What is happening?

Property developers make Austria tremble about stadium future

Austria Salzburg submitted the license documents for the second division on Monday evening. But whether they will get it is written in the stars. The big unknown is still the stadium issue. The developers are making the purple fans tremble.

Today, Friday, Mayor Harald Preuner is hosting a media event in Maxglan. However, he will not be announcing the future of the third-division soccer club Austria Salzburg there - due to objections at the hearing with the authorities on Thursday. Approval for the facility, which would have to be rebuilt for league two, is still pending. The reason: the floodlights and fan stand - both of which were originally supposed to be demolished - are causing major concerns for the developers, who are planning 500 apartments next to them. They objected due to light and noise concerns and demanded guarantees.

"We need patience. Without a stadium, promotion is not feasible," says Austria boss Claus Salzmann. Preuner, however, says: "The developers want the stadium to be closed with all their might. We as a city cannot allow that." He wants to keep the stands and is counting on further talks.

Alternative venue Steyr is happy to have a subtenant due to financial difficulties. However, a year-round exile is unrealistic in view of the "crumbling infrastructure", as they say.