Josef Pröll: The new ÖFB president brings a breath of fresh air to the team!

Josef Pröll: The new ÖFB president brings a breath of fresh air to the team!

Wien, Österreich - On April 10, 2025, Josef Pröll, the former Vice Chancellor, was elected as the new president of the Austrian Football Association (ÖFB) with all ten votes from the state associations and the Bundesliga. This change comes after a turbulent meeting in Vienna, in which Christian Jauk, President of Sturm Graz, initially considered a favorite, but ultimately did not start election.

During the election committee meeting, the name Pröll, 56 years old and Vice President of Austria until 2021, only announced shortly before the meeting. Among the different voices there were changes in the support structure; Although Jauk initially seemed to have a majority, the decision was finally made on Pröll. Jauk supporters stayed back at a crucial moment, which led to a preliminary result of 6: 4 for Pröll.

striving for stability

Josef Pröll will be officially enthroned on May 18 at the Federal General Meeting in Bregenz. His biggest goal as the new president will be to create peace and unity in the association. In recent years, the ÖFB had suffered from high personnel fluctuation, which was often due to internal power games and personal inadequacies. Pröll is the first external president since Friedrich Stickler, who was in office from 2002 to 2008, and is said to offer a long -term solution.

The challenges for Pröll are not insignificant. There are currently conflicts between managing director Bernhard Neuhold and Secretary General Thomas Hollerer, and a new CEO has to be found. In addition, the needs of team boss Ralf Rangnick must also be taken into account in order to promote the sporting development of the ÖFB.

secret choice and structural reform

Martin Mutz, the Carinthian state president and chairman of the election committee, had kept the name Pröll secret until the election. This contributed to the tension because some members continued to stop at Jauk. Pröll himself was not present in his election due to a panel discussion in the EU Parliament. The structural reform, which is planned under its presidency, stipulates that the Presidium acts as a supervisory board while a CEO is being sought.

The last four presidents of the ÖFB were often interim and no longer in office. It remains to be seen whether Pröll will be able to bring about the necessary changes and to design a stable future for the association. 13 votes are awarded in Bregenz, and the expectations are that Pröll also receives this support after many have fought on his side.

ÖFB has experienced difficult phases in recent years, as the example of the self-resolution in 1938 shows when the "Football Sunday" newspaper was reported on the upcoming resolution. Therefore, many hope that Pröll's start of office can mean a fresh start and a positive turn for Austrian football.

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