Three goals at stake

Polster defeated in goal legal dispute against ÖFB

Toni Polster has suffered a defeat in the goal dispute against the ÖFB.

(Bild: Peter Tomschi)

Soccer legend Toni Polster has suffered a defeat in his legal dispute with the Austrian Football Association (ÖFB) over the retrospective recognition of three international matches and goals. The Vienna Regional Court for Civil Matters dismissed Polster's lawsuit with costs, Viennese lawyer Manfred Ainedter told APA on Wednesday after receiving the written judgment. Ainedter represents Polster together with Alexander Hiersche.

The Vienna Regional Court for Civil Matters has dismissed Polster's lawsuit with costs, the Viennese lawyer Manfred Ainedter informed APA after the written judgment was delivered on Wednesday. Ainedter represents Polster together with Alexander Hiersche.

At the heart of the matter is whether three matches in the 1980s - described as unofficial - had an official character or not. The record goalscorer in the red-white-red team kit sued for their recognition, especially as he had scored three goals in the matches. Polster's complaint related specifically to the matches between Liechtenstein and Austria (0:6 on June 7, 1984 in Vaduz, one Polster goal), Tunisia and Austria (1:3 on February 7, 1987 in Tunis, two Polster goals) and Morocco and Austria (3:1 on February 2, 1988, no Polster goal). These are not currently counted in the former striker's official statistics by the ÖFB. As things stand, the coach of regional league club Wiener Viktoria has 95 international caps and an unprecedented 44 goals.

In his ruling, the judge came to the conclusion that it is solely up to the ÖFB to decide which games are used for the international match statistics and in what form. There are no FIFA guidelines in this regard. The ÖFB's decision that only six matches per year were counted as official international matches was "not unobjective" and covered by the autonomy of the association. The plaintiff - Toni Polster - had not been able to prove that he had been disadvantaged.

"We are naturally disappointed, especially as we believe the judge did not sufficiently address the arguments of the plaintiff's side," said Ainedter in an interview with APA on Wednesday evening. The first-instance ruling, which is not legally binding, will now be analyzed in detail. "We are considering legal remedies," said Ainedter.

In the past, Polster had always maintained that his claim had nothing to do with the fact that the current Austrian star striker Marko Arnautovic could snatch his goal record. Arnautovic currently has 37 goals for the national team. "This is simply an injustice that stinks to high heaven and I want it corrected," Polster told APA last year, explaining his motives for taking the ÖFB to court.

In the trial, he then claimed that the three goals would also "increase his market value as an advertising figure": "Three goals make a difference." It should also make the ÖFB "proud when a goalscorer has three more goals". The ÖFB, on the other hand, argued that it complied with FIFA regulations, which differentiate between test, friendly and competition matches.