Lack of backing

Resignation! Mitterdorfer resigns as ÖFB boss

Klaus Mitterdorfer(Bild: GEPA)

A bang for the buck ahead of tomorrow's Austrian Football Association (ÖFB) Executive Committee meeting in Vienna: Klaus Mitterdorfer, who had planned to propose lawyer Silvia Kaupa-Götzl as the new CEO on Friday, announced his resignation on Thursday! The weeks-long smear campaign against him and lack of support forced him to take this step.

Mitterdorfer took office in August 2023, under his leadership the ground-breaking ceremony for the new ÖFB Campus in Vienna-Aspern took place and last August the Presidium approved a structural reform. This involved the dismissal of the previous managing directors Bernhard Neuhold and Thomas Hollerer.

Power struggle between Mitterdorfer and Rangnick
Team boss Ralf Rangnick in particular railed against Neuhold's departure, with the players later also supporting him. The whole thing degenerated into a power struggle between Mitterdorfer and Rangnick: The former always remained polite and reserved, while the team boss was not sparing with his (fierce) criticism of the ÖFB boss.

Klaus Mitterdorfer, Ralf Rangnick(Bild: GEPA, krone.at-mrgrafik)

Little backing in relation to Kaupa-Götzl
As Mitterdorfer also had little backing with regard to Kaupa-Götzl and it seemed increasingly unlikely that he would receive the necessary majority of at least seven votes in the 13-member presidium on Friday, he drew the consequences on Thursday evening and resigned.

It remains to be seen what will happen next at the ÖFB and who will take over the helm on an interim basis until the next general meeting - planned for May 2025 in Bregenz.