Champions League club accused of bullying after expelling three players from senior squad

A rather sensational case has rocked Austrian football as Sturm Graz demoted three players, Emanuel Aiwu, Niklas Geyrhofer, and Amady Camara, to the reserve team, as the trio no longer featured in the club's plans.

However, this move did not go down well with the three players. Aiwu lodged a complaint with the Austrian players' union, which was unimpressed by Sturm Graz's methods.

"If a club's actions are intended to pressure a player into a transfer or the termination of their contract, we believe this crosses into territory that can be described as bullying and discrimination," said Gernot Baumgartner, chairman of the Austrian players' union, in a press release.

Aiwu was no longer allowed to enter the dressing room, and his locker had suddenly been emptied. There are many other things we have documented, and this is certainly a case of bullying."

The players' union has now taken the matter to a regional civil court in Graz and has filed a complaint with the Austrian Bundesliga.

The union does not consider Sturm Graz's reserve team to constitute the professional setup to which the players are entitled under their contracts. The club's head coach, Fabio Ingolitsch, defended the demotion.

"We are honest and transparent with the players so that everyone knows what their role is. We have openly told them that they are no longer part of our plans," the Sturm Graz coach told Kleine Zeitung.

"But as long as they are with us, they receive the best treatment. Nothing unacceptable has happened; it is purely a sporting decision, and we are all handling it very professionally."

The Players' Union's intervention has prompted Sturm Graz to include the three players in the first-team squad again, Baumgartner stated.

Sturm Graz finished second last season while LASK Linz took the title in the Austrian Bundesliga. Sturm Graz will face Hearts in the second round of Champions League qualification.