Defeat Ahead of the World Cup
Vice Chancellor Cuts Soccer Funding for Children
Sports Minister Andreas Babler (SPÖ) presents himself as an ÖFB fan—but not a single cent is going to the “Cage League” and its 1,300 children. So close to the World Cup, this is a defeat for an entire sporting nation...
Kronen Zeitung als bevorzugte Google-Quelle hinzufügen Austria’s national team stars David Alaba and Marko Arnautovic once learned to play soccer in Vienna’s soccer cages—and it is precisely in 18 such cages in the capital that Caritas has been offering a soccer project since 2010. All children and young people between the ages of eight and 16 are welcome. No matter what country they come from, no matter how much money their parents have.
Beyond physical activity, it’s about respect and team spirit
Twenty trained coaches—mostly volunteers—offer 1.5-hour training sessions several times a week: Every year, 1,300 young soccer players take part in over 550 sessions. Meanwhile, the “Käfig League” is also inspiring children in Lower Austria, Tyrol, and Salzburg. In addition to healthy physical activity, the focus is on the values of respect, team spirit, and peaceful coexistence.
But the popular program is facing extreme financial pressure. And now, according to Caritas, even a “long-awaited grant from the Ministry of Sport” has failed to materialize. Now, drastic cuts to the number of cages in use and staff are being considered. And the ones who will suffer are the young soccer stars of the future.
The “Krone” asked the Vice-Chancellor—who likes to pose as a soccer fan amid a flurry of camera flashes, as he did when the national team departed for the U.S.—why there is no longer any financial support for this sports-and-social project.
The response from the ministry: “The Cage League received 85,000 euros in funding in both 2023 and 2024. Funding is not possible for last year or this year. A prerequisite for granting funding is that the project cannot take place without it.”
While Babler is stepping in to provide funding for the victim protection center Zara, funding for youth soccer is being cut!
Numerous former pros immediately joined the fundraising campaign
To keep the games going for the 1,300 children by any means necessary, former soccer stars like Muhammet Akagündüz, Radoslav Gilewicz, Steffen Hofmann, Stefan Maierhofer, Paul Scharner, and Roman Wallner helped out with a charity tournament. Unfortunately, the 13,500 euros raised are just a drop in the bucket.
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