AMOSLauf in Graz
Ex-Bundesliga star emotional: “I have been racing heart since then”
Updated on June 11th, 2025 – 4:58 p.m.Reading time: 2 min.
The killing spree in Graz also shocked the players of the Austrian national team. In particular, a former Bundesliga player was deeply affected.
The clear victory against San Marino took a back seat for the Austrian national team. The news of a killing spree in Graz, in which eleven people died, overshadowed the European Championship test on Tuesday.
After the game, several players were visibly affected. “You have inquired what the situation is, what the situation is. Of course, everyone is very shocked. And as I said, it also takes you with you,” said BVB professional Marcel Sabitzer after the game.
video | AMOSLauf in Graz: Video shows police operation
The midfielder of Borussia Dortmund comes from Graz. The city in which a 21-year-old committed a massacre at his former school and then committed suicide. “If you have ever experienced things yourself that are not so beautiful and strokes of fate, then you can empathize,” said Sabitzer, who has friends and family members in Styria.
Marko Arnautović was also deeply shaken. The former Bundesliga professional said: “Because it’s horror. I had to hold back my emotions all day.” He doesn’t want to say anything about the game. He is not interested. In an interview with the broadcaster Servus TV, the former player at Werder Bremen was clearly noticeable. “I heard it in the morning and have only raced and pity since then. What happened there is brutal. I no longer know if we are still so safe in this world,” he said. “I lack the words. I actually didn’t want to come here. I do it because I have to do it,” said Arnautović.
Michael Gregoritsch, who plays for SC Freiburg, also grew up in Graz – just around ten minutes from the affected school. He called the crime “terribly” and emphasized how close what to do is personally.
Before the game of the game in San Marino, there was a minute’s commemoration for the victims. The Austrian players ran up with funeral floral. The fans did without a planned choreography. A planned fan march was also painted. After the 4-0 win, the team gathered around a black banner with the inscription “Graz” and two white crosses.
Despite the shock, according to players, a game cancellation was not an issue. “I think it is important that we as a group don’t stop being there for Austria too,” said Gregoritsch. Sabitzer expressed hope: “Maybe you have reached some people anyway and you could distract the distracts in difficult hours.”