The Grazer Athletik Klub, founded in 1902, is one of the most traditional football clubs in Austria. The biggest success in the long club history could be achieved in 2004: GAK won the Austrian Football Championship for the first time.

The Grazer Athletik Klub, mostly abbreviated Grazer AK or GAK, was founded on the 18th of August 1902. Only a few years later, it was this young team which could win the first Styrian Football Title in 1922 (after a heroic 2:0 against the local rivals of Sturm Graz) and thus become the most successful Styrian football team in this period of time. This first triumph was followed by 9 further Styrian Championships in only 11 years.

After the Second World War, in 1951, Grazer AK managed to climb from the second league (“Staatsliga B”) to the newly founded first league (“Staatsliga A”). In this age, the club bore some of the most successful Austrian football players, for instance Willy Huberts, Herbert Ninaus and Willy Sgerm. Amongst others, it was their credit that GAK managed to stay in the league for more than twenty years with league positions from five to eight. In 1962, after having reached the Austrian Cup Final for the first time, the Grazer AK played its first international match against Odense BK from Denmark. Unfortunately, the international appearances of Grazer AK in the 1960’s never lasted longer than one round.

In 1974 GAK had to suffer a bitter setback: the Austrian Football Association decided to reduce the first league from 16 to only 10 teams and the GAK was therefore relegated in the second league. However, the Reds, another nickname of the GAK, played an outstanding season and were back in the first league only one year later. What followed were successful years in the highest Austrian league and in 1981 the highly deserved first Austrian Cup title after a 2:0 victory versus Austria Salzburg.

After a long successful era in the first league, GAK had to go down in the second league again in 1990. This time, it lasted six long years until the Grazer AK could celebrate a comeback in the first league. In the following years, the club found the way back on the streets of glory and roughed up the league as well as the UEFA CUP. In the year 2000, the GAK played its best season ever and won the Austrian Cup trophy, the Austrian SUPER CUP trophy and finished the season as third in the league.

In 2002, GAK played the famous Spanish champions Real Madrid in Graz and won 3:2 on the occasion of the centenary birthday of the club. This victory heralded the most successful years in the club history: GAK managed to reach the Champions-League qualification round three times in a row and delivered outstanding matches against LOK Moskau, Ajax Amsterdam and FC Liverpool. Unfortunately, the Champions League group stage was refused to the GAK.

The missed chance for the Champions League was soon forgotten when the GAK won the Austrian Football Championship for the first time in 2004. 9000 supporters on the top of the world followed their team to Mödling (Vienna) where the Championship trophy was finally handed over to the team of the Grazer AK. Riding on this huge wave of success the Reds also won the Austrian CUP in 2004.

After all the successes in the late 1990’s until the year 2004 the GAK faced a glorious future, but unfortunately, the track record could not hold on. In 2005 and 2006, the most valuable players had to be sold due to upcoming financial troubles and GAK only managed to obtain the license for the season 2006/2007 with the biggest efforts and the help of the Styrian provincial government. However, only a few months later, the financial crisis of the club culminated in 2 bankruptcies in a row. As a consequence, the Austrian Football Association refused the license for the first and second league for 2007/2008 and Grazer AK is relegated to a third league club, where the team plays its fourth season. In 2009, it seemed as if the club could win promotion for the second league. However, the championship ended with a dubious 6:0 last minute win of Hartberg vs. SAK Klagenfurt and the new third league champion TSV Hartberg.

GAK - club profile

Full name
Grazer Athletik Klub
Nickname(s)
GAK, Grazer AK, Reds, Red Devils
Founded
18th of August 1902
Colors
red/white
Stadium
UPC Arena, Graz, Stadionplatz 1
Stadium Capacity
15.400 (all seater)
Head of the club
Benedikt Bittmann
Coach
Heinz Karner
Address
Weinzödl 1, A-8046 Graz
Web
www.gak.at
League 2010/2011
Regional League (3rd League)

Hall of fame: 
1 x Austrian Champion (2004)
4 x Winner of Austrian CUP (1981, 2000, 2002, 2004)
2 x Winner of Austrian SUPER CUP (2000, 2002)