Special fertiliser applied to struggling Tivoli pitch
Thursday 6th August 2026 on 10:00 in
Austria
A special fertiliser will be applied to the struggling pitch at Innsbruck’s Tivoli Stadium on Thursday as a short-term measure, ORF Tirol reported. The playing surface has faced heavy criticism after recent matches involving Wacker Innsbruck and WSG Tirol, while the entire pitch is due to be replaced in September.
WSG coach Philipp Semlic criticised the pitch even before the Bundesliga season began. After his team’s opening draw against Sturm Graz, he renewed his criticism, saying the surface was “not fit for the Bundesliga”. Players and referees also said action was needed.
The criticism focused in particular on the fact that WSG’s match against Sturm Graz was played one day after FC Wacker Innsbruck’s opening second-division match at the stadium. The Austrian Bundesliga said double bookings were not ideal, but could be managed in individual cases if the pitch quality and preparation before and after matches were adequate.
Olympiaworld Innsbruck, which operates the stadium, said the high number of matches was at least partly responsible for the poor condition of the pitch. Wacker Innsbruck, WSG Tirol and the Raiders Tirol currently all play their home matches at the Tivoli.
The Bundesliga said the double booking involving Wacker and WSG could not have been avoided because the stadium operator had reported three stadium closures during the first seven rounds. Another double booking is scheduled for September, when Wacker will host ASK Voitsberg on September 11 and Hartberg will play WSG Tirol at the Tivoli the following day.
The full pitch is scheduled to be replaced from September 13, including the soil. It will then need 14 days to take root and is expected to be ready for matches again from October 2.
In the meantime, the special fertiliser will be worked into the pitch. Olympiaworld Innsbruck managing director Matthias Schipflinger said the surface currently also had a fungus and described the treatment as “a kind of broad-spectrum antibiotic” intended to improve its quality for the remaining four matches.
The Bundesliga said it also expected the pitch to be significantly better after the replacement. It added that player and referee assessments following the weekend’s matches showed that action was necessary.