Christian Lichtenberger

Christian Lichtenberger did not come through a big club academy. He started out at ATSV Vorwärts Steyr as a boy, then moved into Union Dietach's youth ranks, where he stayed long enough to make his senior debut and spent the best part of a decade working his way up through Austria's lower divisions before anyone outside the region took much notice.

The path from there ran through loan spells and free transfers rather than fees: Vorwärts Steyr, then SV Lafnitz, a season at SKU Amstetten, and a return to Lafnitz for a second spell that produced 11 goals in 52 appearances. It was a career built on regional football, not headlines.

The turning point came in July 2023, when Lichtenberger joined Grazer AK on a free transfer. The following season Grazer AK won the Austrian 2. Liga title, securing promotion to the Bundesliga. That campaign remains the high point of his career to date, and his form during it was strong enough to earn him a Team of the Year Honourable Mention in EA Sports FC's ratings — a nod to a player who had spent most of his career outside the spotlight suddenly performing at the top level of Austrian football's second tier.

Since the move to Graz, Lichtenberger has continued to be a regular fixture, with 14 goals in 94 appearances for the club.