Andreas Heraf in conversation: Does he actually come to Austria Salzburg?

Andreas Heraf in conversation: Does he actually come to Austria Salzburg?

The Austrian football coach Andreas Heraf is currently being considered a potential sports director at Austria Salzburg. Report the Salzburger Nachrichten There were already discussions about this opportunity in mid-April. However, the search for a suitable person for this key position is difficult because Heimo Pfeifenberger, a top candidate, has already canceled.

Heraf himself in the “Sonntagstalk” of Salzburg24 expressed that he would be happy about the position at the club, but so far nobody has contacted him. He firmly believes in the future of Austria Salzburg and its promotion to Admiral 2nd league. For the promotion, the team only needs one point in the home game against Schwaz on the last match day of the Regionalliga West. In this context, Heraf also emphasizes the important role of fans for the club, which significantly contribute to sporting success.

professional career

Andreas Heraf is not only known as a trainer, but also has a considerable career as a manager. After his time as a player, he started the coaching trade at clubs such as Austria Lustenau and SC Schwanenstadt. He continued to act as a technical director in New Zealand football and was a coach of the New Zealand women's national team. During his time in New Zealand, however, he was confronted with controversy, including demands for his resignation after a defeat against Japan, which were triggered by his statements in the press conference.

After his return from New Zealand, Heraf worked for the Floridsdorfer AC and SV Ried. In December 2021 he joined the Türkgücü Munich association before becoming a coach of the Schwarz-Weiß Bregenz association on December 24, 2022. On April 25, 2024, he finally took over the regional league team BFC Dynamo as head coach. According to health problems, caused by an acute herniated disc, Heraf was forced to step down after only six games.

data and facts on the role of the sports director

The role of the sports director in professional football is crucial. This function acts as a link between the coaching team, the players as well as the medical department and the league organizations. The sports director is responsible for the strategic orientation of the entire sporting area of a football club. This includes squad planning, transfer activities and the implementation of a comprehensive game philosophy, as on the website of DFB-Akademie

A successful sports director must have an extensive competence profile, which means that comprehensive training is required and practical experience alone is not sufficient to be successful at this level.