Out in the summer

Hypo Tirol withdraws from professional sport

(Bild: GEPA pictures)

The Austrian volleyball serial champion Hypo Tirol announced its withdrawal from professional sport on Wednesday in Innsbruck. The entire professional department and the board of directors will withdraw after the current season. According to manager Hannes Kronthaler, the major sticking point for this momentous decision was the lack of support from the association and also some regional companies in terms of sponsorship. The youth department is to be continued for the time being.

"Top-class sport is history, I am withdrawing from the public eye," said Kronthaler at a press conference. One thing in particular was decisive for the Tyrolean's decision to turn his back on top-class sport after a good 25 years: the standstill. Nothing was happening in the league and there was no recognizable further development in the ÖVV (Austrian Volleyball Association). "Nevertheless, I would have liked to have been tempted to continue. But there is no longer any reason," said Kronthaler.

Hannes Kronthaler

(Bild: GEPA pictures)

"I've lost faith"
 According to the Hypo Tirol manager, top-class sport is "not being listened to" in politics in particular. Some time ago, he sat down with other high-ranking sports clubs in Tirol, including Bundesliga soccer club WSG Tirol, with the provincial governor and the provincial companies in order to further develop the sport. "For nothing - every traditional costume club is treated better than us. The event was, to put it mildly, disrespectful to every local sports manager. I have lost faith that anything will change," said the 59-year-old.

Despite all the criticism and the withdrawal from the professional business, however, the club and Kronthaler feel "committed to young talent and sports director Stefan Chrtiansky will continue to organize this full-time for another two years". After two years, the club will have to look for a new chairman. But without the Kronthaler family: "I have forbidden my son to take over Hypo. The Kronthaler family has done absolutely enough for the sport of volleyball over the decades."

ProvincialSports Councillor referred to the considerable support provided by Tyrol
Deputy Governor and Provincial Sports Councillor Philip Wohlgemuth (SPÖ) explained in a reaction that he was "surprised and very sorry" about Kronthaler's decision: "It is a great loss for the Tyrolean sports scene." He said he was sorry "if Hypo Tirol and Hannes Kronthaler have had negative experiences with the state or state companies in the past." "As the new regional sports councillor, I have certainly heard his wake-up call today," assured Wohlgemuth, who has only been in office since December last year.

However, the sports councillor did not want to let the accusation of a lack of financial support stand. "In the past five seasons, the team has received a total of around 620,000 euros in funding from the state, which corresponds to an average of 125,000 euros per season. This makes the Hypo Tirol volleyball team one of the most highly funded sports clubs in Tyrol," emphasized the SPÖ politician. In addition, the state of Tyrol is investing a "record budget in top-class and popular sports" this year: "Despite high pressure to save money and contrary to the general cutbacks of ten percent, there are even two million euros more available in this area than in 2024".

The task now is to find solutions to the major challenges facing top-class sport in Tyrol. "Successful comebacks are some of the best moments in sport. I hope that at the end of the day we can also achieve one with Hypo Tirol," said the deputy governor, apparently still seeing a chance for a da capo.

ÖVV boss Leitner: "Standards and many milestones set"
 ÖVV President Gernot Leitner, on the other hand, seems to accept Hypo Tirol's demise as irreversible. "The Austrian Volleyball Association regrets that Hannes Kronthaler is retiring with the Hypo Tirol volleyball team," said the Salzburg native. "It's a real shame, because the Austrian leagues are getting better and better. I would like to thank Hannes Kronthaler for his great commitment over the years. He has set standards and many milestones with his club."

Austria's professional sport loses a figurehead
The Cup winners, who are still unbeaten this season, are the second most successful national volleyball club with twelve Austrian championship titles and six Cup victories. The lack of competition even tempted the Innsbruck team to use a wild card in the German Bundesliga in 2017. The Tyroleans entered into a partnership with the German club TSV Unterhaching in order to play as "Hypo Tirol Alpenvolley Haching" in Germany until 2020. In its first season, the syndicate immediately reached the play-offs and finished in third place.

Hypo Tirol also achieved some success at European level. They won the Central European Volleyball League (MEVZA) three times and reached the final five more times. At a higher level, the CEV Champions League, the Innsbruck team reached the top six in the 2009/10 season, while they also finished third once in the CEV Top Team Cup (2003/04). The team was founded in 1997.