No offers

Seiwald ends career, Strauss flourishes again

Felix Seiwald (left) is no longer a professional, Felix Strauss feels at home in Finland.(Bild: GEPA pictures/Felix Strauss)

Felix Seiwald ends his professional career at the age of just 24. Now the Flachau native wants to concentrate on his studies. Meanwhile, namesake Felix Strauss is back in the line-up in Lahti. His contract expires at the end of November.

"I want to build something up," says Felix Seiwald. But he is no longer referring to his soccer career. Due to a lack of offers, the man from Flachau is hanging up his boots and turning his back on the professional game. "There was nothing that appealed to me. That's why I decided to give it a rest," says the 24-year-old. He was last employed by second division club FAC for one season, making 30 appearances for the Floridsdorf side. He has a total of 60 games in the second-highest division under his belt. "That went well until the end. But I saw the moment for myself when I wanted to take a different path," says the left-back, who is now focusing on his studies. He wants to complete his Master of Business Administration with a focus on sport in the fall. "Maybe I'll be able to continue playing somewhere in the lower leagues in the winter," he says.

Namesake Felix Strauss definitely will. After his contract in Altach was not extended, he is really blossoming again in Finland. The Lahti player was promptly nominated for the team of the month. "I've arrived very well. We haven't lost a single game since I've been here," says the Salzburg native, drawing a positive conclusion.

However, his contract expires again at the end of November. But the 23-year-old doesn't see that as a negative, on the contrary: "I'm now getting a lot of playing minutes and experience abroad. In the winter, I'll be on a free transfer to a club and will have played a lot." Whether he stays abroad afterwards or returns to Austria will depend on the offers the central defender receives.