ÖFB under new management: Josef Pröll takes over as chairman of the supervisory board!

ÖFB under new management: Josef Pröll takes over as chairman of the supervisory board!

On May 18, 2025, Josef Pröll was unanimously elected as the new chairman of the supervisory board during the annual general meeting of the Austrian Football Association (ÖFB) in the Bregenz Festival Hall. In addition to Pröll, Burgenland's interim association president Johannes Wutzlhofer and Bundesliga supervisory board Philip Thonhauser also received the trust of the assembly and were unanimously elected as deputies. The meeting also decided on a comprehensive structural reform that will convert the ÖFB executive board into a supervisory board and aim to shift competencies from voluntary work to a full-time position.

This reform addresses the new understanding of the management structure: the highest position in the ÖFB will no longer be the president, but the chairman of the supervisory board. The changes to the statutes were approved unanimously. In his first speech, Pröll emphasized the importance of cohesion and calm within the association in order to achieve the goal of qualifying for the World Cup. At the same time, he made it clear that party politics in football have no importance for him.

Strategic realignment

Josef Pröll announced that he wanted to hold talks with the Federal Chancellor, the Sports Minister and the sports spokespersons from all parliamentary parties. A central goal is to develop a general strategy for the ÖFB. The discussion about Corona aid to six state associations also plays a role; Pröll wants to examine the legal aspects. In addition, the amendment to the statutes, which made Wolfgang Bartosch interim president, was approved with a vote of 10:3. Bartosch himself pointed out the negative public disputes within the presidium, but praised the construction of the ÖFB campus and the established spirit of optimism since Ralf Rangnick took office.

The planned structural reform is intended to shorten the decision-making processes in the association and thus increase efficiency. These measures are related to the ongoing challenge of moving the Austrian men's national team, currently ranked 29th in the FIFA world rankings, further forward and successfully preparing for the next tournaments. The team has already qualified for the 2024 European Championships in Germany.

New jerseys and fan articles

With the realignment of the association, the collaboration between the ÖFB and Puma to design new jerseys is also highlighted. These new jerseys combine traditional design with modern elements and are inspired by Austrian Art Nouveau architecture. The home jersey features a classic red with a white crew neck and white trim on the sleeves, while the away jersey features traditional white with gray and turquoise accents and a black V-neck. The replica jerseys are made from at least 95% polyester, made through Puma's Re:Fibre recycling process, and use innovative Puma dryCell technology for optimal moisture management.

The ÖFB fan shop not only offers these new jerseys, but also a variety of fan items that can be individually personalized with original flock. Many players from the men's national team, such as David Alaba, Marko Arnautović and Christoph Baumgartner, represent the country on the international stage. For women, the focus is on athletes like Sarah Puntigam, the women's national team's record player with 144 international appearances and captain of the team.