Does This European Side Have the Rarest Record of Any Side in the World?

Sturm Graz - The Side With The Strangest Home and Away Records in World Football

Central European football simply doesn’t get enough coverage. Where else would you find a league table like in the Polish Ekstraklasa, which sees the top and bottom of the table separated by just 16 points? And where else would you be able to find a 12-point lead despite just 22 fixtures being played, an advantage held by NK Celje in Slovenia’s Prva Liga?

However, perhaps the oddest circumstance in world football at the moment comes out of the Austrian Bundesliga, more specifically from two-time reigning champions Sturm Graz.

A look at the regular league table will tell you that they are struggling to hit the same highs of last season, with their fourth-placed ranking two back from leaders RB Salzburg. Nothing particularly odd about that, just a side struggling to defend their title, not unlike Premier League champions Liverpool.

The baffling record referenced in the title becomes clear when their league record is divided into home and away form, and it’s not the record you’ll be expecting to see.

Cabin Fever?

Last season, consistency was the name of the game for Sturm Graz – they boasted the best form away from home of any side in the Austrian top flight, while their home record was equally solid, ranking second.

This season though, things have changed drastically – their ability on the road has not dimmed; in fact, their record of seven wins and three defeats in 10 away games puts them top of the travelling rankings once again, with five more points than the next closest side, Salzburg.

However, their home record beggars belief – in nine games at their home ground, the Merkur Arena, Sturm Graz have managed just three victories and have fallen to five defeats, form that is poor enough to stick them at the bottom of the home form rankings.

🇦🇹 Defending champions Sturm Graz are currently:

✅ Top of the away table
❌ Bottom of the home table

Surely nobody else in Europe has this kind of record right now? pic.twitter.com/huLZ66Kj73

— The Other Bundesliga (@OtherBundesliga) February 15, 2026

This is possibly a first-ever example of a side leading one form record while trailing the rest in another – the marked difference between playing in front of their home fans and in unfamiliar stadiums is quite remarkable. If anything, most of us would expect playing at home to be their strong suit and travelling to be their kryptonite.

But things have not exactly gone to plan for Sturm Graz this season – their supporters had big expectations for them in Europe, as in winning the league last campaign, they qualified for the Europa League. However, knocked out in the league stage, the Austrian champions have unexpectedly had their continental journey ended early, and the home fans promptly informed them of their disappointment.

Though there has not exactly been an internal inquest over their European exit, the mood at the Merkur Arena has certainly taken a dip. In part, this is down to a downturn in supporter enthusiasm, something that is to be expected when any side fails to secure a spot in the European knockout stages.

But the more likely answer to their baffling home form likely stems from the inevitable feeling of guilt that the players will be experiencing at exiting continental competition so early. The new league stage of the Champions League, Europa League and Conference League was created to provide more opportunities to reach the knockouts.

So to miss out on a play-off knockout round spot would have been a big blow to the Austrians' season – prior to their campaign starting, Sturm would have had their sights set on at least reaching the play-off round, so to fall two points short of the threshold would have been a devastating blow.

Recent Promise

It is remarkable that Sturm Graz have managed to stay in touch with the leaders despite their rotten home performances – a two-point gap is all that separates them and leaders Salzburg, and with an away game at bottom side BW Linz scheduled for the weekend, there is a chance that they could move to the top of the table should other results go their way.

Moreover, recent performances suggest that Fabio Ingolitsch’s side have found a solution to their home stadium blues. Though unspectacular, he has coached to 1-0 home wins on the bounce against Brann in the Europa League and Ried in the Bundesliga, a sign that Die Schwoazn are starting to trust in themselves on home turf once again.

🇦🇹 THE RED BULL ERA OF DOMINANCE IS OVER!

Sturm Graz have won the Austrian Bundesliga for the first time since 2011 & become the first club other than Salzburg to win the double since 2006.

Sturm's triumph ends Salzburg's unprecedented 10-year run of league titles since 2014! pic.twitter.com/Bhi1GgIWC2

— The Sweeper (@SweeperPod) May 19, 2024

They may lie at the bottom of the home form rankings, but they have a game in hand on BW Linz, who lie just ahead of them on goal difference, and a result against them at the weekend could move them up as many as four places in the home table, which would much more accurately reflect their title-challenging aspirations.

There are still 13 games left of the Bundesliga season and only three until the league is split into a Championship group and a relegation group. Sturm Graz shouldn’t struggle to place themselves in the former section – in fact, they will struggle to miss out on it – but once in that Championship group, they have to address their home record.

It’s something you can get away with in the regular season, but when placed alongside the other five best teams in the country, inconsistent performances on your own turf will not go unpunished.