Gartner without a candidate: Will he reform football in Lower Austria?

Gartner without a candidate: Will he reform football in Lower Austria?

Today, on April 5, 2025, Johann Gartner is faced with the re -election as a Lower Austrian state president. Gartner has no opponent and can therefore concentrate on the continuation of his work. However, his recent statements as Interim President of the Austrian Football Association (ÖFB) have caused excitement. In an interview, he is now rowing back and emphasized that he did not talk about the ÖFB team boss Ralf Rangnick, even though he first criticized his statements sharply. Gartner also sees the financial situation of the ÖFB as precarious, especially after the last three games.

The numbers speak a clear language: The ÖFB lost 1.5 million euros from the missed the A group and an additional 750,000 euros due to the lost play-off. Despite these problems, Gartner personally does not want to pour oil into the fire and do not consider his comments to be damaging to the association. He believes that the public hack will not have a strongly negative impact on his choice, even if it could possibly lose some voices.

Rangnick's controversial statements

The criticism of Rangnick was mainly due to his statements about tables in children's football. During a coaching congress in Bremen, he said that it was a problem if there are no tables, results or goal scorers in children aged six to twelve. This triggered dissatisfaction with officials of the ÖFB. Rangnick was not aware that the ÖFB has no such records since last season.

Gartner described Rangnick's statement as the "worst message he has ever made". This illustrates the tensions between the higher floors of football and the volunteers. Günter Benkö, President of the Burgenland Football Association, supported Gartner and noticed that Rangnick could express ideas, but did not have to be implemented. Both Gartner and Benkö agree that they do not completely reject Rangnick's statements in terms of content; Gartner is skeptical of the abolition of tables, while Benkö, who is for the abolition, thinks about the meaningfulness.

The role of football associations

football associations play a central role in the organization and development of football. They not only determine the rules of the game, they also ensure their uniform application worldwide. In addition, you are responsible for the implementation of national and international competitions, promote talented players and take care of the training of trainers and arbitrators. Financial means that provide associations are particularly important for infrastructure and training, which is crucial for the development of sport.

at a time when the opinions about the strategies in youth work are all the more important that internal communication within the associations is correct. These mistakes must not lead to financial losses, which are intensively criticized by the officials such as Gartner and Benkö. The development of football at all levels remains the duty of the associations that are committed to preserving both ethical standards and the integrity of sport.

The upcoming elections and the discussion about the future of the ÖFB clearly show that German football needs more coherent strategy than ever to be successful and harmonize the different voices within the community.