Sponsor frustrated

The ÖFB presidium? “A pack of lone wolves!”

Franz Grad

(Bild: Pressefoto Scharinger/Daniel Scharinger)

Transdanubia boss Franz Grad is one of seven top sponsors who have recently put the rod in the ÖFB's window - and who is not sparing with his criticism of the OÖFV! A column by Georg Leblhuber about the excitement of those without whom the Austrian Football Association cannot survive.

Every district league club is run better, Transdanubia boss Franz Grad grumbles about the ÖFB. With around 560,000 members and 2,200 clubs, the ÖFB is the third largest sports organization in Austria. After Raiffeisen, Coca-Cola, Admiral, Magenta, Verbund, Austrian Lotteries and logistics multinational Grad have now also announced the end of their partnership. Namely in the event that no president who meets the expectations of the sponsors comes to the helm in the ÖFB election on May 18 - and thus resembles a personality like Leo Windtner, who resigned in 2021. Someone who has outstanding management and international leadership qualities - and also has a clear understanding of voluntary work and a commitment to grassroots and top-level soccer.

This means that only an external appointment would be an option, says Grad, who sees himself as a small fish in the who's who of the sponsor pool, but pays all the more respect to the big ones for standing up. Not only against ÖFB interim president Wolfgang Bartosch, but according to Grad also against:

• "A pack of mavericks patting each other on the back!"

• "The unworthy spectacle surrounding the two ÖFB managing directors."

• "Nine princes who can't get anything together in their own countries because they are incapable."

• "National associations for whom clubs are just voting cattle!"

Tough stuff!

However, Grad criticized Gerhard Götschhofer and Josef Geisler most harshly as the regional association bosses of Upper Austria and Tyrol respectively.

 "I can see how much is going wrong, especially in Upper Austria," says Grad, even referring to the upcoming elections in the regional association this year. "With us, it's enough to be a LASK fan to lead the OÖFV," Grad indirectly grumbles towards Stefan Sandberger and speaks of "hereditary lease", because Götschofer has been setting him up as his successor since last year. Incidentally, a man who works for the aforementioned financial giant