New favorite in the ÖFB presidential race: Michael Strugl mixes!

New favorite in the ÖFB presidential race: Michael Strugl mixes!

In the race for the office of President of the Austrian Football Association (ÖFB), there are numerous exciting developments. Today, on April 5, 2025, the list of candidates for the election, which will be finalized on May 18, is complex and tricky. Michael Strugl, CEO of Verbund AG and LASK fan, is traded as a new candidate.

The 62-year-old has had an impressive career, which took place, among other things, as a state council for sports in Styria and as a one-year vice-national captain. His public presence and the upcoming decision on his candidacy are the focus. However, there could be an obstacle to Strugl that he is currently vice president in the Austrian Ski Association, where he was elected by 2027. Rumors say that he tends to cancel his candidacy.

candidates in the hearing

Next Friday, the Presidium of the largest domestic sports association will meet in Vienna to narrow down the candidates on the chief position. Hearings that have already started have produced a top candidate who was able to present his plans. Interim boss Wolfgang Bartosch has announced that the presidential decision may be possible this week. The official enthronement of the new association boss is planned at the Annual General Meeting at the earliest.

In this context, Kurt Svoboda, President of the second division club FC Vienna in 1894, also drew attention to himself through an environmental campaign. At the presentation of the “Vienna Wald” project in Hainburg, in which 1,894 trees are to be planted in Lower Austria, he was present as a promising candidate for the ÖFB President job. His nomination comes from premium sponsor Raiffeisen, while Vice President Roland Schmid, also a potential contender, has good connections to team boss Ralf Rangnick and was present during the ÖFB Hearing.

Development of TV rights

Another relevant point that influences the discussion about the ÖFB presidency are the impending decisions about the TV rights of the Bundesliga, which are awarded for the period from 2026 to 2030. The tender should take place by mid -April, and providers will be given four weeks to submit offers for the four packages. Bundesliga clubs in particular are impatient because Sky only wants to offer 30 million euros - ten million less than in the previous contract.

Canal+ Plant, probably in cooperation with ORF, to submit an offer. Sky has already contacted ServusTV to check a possible partnership. Compared to Germany, the TV money in the Austrian league is significantly lower. For example, every “bottom light” club of the second German league, such as Ulm and Münster, receives 7.9 million euros each-more than the triple of the highest TV money of an Austrian Bundesliga club.

With all of these developments, it remains to be seen how the race for the ÖFB presidency will continue to develop and what effects the decisions about TV rights will have on the future of Austrian football. Even if Michael Strugl and Kurt Svoboda are in focus, the candidate field remains dynamic and the outcome is exciting.

OE24.at reports that [...] [Read more]

oe24.at provides additional insights into the current hearings and Candidatures. [0511: 21]