Sturm Graz ace Hlinka on his way out
Slovak midfielder Peter Hlinka is to leave Sturm Graz at the end of this season despite saying today (Thurs) he wanted to stay.”I havent spoken to [Sturm Graz executive manager] Oliver Kreuzer since winter. I always stressed I can imagine very well staying with Sturm. But what am I supposed to do if no one approaches me for talks,” he explained.Hlinka, 31, joined the team coached by Franco Foda in 2008 from German second-league club Augsburg after having played for the Austrian Bundesliga side in the 2000/2001 season.Hlinka was with Rapid Vienna for three years until 2007 and won the league title with the team in 2005. Now he is linked with a transfer to Rapids archrivals Austria Vienna.But he today claimed having several options.Sports newspapers meanwhile speculate Sturm Graz are letting Hlinka go in a bid to cut costs.Club officials reportedly hope to cash in around four million Euros by selling midfielder Jakob Jantscher and striker Daniel Beichler this summer. The national team stars are linked with German Bundesliga side Borussia Mönchengladbach and other clubs.Mario Sonnleitner meanwhile made clear he will leave the club. The defenders contract runs out at the end of the current season. Rapid Vienna bosses signaled interest in the former Under-21s national team player who announced he hoped to make it abroad.Joze Prelogar, coach of bottom lights Austria Kärnten, said today planning the clubs senior squad for next season was “finished by 90 per cent”. The Slovene however appealed he was in need of “two good strikers”.Austria Kärnten president Mario Canori last week warned that the possibility of the struggling club getting liquidated could still not be ruled out.Match action in the Austrian Bundesliga continues tomorrow night when leaders Red Bull Salzburg clash with second-placed Rapid Vienna.The “Bulls” are six points clear but their bid to defend the title suffered a massive blow last Sunday when keeper Eddie Gustafsson suffered a broken calf bone and shin bone in a ruthless tackle by LASK Linz star Lukas Kragl.Red Bull bosses reportedly consider signing Bayern Munich goalkeeper Michael Rensing or VfB Stuttgart veteran Jens Lehmann as their Swedish first-choice keeper is ruled out for at least six months.The Bundesliga table after 31 rounds:Red Bull Salzburg, 69 pointsRapid Vienna, 63Austria Vienna, 60Sturm Graz, 52Magna Wiener Neustadt, 40Mattersburg, 37SV Ried, 35LASK Linz, 33Kapfenberg, 26Austria Kärnten, 11