Donawitz crisis club

Nobody in Leoben expected this comeback

DSV Leoben has been fighting for financial survival for months! Today, the traditional club from Upper Styria announced a surprising comeback. Mario Bichler, who stepped down as chairman of the former Blast Furnace Ballet a year ago, is returning and, according to the club, has been given power of attorney to save DSV.

A mountain of debt of more than one million euros is said to have piled up in recent months. The reason: excessive salaries for the professionals, a lack of sponsorship income and declining spectator numbers in the Regionalliga Mitte, which the team led by star coach Carsten Jancker after the fall season.

A bankruptcy petition has been hanging over DSV Leoben like the sword of Damocles for weeks. A number of players have already turned their backs on the club due to outstanding salaries. If the club does not manage a financial turnaround, it faces the prospect of being relegated to the national league. 

But now there is a small glimmer of hope. According to DSV, several sponsors have already pledged their support. "What I've seen over the last few months has been a nightmare. We're on the brink of the abyss and I can't go on watching everything collapse," explained Bichler on the Upper Styrians' Facebook channel.