# 2017–18 Austrian Football First League

The 2017–18 Austrian Football First League (German: Erste Liga, also known as Sky Go Erste Liga due to sponsorship) was the 44th season of the Austrian second-level football league and the last one as the First League. It began on 21 July 2017 and ended on 25 May 2018. The fixtures were announced on 21 June 2017.

## Teams

Ten teams participated in the 2017–18 season. TSV Hartberg was promoted after winning the 2016–17 Regionalliga Mitte without having to compete in promotion play-offs as no team from the Regionalliga West or Ost applied for promotion. They replaced SV Horn who finished last in the 2016–17 First League. SV Ried were relegated from the 2016–17 Bundesliga, replacing 2016–17 First League champions LASK Linz.
| Club Name | City | Stadium | Capacity |
| Austria Lustenau | Lustenau | Reichshofstadion | 8,800 |
| FC Blau-Weiß Linz | Linz | Donauparkstadion | 2,000 |
| Floridsdorfer AC | Vienna | FAC-Platz | 3,000 |
| TSV Hartberg | Hartberg | Stadion Hartberg | 4,500 |
| Kapfenberger SV | Kapfenberg | Franz-Fekete-Stadion | 12,000 |
| Liefering | Salzburg | Untersberg-Arena | 4,128 |
| SV Ried | Ried im Innkreis | Keine Sorgen Arena | 7,680 |
| Wacker Innsbruck | Innsbruck | Tivoli-Neu | 30,000 |
| Wiener Neustadt | Wiener Neustadt | Stadion Wiener Neustadt | 10,000 |
| WSG Wattens | Wattens | Alpenstadion | 5,500 |

### Personnel and kits

| Club | Manager | Captain | Kit Manufacturer | Sponsors |
| Austria Lustenau | Andreas Lipa (1–11) | Christoph Kobleder (1–4, 6–19) | Uhlsport | Mohren |
| Austria Lustenau | Daniel Ernemann (12–13) | Martin Grasegger (5) | Uhlsport | Mohren |
| Austria Lustenau | Gernot Plassnegger (from 14) & Michael Kopf (19–20) | Marco Krainz (20–22, 24–27, 29, 31–36) | Uhlsport | Mohren |
| Austria Lustenau | Gernot Plassnegger (from 14) & Michael Kopf (19–20) | Ronivaldo (23) | Uhlsport | Mohren |
| Austria Lustenau | Gernot Plassnegger (from 14) & Michael Kopf (19–20) | Sandro Djurić (28, 30) | Uhlsport | Mohren |
| FC Blau-Weiß Linz | Günther Gorenzel (1–15) | Florian Maier (1–3, 6–12, 14, 16–17) | Uhlsport | Linz AG |
| FC Blau-Weiß Linz | David Wimleitner (16–20) | Lukas Gabriel (4–5, 13, 15, 18–20) | Uhlsport | Linz AG |
| FC Blau-Weiß Linz | Thomas Sageder (from 21) | Lukas Gabriel (4–5, 13, 15, 18–20) | Uhlsport | Linz AG |
| FC Blau-Weiß Linz | Thomas Sageder (from 21) | Thomas Hinum (21–29, 32–33) | Uhlsport | Linz AG |
| FC Blau-Weiß Linz | Thomas Sageder (from 21) | Daniel Kerschbaumer (30–31, 34–36) | Uhlsport | Linz AG |
| Floridsdorfer | Thomas Eidler (1–23) | Martin Fraisl (1–21, 23–24) | Puma | Wiener Städtische & Wien Energie |
| Floridsdorfer | Martin Handl (from 24) | Mario Kröpfl (22, 25–28, 36) | Puma | Wiener Städtische & Wien Energie |
| Floridsdorfer | Martin Handl (from 24) | Robert Völkl (29) | Puma | Wiener Städtische & Wien Energie |
| Floridsdorfer | Martin Handl (from 24) | Marco Sahanek (30–35) | Puma | Wiener Städtische & Wien Energie |
| TSV Hartberg | Christian Ilzer | Siegfried Rasswalder (1–4, 7–16, 18, 20–35) | Jako | Prolacta, Admiral, Egger Glass & Profertil |
| TSV Hartberg | Christian Ilzer | Manfred Gollner (5–6, 17) | Jako | Prolacta, Admiral, Egger Glass & Profertil |
| TSV Hartberg | Christian Ilzer | Roko Mišlov (19, 36) | Jako | Prolacta, Admiral, Egger Glass & Profertil |
| Kapfenberger | Robert Pflug (1–4) | David Sencar (1–3, 6–17, 20–23, 25–27, 29–36) | Erima | Murauer Bier |
| Kapfenberger | Stefan Rapp (5–34) | Paul Gartler (4–5) | Erima | Murauer Bier |
| Kapfenberger | Karl-Heinz Kubesch (from 35) | Tobias Kainz (18–19, 24, 28) | Erima | Murauer Bier |
| Liefering | Janusz Góra & Gerhard Struber | Luca Meisl (1–8, 12, 15–16, 18–24, 27, 30–32, 34–35) | Nike | Red Bull |
| Liefering | Janusz Góra & Gerhard Struber | Emir Karic (9) | Nike | Red Bull |
| Liefering | Janusz Góra & Gerhard Struber | Carlos Miguel Coronel (10–11, 13–14, 17, 25–26, 28–29, 33) | Nike | Red Bull |
| Liefering | Janusz Góra & Gerhard Struber | Mahamadou Dembélé (36) | Nike | Red Bull |
| SV Ried | Lassaad Chabbi (1–25) | Thomas Gebauer | Hummel | Josko |
| SV Ried | Franz Schiemer (26–28) | Thomas Gebauer | Hummel | Josko |
| SV Ried | Thomas Weissenböck (from 29) | Thomas Gebauer | Hummel | Josko |
| Wacker Innsbruck | Karl Daxbacher | Christoph Freitag (1–2, 4, 6, 20–24, 30, 32–33, 36) | Macron | Tiroler Wasserkraft |
| Wacker Innsbruck | Karl Daxbacher | Florian Jamnig (3, 5, 7–19, 25–26, 35) | Macron | Tiroler Wasserkraft |
| Wacker Innsbruck | Karl Daxbacher | Roman Kerschbaum (27–29, 34) | Macron | Tiroler Wasserkraft |
| Wacker Innsbruck | Karl Daxbacher | Harald Pichler (31) | Macron | Tiroler Wasserkraft |
| WSG Wattens | Thomas Silberberger | Ferdinand Oswald (1–24, 27–31, 33–36) | Erima | PAPSTAR |
| WSG Wattens | Thomas Silberberger | Benjamin Pranter (25) | Erima | PAPSTAR |
| WSG Wattens | Thomas Silberberger | Sandro Neurauter (26) | Erima | PAPSTAR |
| WSG Wattens | Thomas Silberberger | Florian Buchacher (32) | Erima | PAPSTAR |
| Wiener Neustadt | Roman Mählich | Sargon Duran (1, 13–24, 26–27) | Puma | Baumit |
| Wiener Neustadt | Roman Mählich | Mario Ebenhofer (2–3, 5–6, 10, 25) | Puma | Baumit |
| Wiener Neustadt | Roman Mählich | Remo Mally (4, 7–9, 11–12) | Puma | Baumit |
| Wiener Neustadt | Roman Mählich | Hamdi Salihi (28–36) | Puma | Baumit |

## League table

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion or qualification |
| 1 | FC Wacker Innsbruck (C, P) | 36 | 21 | 8 | 7 | 60 | 31 | +29 | 71 | Promotion to 2018–19 Austrian Bundesliga |
| 2 | TSV Hartberg (P) | 36 | 20 | 8 | 8 | 63 | 34 | +29 | 68 | Promotion to 2018–19 Austrian Bundesliga |
| 3 | SC Wiener Neustadt | 36 | 17 | 11 | 8 | 53 | 37 | +16 | 62 | Qualification for the promotion play-off |
| 4 | SV Ried | 36 | 17 | 10 | 9 | 68 | 41 | +27 | 61 | |
| 5 | FC Liefering | 36 | 14 | 13 | 9 | 58 | 44 | +14 | 55 | Ineligible for promotion |
| 6 | SC Austria Lustenau | 36 | 12 | 9 | 15 | 48 | 52 | −4 | 45 | |
| 7 | WSG Wattens | 36 | 10 | 10 | 16 | 45 | 56 | −11 | 40 | |
| 8 | Kapfenberger SV | 36 | 9 | 8 | 19 | 40 | 68 | −28 | 35 | |
| 9 | Floridsdorfer AC | 36 | 8 | 6 | 22 | 37 | 75 | −38 | 30 | |
| 10 | FC Blau-Weiß Linz | 36 | 5 | 11 | 20 | 35 | 69 | −34 | 26 | Reprieved from relegation |
* ↑ The team finishing in third place competed against the tenth placed team of the Bundesliga for a place in the 2018-19 Austrian Bundesliga.
* ↑ No team will be relegated due to the league's expansion from 10 teams to 16 for the 2018–19 season.

## Results

Teams played each other four times in the league. In the first half of the season each team played every other team twice (home and away), and then did the same in the second half of the season.

## Season statistics
### Top goalscorers

Up to 25 May 2018.
| Rank | Scorer | Club | Goals |
| 1 | Seifedin Chabbi | SV Ried | 22 |
| 1 | Hamdi Salihi | SC Wiener Neustadt | 22 |
| 3 | Zlatko Dedić | FC Wacker Innsbruck | 19 |
| 4 | Dario Tadić | TSV Hartberg | 16 |
| 5 | Ronivaldo | SC Austria Lustenau | 12 |
| 5 | Milan Jurdík | WSG Wattens | 12 |
| 7 | Florian Jamnig | FC Wacker Innsbruck | 11 |
| 7 | Roko Mišlov | TSV Hartberg | 11 |
| 9 | Thomas Fröschl | SV Ried | 10 |
| 9 | Dominik Szoboszlai | FC Liefering | 10 |

### Top assists

Up to 25 May 2018.
| Rank | Player | Club | Assists |
| 1 | Dario Tadić | TSV Hartberg | 14 |
| 2 | Christopher Drazan | SC Austria Lustenau | 11 |
| 3 | Daniele Gabriele | FC Wacker Innsbruck | 10 |
| 4 | İlkay Durmuş | SV Ried | 9 |
| 5 | Mario Ebenhofer | SC Wiener Neustadt | 8 |
| 6 | Zlatko Dedić | FC Wacker Innsbruck | 7 |
| 6 | Manfred Fischer | TSV Hartberg | 7 |
| 6 | Zakaria Sanogo | TSV Hartberg | 7 |
| 9 | Thomas Mayer | SV Ried | 6 |
| 9 | Christoph Kröpfl | TSV Hartberg | 6 |
| 9 | Julian Wießmeier | SV Ried | 6 |
| 9 | Manuel Kerhe | SV Ried | 6 |

### Discipline

Up to 25 May 2018.
| Rank | Player | Club | | | | Total |
| 1 | Peter Haring | SV Ried | 15 | 0 | 0 | 15 |
| 2 | Manuel Haas | Kapfenberger SV | 10 | 3 | 0 | 13 |
| 3 | Fabian Miesenböck | SC Wiener Neustadt | 13 | 0 | 0 | 13 |
| 4 | Florian Buchacher | WSG Wattens | 12 | 0 | 0 | 12 |
| 5 | Lucas Rangel | Kapfenberger SV | 9 | 2 | 0 | 11 |
| 6 | Daniel Kerschbaumer | FC Blau-Weiß Linz | 9 | 1 | 0 | 10 |
| 7 | Daniel Raischl | Floridsdorfer AC | 10 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| 8 | David Gugganig | WSG Wattens | 9 | 0 | 0 | 9 |
| 8 | Pesca | Kapfenberger SV | 9 | 0 | 0 | 9 |
| 8 | Daniel Geissler | Kapfenberger SV | 9 | 0 | 0 | 9 |
| 8 | Christopher Cvetko | FC Blau-Weiß Linz | 9 | 0 | 0 | 9 |