Handball boss up close

“The best outlet for releasing emotions”

(Bild: Wenzel Markus)

Bernhard Ditachmair has been a successful tax consultant for decades and is also the handball president of HC Linz. In an interview with the "Krone" newspaper, he talks about the boom in children, prospects, challenges and his greatest joy!

Professionally, Bernhard Ditachmair has been running a tax consultancy firm for 37 years. Apart from that, he is a passionate handball president of the reigning champions HC Linz. After the Supercup victory on Saturday and before the league opener, the "Krone" asked him for an interview:

Krone: Congratulations on the Supercup win against West Wien!
Ditachmair: Thank you! It was an honor to be able to play in the Supercup at all and is a confirmation of our journey!

Three years ago we were close to relegation, now we're the reigning champions.
Back then, when things were tough, everyone felt motivated to do their best. It wasn't the pressure from above, but rather the passion of each individual. We have many discussions to ensure that the title is not a flash in the pan.

Despite the sporting success, there are also some challenges, especially when it comes to the hall.
The city of Linz has given us a beautifully renovated hall in Kleinmünchen, which has been a success. We have a restriction with the Steelvolleys, who train in front of us. That's why we lack training times, the city is trying to find times in other schools. But that doesn't change the fact that we don't have enough halls. We feel this most acutely in the junior ranks.

What do you mean by that?
We have up to 300 children and now have to make a selection. We train in seven halls with 40 children at the same time. The parents in the south of Linz accept longer journeys up to a certain point, but at some point it stops.

Ditachmair in conversation with "Krone" sports editor Michael Schütz

(Bild: Wenzel Markus)

Volunteering is a cornerstone. How important and challenging is it to find volunteers? 
 On the one hand, we are lucky that handball is popular thanks to our recent successes, including at the European Championships. But it remains difficult. We recruit parents who share the children's enthusiasm and also offer a comprehensive parents' program. Basically, we always have too few helpers, but we always find solutions.

One of your company's slogans is "Advising with vision, managing with precision, developing the future with expertise". To what extent is there a symbiosis with your role as handball president?
The demands in top-class sport and in our profession are similar. Above all, I apply future development with expertise not only in the company, but for every team that wants to achieve something. If you are only in the here and now, you will always be exhausted. In this respect, I am glad that I can also recruit handball players for my company, because they bring a lot of the attitude that I am laboriously looking for.

As a tax consultant, it's all about facts and figures. On match day, emotions rule. How much do you see sport as an outlet to let your emotions run free?
It's the best outlet you can use, I didn't realize that before. You can only let off steam like you can in the gym, you're in a completely different place emotionally and can forget everything that's weighing you down.

Ditachmair really blossoms at the games

(Bild: Pichler)

New successes bring new partnerships. How important is a long-term relationship with sponsors?
It shows that you can only be successful as a team. We are lucky to have a partner that has been behind us for decades. But you need a lot of sponsors, you can't finance four legionnaires with normal structures. That's why we founded the business club a year ago.

Compared to the league, you are in the middle of the pack in terms of budget. How can you compensate for that? 
 With enthusiasm and prospects for the future. We don't compete to become champions and then nothing matters. We compete to find and develop many handball enthusiasts

Nevertheless, a lack of financial strength is also a hurdle. As champions, for example, we voluntarily gave up the European Cup.
We're not doing away with it forever. But if we take part, we lose 50,000 euros. That's not a lot, but if I can't cover that, I have to set priorities. I'd rather invest in the team, the youth or the basic structure.

Despite strong performances, it is often difficult to fill the halls with fans. Where can the levers be applied here?
This has been an intense topic for years. The league has a good schedule with honors and sponsor presentations. We're overcrowded in the VIP area, but we're nowhere near full in the hall. It's mainly the community that comes here, but we also need to get non-handball fans interested in us. We don't do enough targeted acquisition, we have huge potential here.

How often do you look enviously at soccer in terms of perception and finances?
Soccer is an exceptional situation that you can't compare yourself to. If we do, then we compare ourselves with other sports, and we're right up there. We are way ahead, especially in terms of perception in the social media.

What gives you more pleasure? A clean end to the year for a customer or a win for HC Linz?
The win comes first. But back to prospects: I like a company with development opportunities just as much as HC Linz.