Malicsek, while on-loan Stade Reims signing Pape Sissoko is expected to provide an attacking threat. Under new coach Mario Despotovic, the overall goal this season is to establish themselves in the league, while simultaneously integrating young academy players, according to club officials. In the cup, Ried cruised to a 5-1 victory against Dornbirn.

Wolfsberger AC: Silberberger's Wolves aiming high

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The WAC squad has undergone significant changes since last season: Dejan Zukic (Vojvodina), Dominik Baumgartner (Cracovia) and Erik Kojzek (Partizan Belgrade) left the club, while Raffael Behounek (Willem II) and Giacomo Vrioni (Cesena), among others, joined the team. Coach Thomas Silberberger, who saved Wolfsberg from relegation in the spring, remains on the sidelines. Phillip Verhounig has also joined their attacking lineup. A 5-1 win against Lauterach was taken in the first round of the cup.

Grazer AK: Cican Stankovic & Co aim for stability in third year

After narrowly avoiding relegation in two consecutive seasons, there has been some movement in the GAK squad earlier than usual. The biggest departure is top scorer Ramiz Harakate, who has moved to LASK. In goal, the experienced Cican Stankovic returns after a period without a club as the number one, while on-loan player Tim Trummer from our Red Bulls is expected to help out in defence, but unfortunately, he will be sidelined for some time due to injury. In the cup, Feldhofer's team prevailed 4-0 against Donaufeld in the first round.

SC Austria Lustenau: League returners and big unknowns

After a two-year absence, SC Austria Lustenau are back in the ADMIRAL Bundesliga – with a new stadium and plenty of momentum. Coach Markus Mader, who has been in charge of Lustenau since December 2024 and led them to promotion once before in 2022, remains at the helm. Two top scorers from the promotion season, Mame Wade and Jack Lahne, left the club, but they have strengthened their squad with players including Danilo Soares (Nuremberg) and Albin Gashi (Wels), the top goal contributor in the 2025/26 LigaZwa season. In the cup, Lustenau narrowly defeated Kremser SC 1-0.

We're getting started on Saturday!

We start our new Bundesliga adventure this Saturday at 19:30 CEST at the Red Bull Arena against TSV Hartberg. Find more information about the match in the Match Center:

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