Succeeds Mitterdorfer

Wolfgang Bartosch ascends to ÖFB president

Wolfgang Bartosch rises to become ÖFB president.

(Bild: GEPA)

After a meeting lasting around three hours in Vienna, it was decided late on Friday afternoon: Wolfgang Bartosch will take over as President of the Austrian Football Association following the resignation of Klaus Mitterdorfer and will head the association on an interim basis for a few months until the next Annual General Meeting.

The Styrian had the majority on his side in the vote among the twelve members of the executive committee and will be busy filling in the rifts in the ÖFB in the coming weeks.

After the events of the past few weeks, the mood in the executive committee seems to be at its lowest point, as confirmed by the regional association bosses present: "We have to get out of the negative headlines. It is unacceptable for the ÖFB to only argue. It's all terrible," said Horst Lumper, who heads the Vorarlberg association. Vienna's association boss has a similar view. "The trick will be to resolve these conflicts. It certainly won't work with self-interest and stubbornness," said Robert Sedlacek in the direction of the selfishly acting forces.

Will the election be contested?
The election of Bartosch was only possible with a change to the statutes, as only the four current vice presidents were actually eligible as interim head. According to "Krone" information, individual members of the Executive Committee are therefore considering contesting the election.

The 66-year-old Bartosch is considered calm and level-headed and has been President of the Styrian Football Association since 2011. The former director of the Styrian Medical Association and his team were confirmed as association boss for a further four years in February 2023. At the time, he spoke of "great goals for Styria, which we will continue to pursue together with all those responsible."

A unity that does not currently exist in the ÖFB and which Bartosch now wants to restore as best he can during his time as president. As a member of the Executive Committee, Bartosch knows the processes at the ÖFB inside out and knows what makes people tick - the extent to which he can use this to his advantage remains to be seen.