"We're looking forward to the huge matches!"

In partnership with

FC Red Bull Salzburg

·30 marzo 2026

"We're looking forward to the huge matches!"

Women's coach Dusan Pavlovic and other views on the championship group sensation

The joy was immense when the final whistle blew yesterday in Altach, shortly before 13:00 and it was confirmed: we're in the championship group! As fourth-place finishers in the ADMIRAL Women's Bundesliga, our girls – in their debut season as FC Red Bull Salzburg – have secured one of the highly coveted spots in the top four. Our team will now compete in home and away matches from 25-26 April to 30-31 May, with an outside chance of securing one of the three European Cup starting places.

The three other clubs are FK Austria Vienna, the undefeated league leaders, SKN St. Pölten, Austria's clear number one team of the past decade, and SK Sturm Graz, who our FC Red Bull Salzburg Women shared a 5-5 draw with just a few weeks ago. We expect the championship group fixtures to be announced in the coming days. One key to our team's success is their youthful energy, as demonstrated, for example, in their recent 3-1 win in Neulengbach. While 17-year-old midfield maestro Sara Grabovac was sidelined due to injury, 16-year-old Valentina Lutz stepped up and helped the team overtake SCR Altach in the standings thanks to the away win, as sporting director Bernd Winkler praised as a great show of our young talent.

OneFootball Video

Before the football season pauses for the international break and the grand finale begins, another highlight awaits: This coming Saturday (12:00 PM), Pavlovic's team will face LASK at the Red Bull Football Academy for a place in the final of the Austrian Women's Cup! Admission is free.

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We definitely exceeded our expectations with fourth place, we really hadn't expected it. We are very proud that we made it straight into the championship group in our first Bundesliga season and can now look forward to and enjoy six absolutely huge matches – the girls have certainly earned the chance to compete against the best once again. No matter who we play against, we will go into each match with the same focus and objective!

Coach Dusan Pavlovic

I am extremely proud of the entire team – the coaching staff as well as the players – and I am delighted that they have been rewarded for all the hard work, dedication, and commitment they show day in and day out. I am also pleased that we now have a few more big matches against the best teams in Austria, in which they can further develop. I am also proud that we have so many young players as regular starters in the team!

Bernd Winkler, Head of Women´s Football

It feels fantastic that we finished in the top four in our very first season as FC Red Bull Salzburg Women. I think that shows how much hard work and quality this team has. The atmosphere in the team is very positive right now - we're really sticking together and pushing each other every day in training. Now we're looking forward to it all!

Captain Lucia Orkic