After Standfest's departure

Will the new Altach coach arrive this week?

After spells at FC Dornbirn, Austria Lustenau and SW Bregenz, Markus Mader would also be open to the Altach job.

(Bild: GEPA pictures)

Joachim Standfest has already said goodbye to the players and staff. Meanwhile, the search for his successor is already well underway at Altach. The "Krone" took a look at possible candidates.

No Tuesday like any other at the training ground of Ländle-Bundesliga club Altach. Before the afternoon training session, the suspended coaches Joachim Standfest and Roman Wallner said goodbye to the players. Afterwards, sporting director Roland Kirchler addressed the team and called on them to do everything in their power in the coming weeks to lead the club out of the crisis that has arisen.

Kirchler is also in charge of sounding out the coaching market and has probably already done some preliminary work. But: "Regardless of whether we have already hired a new coach before Sunday or not, Louis Mahop will be coaching the team against Rapid Vienna."

 The "Krone" has taken a close look at possible coaching candidates. Most of them are Austrian, but with Thomas Letsch there is also a German who knows the Bundesliga through and through.

Regardless of whether or not we have already hired a new coach before Sunday, Louis Mahop will definitely be coaching and looking after the team in the match against Rapid Vienna.

Altach-Sportdirektor Roland KIRCHLER

Bild: GEPA pictures

The possible candidates
Markus Mader, formerly in the service of Austria Lustenau and SW Bregenz, would definitely be interested: "Altach is a good address, clearly the number one in Ländle soccer." According to his own statements, however, he has not yet been contacted. Just as Vorarlberg coaches play a subordinate role in Altach, only Werner Grabherr was hired in 2018. That is why Dornbirn coach Eric Orie is once again unlikely to be an issue in the Rheindorf.

Jürgen Kerber's success with Rapids Amateurs has also been well received in Altach. Whether he will return to the Ländle, however, is questionable. Strikingly, the 38-year-old was presented with a contract extension with a salary increase by the Viennese club yesterday.

Thomas Letsch

(Bild: APA/AFP/UWE KRAFT)

Rene Aufhauser

(Bild: Tröster Andreas)

Werner Gregoritsch

(Bild: Urbantschitsch Mario)

Dominik Thalhammer

(Bild: APA)

Zoran Barisic

(Bild: GEPA pictures)

If the Altachers rely on results soccer, the name Zoran Barisic could come into play. The ex-Rapid coach knows the Bundesliga better than almost anyone else. If you focus on development, you can't get past Werner Gregoritsch, who is still head of the U21 team. The Styrian also knows several Altach players from their time in the Austrian U21 team.

Dominik Thalhammer was very successful as head coach of the Austrian women's team, but the 53-year-old was not particularly successful as a club coach at LASK and in Belgium. Thalhammer has been without a club since summer 2023.

Rene Aufhauser negotiated with Altach in the summer of 2022, but did not come because he wanted to wait for a better offer. The 48-year-old has done so to this day, but in vain.

Thomas Letsch, a coach with Salzburg experience, would probably also be an option; the German most recently coached VfL Bochum. Ex-LASK coach Thomas Darazs, on the other hand, is unlikely to have a real chance.