Champion is in trouble:

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Gmunden (l.) and Kapfenberg (r.) have the same problem.

(Bild: Honorar)

Two basketball Bundesliga clubs, one top partner and the same problem: Gmunden, like Kapfenberg, is waiting for fixed sponsorship money. This has been outstanding for some time because the sponsor itself is waiting for an amount in the double-digit millions.

Even if the basketball hoops are not exactly hanging low at 3.05 meters. Some sponsorship money that was thought to be certain has been hanging much, much higher for months!

This applies not only to Gmunden ahead of today's Top 6 home game against Graz, but also to Kapfenberg ahead of today's Bundesliga qualifier against Fürstenfeld. Which is no coincidence: after all, both the Swans from Lake Traunsee and the Bulls from Styria have the same main sponsor, OCS Capital - and the latter has a major problem.

Sponsor admits to payment problems

OCS boss Christian Thurner summarized this on Friday in relation to the Kapfenberg Bulls as follows: "We are in arrears with our sponsor payments. OCS has two defaulting debtors, we are talking about amounts in the tens of millions. There are courts and lawyers at work, it takes time . . . "

"The same applies to us in green," admitted Gmunden's veteran official Harald Stelzer yesterday when he was confronted with Kapfenberg's financial situation by the "Krone" newspaper. However, the situation is no less difficult for the Traunsee basketball team.

We are missing a considerable amount of money.

Gmunden-Boss Harald Stelzer

After all, the problem goes way back to last season. Which is why last season's Austrian champions, who are currently in second place, had to cut their budget before this season. "Nevertheless, we are still missing a considerable amount of money this season due to OCS's problems," says Stelzer, who emphasizes: "We can still pay and meet our obligations!"