KURIER on our partner club USC Litschau: A strong statement for women in football

Focus: Women in Football 2026

As part of our “Women in Football” initiative, and with the kind permission of Kurier, we are sharing the latest article about our partner club USC Litschau. It looks at the development of the newly founded women’s team in the Gebietsliga (regional league) and shows the commitment and team spirit that drive the work there.

As part of our community at zone14, USC Litschau is a prime example of structured growth and continuous development in grassroots football. The article shows what is achieved at this level every single day – often far from the big headlines.

Find out more here about our partnership with USC Litschau.

You can read the full original article here on the Kurier website.

The highlight of our “Focus: Women in Football” campaign is “Women in Football – The Talk”, which takes place for the third time in 2026. It focuses on current developments, existing structural hurdles and concrete starting points for clubs, associations and education – followed by an open exchange and networking. Get your free tickets here.

Goals 0–60: why this women’s team is still having fun

By: Peter Gutmayer, KURIER

The women of USC Litschau have yet to win a match and are still waiting for their first goal. But that does nothing to dampen their joy in the game.

When Nadine Polt, Hannah Zemansky, Angelika Hauer and Stefanie Altmann talk about football, you would never guess that they haven’t won a match yet. USC Litschau conceded 60 goals in their nine matches in the autumn and didn’t score a single one. They do, however, have one point to their name. Their motivation remains unbroken, and they are eagerly looking forward to the spring. In Austria’s northernmost town, where the ball can end up in the Czech Republic if you don’t aim carefully, wins and goals aren’t all that counts. But they would be nice.

It was in autumn 2024 when initiator Lina Blach and a few young women thought they would like to play football themselves. “The chairman’s condition was nine or ten players, then we could do the whole thing within the club,” Hannah Zemansky recalls. And then everything happened quickly. A call-out on Facebook became a WhatsApp group, where the first training session on 21 December was also announced. And more than 20 young women actually turned up. “The club was fully behind us from the very beginning,” Nadine Polt recalls. But the first match was still some way off; first came training.

Full commitment

And this is where coach Markus Steiner comes into play, pulling the strings together with his assistant Markus Blach. At the beginning they also had support from Waldviertel coaching legend Werner Grubeck. “We’re making it work with the girls,” Steiner says proudly. The 44-year-old used to play himself, but he didn’t see the job of coaching a women’s team coming. “It was a coincidence. I just slipped into it,” he explains. “And now he can’t get away,” Nadine Polt adds with a laugh. Fun and team spirit are never in short supply among the women of USC Litschau – you notice that straight away.

As part of the men’s team’s 100th anniversary celebrations, the first match took place on 1 May 2025 – and was lost. But their appetite had been whetted. In the summer, Litschau joined the Gebietsliga Mostviertel/Waldviertel.

Women in Football: The Talk

17 March | FH Technikum Wien

“Women in Football – The Talk” brings together experts, players and decision-makers to discuss the developments, challenges and future prospects of women in football. The event offers ideas, discussion and room for exchange.

Get your free tickets

Making a point

But anyone who thinks things got serious in Litschau from then on is mistaken. Fun comes first. Not even a 0–20 defeat to Herzogenburg in their first league match changed that. “In the second match we only lost 0–7,” coach Steiner recalls, “and that’s when I knew I wouldn’t have to teach the girls how to celebrate.” The goal of keeping it to single figures in the second match had been achieved – and you have to celebrate whenever there’s a reason to. The team spirit is strong, and the squad is a colourful mix. Ages range from 14 to 32: school pupils, teachers, university students, shift workers, police officers – and mothers, too. “That’s great,” says the coach, who can count on a high turnout at training. “There are 16 to 18 every time.”

And so the next moment of success was only a matter of time. In the fourth round, Ferschnitz/Neuhofen/Amstetten were the visitors. Once again the atmosphere was great (Nadine Polt: “Our fans support us brilliantly”) – and the hosts made their point. Their first and so far only point. It goes without saying that the 0–0 draw was celebrated like a win.

Bottom place doesn’t faze the players. “For us, the league position isn’t the main thing, it’s more about development,” explains captain Polt. And not only on the pitch, but off it too. The coach knows what is still missing: “A goal.” As the saying goes, a goal would do their game good. And when the first win comes as well, you really shouldn’t miss the party in Litschau.

We are delighted that “Focus: Women in Football” is now entering its third year. What began as an initiative has become a fixed part of our year. The continued support of the clubs and our partners shows how relevant this topic is. More visibility and equal opportunities for women in football don’t come from one-off campaigns, but from long-term commitment.

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