Meeting on Friday

ÖFB chaos! “They keep playing for time”

Central figures in the current ÖFB turmoil: Wolfgang Bartosch (left), Thomas Hollerer (center) and Bernhard Neuhold.

(Bild: GEPA/GEPA pictures)

The Austrian Football Association (ÖFB) just can't catch a break! Towards the end of last year, it looked for a short time as if the chaos of officials at the largest domestic sports association under interim president Wolfgang Bartosch had at least slowed down somewhat, but now the next chapter in the sad Causa Prima is being written.

At the executive committee meeting on Friday, Bartosch wants to have the dismissals of the two arch-enemies Thomas Hollerer and Bernhard Neuhold revoked. Several former ÖFB employees even spoke of "almost a climate like in the red light district, from which we have thankfully escaped."

General Secretary Hollerer, who has now made a name for himself internationally at both FIFA and UEFA and is active in very important functions for Austria, and Managing Director Neuhold, for whom both successful ÖFB coach Ralf Rangnick and the team players had campaigned extremely strongly, have not been getting along for years. As a result, it is not only their employees who are suffering in Austrian soccer, but also the climate far away from the association.

Surprising turnaround
Most recently, former president Klaus Mitterdorfer had cut his teeth on the situation. His plan to install Silvia Kaupa-Götzl as the new CEO of the ÖFB ("That would be a statement") ended with the Carinthian announcing his resignation following a personal smear campaign against him.

Klaus Mitterdorfer

(Bild: APA Pool/APA/GEORG HOCHMUTH)

Bartosch, his interim successor, also recently made a completely surprising U-turn in an interview with "Krone": "Of course there is a palpable sense of uncertainty when the two General Secretaries Thomas Hollerer and Bernhard Neuhold are in the process of resigning and their contracts expire on 31 May. This is now a matter of urgency. I will submit a motion at the Executive Committee meeting that they remain in office for longer. Because the end of May is very close when we hold the Annual General Meeting with new elections in Bregenz on May 18, as scheduled. The ÖFB must remain fully capable of acting during this transitional phase. A majority decision is required for approval."

When asked what will happen if Hollerer and Neuhold stay on beyond May 31, the ÖFB boss told the "Krone" newspaper verbatim: "That is an open question and should also be decided by the new chairman of the supervisory board. One thing is clear: it won't work with both of them in the long term - if one constantly rejects the other, there is a need for action."

Expert opinion after expert opinion
A few days later, Bartosch added to the "Standard": "I will certainly submit a motion on Friday to have the dismissals withdrawn. It's better that the two of them stay and do their job, which they are doing really well. The ÖFB needs to take a step back now, otherwise I fear total chaos."

The two regional association presidents Josef Geisler (Tyrol) and Gerhard Götschhofer (Upper Austria) believe that this has long since arrived at the ÖFB. With their approach in recent years, however, they themselves have contributed decisively to it or even caused it. As the longest-serving vice-president, Götschhofer should have been the new ÖFB boss, but this was rejected by a clear majority. The "emergency clause" was therefore applied in the search for an interim ÖFB boss. Wolfgang Bartosch was thus elected.

Wolfgang Bartosch

(Bild: GEPA/GEPA pictures)

Götschhofer then appealed to the ÖFB Appeals Senate and submitted an expert opinion from university professor Karl Weber. The ÖFB in turn submitted a 20-page legal opinion from the Kepler University in Linz by university professor Dr. Martin Karollus, which clearly confirmed that the ÖFB's approach was legally compliant. The appeal panel chaired by Thomas Partl will now make the final decision.

It continues on Friday
In the meantime, "Profil" has also revealed that it cost the ÖFB around 100,000 euros for a management consultant, who - unsurprisingly - was also unable to resolve the broken relationship between the two managing directors. On Wednesday, an experienced regional association president told the "Krone" newspaper: "Time is always being played for. Motto: The next person should solve it. But this person then also needs time to properly assess the situation."

The chaos among the ÖFB officials continues. The next act will be written on Friday. By the way: Wolfgang Bartosch initially said that it was not in his life plan for him to remain ÖFB president. Now, however, he has taken such a liking to the position that he can imagine remaining the top boss of Austrian soccer unless an external candidate can be found for the position.