ÖFB bankruptcy: FPÖ rages via Pröll's nomination as a football boss!

ÖFB bankruptcy: FPÖ rages via Pröll's nomination as a football boss!

Hamburg, Deutschland - Josef Pröll, former Vice Chancellor and Finance Minister, will be elected as the new President of the Austrian Football Association (ÖFB) on May 18, 2025. However, this nomination has already triggered a wave of outrage at the Freedom of Austria (FPÖ). FPÖ general secretary Michael Schledlitz describes the decision as a "tragedy in the ÖVP system" and criticizes the order of Pröll.

Schledlitz comments concerned about the political implications of this nomination and sees it as a "fatal sign for all Austrian football". In his opinion, it is a "brazen power grip of the ÖVP in sport" and a party political capture of football. He speaks of "Postenchacher in pure culture" and compares the nomination with the appointment of Karl Nehammer as director of the European investment bank.

political influences in sport

The discussion about the connection between sport and politics is not new. In the past, there have been controversy, especially with large sporting events. For example, during the Olympic Games in Sochi in 2014, the Russian state discussed the discrimination against LGBTQI+personnel. Despite the protests and debates about a possible boycott, numerous states agreed that sport and politics have many interfaces, but the sport inevitably represents a platform for political messages.

Sport has a high level of mobilization and attention potential. He can donate identity and promote community formation. The demand for a separation between sport and politics is hardly made these days. IOC President Thomas Bach described this assumption as a "life lie", which raises awareness that sporting events are often more than mere competitions.

reactions to the nomination

Reactions to the nomination of Josef Pröll also lead a light on the development of sport in Austria. While the FPÖ denounces political influence, the entire football sector could be in a crucial phase. Schinedlitz asks Sports Minister Martin Babler to stop the party policy power game and to work for more independence in sport.

Overall, the debate about Pröll's nomination and the associated political reactions reflect the deeper complexity in the field of sports policy, where there are close connections between different actors and interests. Sports organizations play a central role, and the influence of politics shows how much the different areas are interwoven. Austrian football could thus be in a sheath where the question of independence and the role of sport in society must be negotiated.