Neo-ÖFB-Chief Josef Pröll Facing Major Challenges
As his first goal, former Vice Chancellor Josef Pröll emphasized that peace and unity should be established in the divided association. However, the tasks go beyond disciplining the ÖFB presidency. The ongoing conflict between Managing Director Bernhard Neuhold and Secretary General Thomas Hollerer, as well as all associated tensions, continue to exist. It is necessary to appoint a CEO and also to satisfy team manager Ralf Rangnick.
Former Vice Chancellor Josef Pröll first external ÖFB head since Stickler
Pröll's years of experience in top politics will be valuable, after all, it is important to stand firm on the slippery ÖFB ground. As the first external head since Friedrich Stickler (2002 - 2008), Pröll is expected to become a long-term solution, as Leo Windtner (2009 - 2021) was recently. After that, four presidents followed, some of whom served on an interim basis, none of whom remained in the top position for more than a year and a half. The high turnover in the position of Austria's top football official, which will henceforth be called chairman of the supervisory board, was due to personal shortcomings as well as internal power plays and intrigues. The twists and turns in the ÖFB leadership were also evident at the decisive election committee meeting. In the committee, ten votes are to be cast - nine from the regional associations, one from the Bundesliga. The name Josef Pröll leaked to most members only a few hours before the start of the meeting, yet according to APA information, it initially seemed as if Jauk could secure a majority. However, as time went on, Lower Austria's Johann Gartner and with him Vienna's Robert Sedlacek switched sides.
Gartner proposed former Vice Chancellor Josef Pröll as ÖFB head
Gartner had proposed Pröll himself weeks ago at the election committee, but according to his own statements, he was not informed until shortly before the start of the meeting that the former finance minister had made it to the final selection. In fact, the election committee chairman Martin Mutz (Carinthia) and his deputy Josef Geisler (Tyrol) had been very reserved with information to the other members. The majority shifted towards Pröll, but the ÖFB interim president and Styrian regional head Wolfgang Bartosch, Bundesliga representative Philip Thonhauser, as well as Johannes Wutzlhofer (Burgenland) and Horst Lumper (Vorarlberg) remained with their preference for Jauk - also with the note that a vote for Pröll would have a certain political bias. The result at that time would have been 6:4 for Pröll. It was then announced that Pröll might not accept the position if there were votes against him, and Jauk seemed to be back in the game - until the supporters of the Sturm president were persuaded to abstain. A side note: At the federal general assembly, 13 votes are to be cast, one per regional association and four from the Bundesliga. The Pröll skeptics would therefore have a majority purely mathematically. Nevertheless, the former finance minister will be elected with 13 votes, because according to APA information, all those who abstained on Wednesday will vote for Pröll in Bregenz.
(APA/Red)
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