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ÖFB facing upheaval: Bartosch as new president – will he take action?
The ÖFB elects Bartosch as the new president in Vienna. A change in stormy times - reforms and challenges lie ahead.
ÖFB facing upheaval: Bartosch as new president – will he take action?
The ÖFB has a new president! Wolfgang Bartosch, the 66-year-old head of the Styrian regional association, was appointed as the successor to Klaus Mitterdorfer, who resigned on November 21st. In a turbulent meeting of the ÖFB presidium in Vienna, the lawyer was elected as the new head of the association with ten out of twelve votes, while only one of the four vice-presidents, Gerhard Götschhofer, stood for election and received a modest three votes. The decision was necessary after the Presidium invoked a paragraph to amend the statutes due to internal conflicts and the urgency of resolving a situation that violated the statutes vienna.at reported.
Disagreement and reform plans
Bartosch spoke of a difficult environment during his election: “Unfortunately it was a very unpleasant atmosphere, courtroom-like.” Despite the tensions, the new president is optimistic and is looking for cooperation, especially with Götschhofer and Josef Geisler. “I hope that we can get the two of them on board somehow,” explained Bartosch. He emphasizes that implementing structural reform is the ÖFB's top priority and is planning a video conference before Christmas to make progress. This reform is intended to reduce the powers of the Presidium and transfer operational tasks to a new CEO - a search that has not yet started, as the final details of the 2025 budget planning are still pending.
Bartosch takes over in difficult times, in which public disputes and disagreements over the resignations of important officials, such as managing director Bernhard Neuhold, are causing major waves. These terminations remain in place and Bartosch has full confidence in the people affected; Concerned fans, he assures us, do not need to worry about the ÖFB's ability to act. Bartosch will also contact Ralf Rangnick, the team boss, in the near future to discuss the association's sporting direction exxpress.at added. The challenges are great, but Bartosch is ready to take the reins and direct the team's fortunes.