Sponsorship reduced

Salzburgligigist Puch has to tighten its belt

Puch president Schwaiger has to tighten his belt.(Bild: Andreas Tröster)

President Christian Schwaiger is reducing his sponsorship of Salzburgligigist Puch due to problems at his company. However, he is firmly convinced that coach Heimo Pfeifenberger will stay on in the spring.

The players of Salzburgligigist Puch received a bitter pill instead of presents just before Christmas. President Christian Schwaiger informed the club that it would have to significantly reduce its sponsorship. "It was one of the hardest evenings of my life to tell them that," says the "Präse". The reason? He has lost an important partner in his company in the automotive industry.

Relegation not unthinkable
Nevertheless, some players have already promised to stay on - despite the severe salary cuts. Play is set to resume in the spring. Whether relegation can be prevented and a budget for another season in the fourth-highest division can be set up in the summer is questionable. "We'll have to see what happens. I don't want to think about relegation," emphasizes the financier.

For Schwaiger himself, it might feel like deja vu. In October 2017, he made a big investment in SAK and led the Nonntal club to first place in the Westliga. In 2020, he stopped investing again and left the club. He doesn't want that in Puch: "I'm definitely staying, I feel good!"

According to him, coach Pfeifenberger should too: "Heimo plans the preparation, the test matches. I'm positive that he'll still be here in the spring."