Bang in Favoriten

Austria kick out sporting director Ortlechner

Manuel Ortlechner (left) has to step down, a purple violet club legend takes over.(Bild: GEPA)

That's a real bang! Vienna Austria is parting ways with sports director Manuel Ortlechner. Also exciting: his successor has already been chosen - and it's a club legend.

There is no real explanation in the press release. "In the course of setting the course for the sporting future", the club has "come to the decision to end the cooperation with Manuel Ortlechner", according to the club. The news fluttered into the country's editorial offices just after 2pm.

Ortlechner will no longer represent the Austria logo as head of sport until further notice.(Bild: APA/ROLAND SCHLAGER)

The statements from the club's top brass are hardly any more enlightening. "Following the resignation of Jürgen Werner as sporting director and a comprehensive analysis, we saw a need for action to give new impetus to the sporting management," said board member Harald Zagiczek.

"A deserving Austrian"
President Kurt Gollowitzer: "Manuel Ortlechner is a deserving Austrian and I would like to thank him on behalf of all the Veilchen for his commitment in recent years. As a long-time player and Austria legend, Manuel Ortlechner is always welcome at our home games at the Austria Wien Legends Club, he remains a welcome guest. On behalf of the entire Austria family, I wish him all the best for his personal and professional future." 

Michael Wagner takes over
A few minutes later, the next editorial bombshell was announced in a press release: Manuel Ortlechner's successor has been confirmed. Michael Wagner, a top-class player and Violet legend, will take over as head of sport. He will receive a contract until 2028.

Michael Wagner becomes Austria's new sporting director.(Bild: GEPA)

In the second press release, club bosses Zagiczek and Gollowitzer both speak out in favor of a stronger focus on home-grown talent and "permeability in your professional squad". He, Zagiczek, has developed a relevant strategy paper (which is not compatible with Ortlechner's views?). Quintessence: "There is a clear, common understanding within the club and its environment: we want to create a balance between different roles in the squad - our home-grown players should of course be an important pillar here."

President Gollowitzer is also convinced that Wagner would fill the necessary role perfectly: "Michael Wagner has been a member of the club's board of directors for the last two and a half years, knows the club inside out and is an Austrian through and through. We are convinced that he has all the skills needed to lead Austria into a positive sporting future."

(Bild: FK Austria Wien)

Wagner, who celebrates his 50th birthday in December, grew up playing soccer at Austria in the 90s, moved to Freiburg after a year, then to arch-rivals Rapid and from there straight back to Austria. Frank Stronach also joined the Violets with him. Wagner became champion with the Violets in the Stronach era in 2003 and won the cup once. In 2005, he reached the quarter-finals of the UEFA Cup.

May 29, 2005: Michael Wagner lifts the championship plate for Austria after the match against SW Bregenz.(Bild: APA/HERBERT PFARRHOFER)

"Not from one day to the next"
He describes his new job as head of sport as "very appealing". The club knows "where it wants to go and how it wants to get there. I can identify with this path one hundred percent and would like to develop this approach together. A balanced squad structure with a clear distribution of roles is essential for the sporting success of the team, but also for the development of home-grown players - we will need young, talented home-grown players just as much as benchmark players of the best footballing age, as well as anchor players who can lead a team - it can only work together. It is important for me to emphasize that we also have numerous players in the current team who already fill these roles very well and we are therefore building on a good foundation. But it's also clear that we're talking about a long-term plan that won't take effect overnight."