Polster in court:
“Didn’t want anything for free, scored the goals”
Soccer legend Toni Polster's official collection of goals with the Austrian national team numbers 44. Three too few, according to him and his two lawyers. This is because the goals from three team games in 1984, 1987 and 1988 do not appear in the tally. According to the ÖFB, they were scored in "unofficial matches". "Toni Doppelpack" is now taking legal action against this: "My achievements should also be recognized."
"I'd rather be playing tennis or walking my dog. But now we've started it, now we're going through with it," said Austrian soccer legend Toni Polster on Friday at the Regional Court for Civil Matters in Vienna. The 60-year-old is appearing there as a plaintiff. "Toni Doppelpack", who holds various records at home and abroad, is fighting for recognition of three international goals he scored with the Austrian national team. "In unofficial matches", as the soccer association clarifies. And that is precisely the point of contention.
Morocco and Tunisia count the games
Specifically, it is about the match against Liechtenstein on June 7, 1984, the match against Tunisia on February 7, 1987 and the encounter with Morocco on February 2, 1988, in which the Austrian scored a total of three goals. These do not appear in the official international record (because they are unofficial according to the ÖFB). There, Polster is officially listed in first place with 44 goals. However, because Morocco and Tunisia do include these games in their statistics and Liechtenstein also did so until a correction in 2021, Polster is insisting that the number of goals scored be raised to 47 - with the support of lawyers Manfred Ainedter and Alexander Hiersche.
The matches were played in the official national team kit and after the national anthem was played with a FIFA referee, according to the lawyers. "We want three games, three goals," says Ainedter, determined to see the lawsuit through. "I don't want anything for free. I just scored the goals," admits Polster after the first hearing, saying that the lack of recognition for the three goals had always bothered him. "The ÖFB could simply change the statistics. That wouldn't hurt anyone."
We want three games, three goals!
Anwalt Manfred Ainedter
Bild: Gerhard Bartel
Matches were declared unofficial at the time
The Football Association, represented by lawyer Stefan Korn, takes a different view: "We have no interest in taking a legal stand against a great athlete," says ÖFB Managing Director Thomas Hollerer, "but unfortunately the conditions for recognition have not been met." At the time, these matches were declared as non-official matches by FIFA. Apparently because, among other things, there was an agreement with the Bundesliga at the time not to play more than six official international matches. There were also more substitutions than permitted.
Mr. Rat probes the willingness for a settlement in the first meeting. To no avail. "The evidentiary proceedings are straightforward. The first priority now is to clarify legal issues," says the judge, setting out the schedule for the hearing.
Six witnesses, not all able to attend the agreed date
Six witnesses have been named for the time being. Ainedter and Hiersche want to question Heinz Palme, Andy Ogris, Ernst Baumeister and Manfred Kern, the ÖFB Thomas Hollerer and spokeswoman Iris Stöckelmayr. However, not all of them will have time on May 17, the agreed date for the hearing: The FIFA Congress is taking place in Thailand.
Whatever the judge decides in this uncharted legal territory: It can be assumed that the case will go to the next instance.
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