Payments outstanding

Sponsor makes Kapfenberg’s basketball players tremble

Christian Thurner (right) made a big investment in the Bulls with OCS Capital in the summer.(Bild: GEPA pictures)

The Kapfenberg Bulls recently caused a stir with a 123:70 win against BC Vienna in the placement round of the Superliga. At the same time, however, the club caused a stir off the court: name sponsor OCS Capital has defaulted on its payments!

The highest win in the Superliga should have made the sun shine for the fans in Kapfenberg. Financially, however, darker clouds have been gathering in the sky over Walfersam recently. "We have a three-year agreement with title sponsor OCS Capital," said General Manager Michael Schrittwieser, "which allows us to think in a different dimension. To date, however, OCS has not been able to meet these obligations. This hits us very hard economically, we had planned with these payments." This is said to involve a not inconsiderable six-figure sum - around a quarter of the Bulls' annual budget. Schrittwieser adds: "We have to thank OCS boss Christian Thurner, because he has already helped us enormously in this situation." 

Thurner, owner of the OCS International Group, once a Kapfenberg player himself and a member of the Bulls' current economic advisory board, was confronted by the "Krone". "Yes, it's true, we are in arrears with payments. OCS has two defaulting debtors, we are talking about amounts in the double-digit millions. Courts and lawyers are at work here, it takes time. As a private individual, I have paid and will continue to do so gradually. And together with OCS Capital, we will continue to transfer larger amounts in the future and thus meet our obligations." 

Top player King - still with OCS Capital on his chest.(Bild: GEPA pictures)

The situation is tense - but there are no "family quarrels" in the Bulls family (yet). "Thank God we have a sponsor network with 25 companies and can absorb the loss," says Schrittwieser, who has found a new sponsor in Amacord (in future on the jerseys and in the hall) to plug the "hole" until the end of the season. But a financially strong title sponsor is also needed. Especially as Kapfenberg, under coach Antonio Herrera and with MVP Urald King, has the highest need for contributions in terms of personnel costs. "We don't have any shortfalls in the squad," confirmed Schrittwieser.