Now the star is speaking out

Hinti after complaint: “Should have sought a conversation”

Martin Hinteregger made 67 appearances for the national team.

(Bild: Pessentheiner Florian)

As is well known, soccer star Martin Hinteregger (32) has to go to court - charged with assault! In the indictment, the victim complains of a "strained cervical spine". The new signing from Austria Klagenfurt now opens up for the first time - and talks to "Kärntner Krone" sports boss Claudio Trevisan about the incident, the abuse he received, his role model function, donations for charitable causes and also "the last beer". . .

"It's obvious that he just wants money," says Martin Hinteregger. Now the dock awaits him. Because in September 2024, the soccer star is alleged to have knocked over a fan during a championship match in Mittlern while coaching the Carinthian lower league club Sirnitz. Eyewitnesses and a video are said to confirm this.

The man reported "Hinti" for assault - it had long been clear that the 32-year-old would face criminal proceedings. Now the date has been set: the trial will take place on February 19 at the district court in Völkermarkt before judge Stefan Jannach.

Hinteregger with his sweetheart Corina, daughter Leni and dog Chewbacca.

(Bild: ZVG)

Austria Klagenfurt's new signing is presumed innocent - the professional speaks to the "Krone" for the first time about the incident.

"Headache from the last beer?"
The victim suffered a "strain of the cervical spine" - according to the indictment. "My goalkeeper Christian Fritzer asked the man after the incident if he was okay - he confirmed that he was and ordered more beers in the canteen. So I wonder whether he had a headache the next day from my punch or from the last beer," says Hinteregger and emphasizes: "It's obvious that he just wants money."

"Insulted in one go"
How did it come to this? "He insulted me and my team, which had an average age of 17, in one go: 'You dirty Hinteregger with your sh*** young peasant troop. Go home to your sh***y farming village with your child troop, you w***, you wannabe' - that was the most harmless thing. I'll never understand how you can call amateur footballers that. The match was also fair and relaxed. It was all so gratuitous," says Hinteregger.

"Deserved to a certain extent. . ."
However, the 2022 Europa League winner also sees fault with himself. "I should have called the stewarding service earlier - but there was no one there. And I should have confronted the man with words much earlier - and not ended the whole thing with a shove. Something like that shouldn't happen to me, given everything I've already experienced in my career - even if he deserved it to a certain extent. . ."

Social commitment
"Hinti" is certainly aware of his role model function. "But at the age of 61, the gentleman has one too - how can you verbally attack teenagers! In total, I've donated a mid-six-figure sum to charitable institutions in recent times, I work almost daily on a voluntary basis in my project with kids and young people who are willing to use violence - so of course I explained everything to them after the incident. And I would therefore also be prepared to continue doing charitable work as a result."