ÖFB boss Josef Pröll: “Emotionally it was huge”

KURIER: How excited are you for the World Cup?

Josef Pröll: This was already there during the qualifying, had a highlight with the match against Bosnia-Herzegovina, and since the draw the anticipation has continued to grow because we know the opponents and the places in which we are playing.

Many people think the Austria group is exciting. What adjectives would you add?

Having the reigning world champions with Argentina in the group is a special element, Jordan and Algeria are more of a blank slate for us. I would say this is a strong, consolidated group. We have to focus on our preparation. I am convinced that we can succeed.

Speaking of being successful. There is certainly no shortage of calculations. What expectations do you have?

I’ve been chairman of the ÖFB’s supervisory board for almost seven months, and I always stick to one thing: We have to create the best framework conditions. My responsibility does not include defining sporting goals.

When would the World Cup be a good World Cup?

I’ll be picking up the World Cup trophy shortly, which will be displayed on campus on January 7th. Of course you want to get as far as possible. We are ambitious going into the group and want to get to the round of 16.

How involved are you in the World Cup preparations?

It’s no secret that team boss Rangnick and I talk to each other regularly. I give him great credit for spending a week with his team immediately after the draw to explore the team’s quarters. What is important is good accommodation, combined with the best possible training conditions. We’ll see in mid-January whether the plan works.

The European Championships were in Germany in 2024, the World Cup in 2026 is the contrast. Also regarding the costs?

Yes, the logistics for the team alone are incomparably higher.

Is it the ÖFB’s most expensive project in history?

One can say that it has to be the most expensive project of the competitions and tournaments. With the distances and the horrendous local costs. Whatever, we’re there. What is a little negatively surprising is that FIFA’s contributions are about the same as UEFA’s contributions to the last European Championship. Overall, it will be an economic challenge for the ÖFB.

Will the World Cup possibly be a financial loss?

No, we don’t assume that.

The World Cup will be expensive summer fun for fans. Does the ÖFB expect many fans?

Unfortunately, what is becoming apparent for the ÖFB also applies to the fans. We are pleased that there is great interest in the cards. Let’s see how many fans actually take up the tickets. What we hear from FIFA is that the Americans are also showing great interest.

You have been in office for seven months. Was it a dream start with the World Cup draw and the U17 World Cup final?

I want to put on the brakes, that wasn’t my dream start. Others did that, like Ralf Rangnick and his team, or Hermann Stadler and his boys. We are very proud. Emotionally, of course, it was huge. Given the general conditions that were presented to me, it was a successful first half of the year. It is important to me that I pull together with my colleagues in the federal states and the Bundesliga. Something is going on now.

Does the success of the U17s show that youth work at the ÖFB is working?

It is certainly an example that it works well in many areas with young talent. This World Cup participation and success will bring a lot to the grassroots level. The task will be to bring out the elite from this breadth. The year 2026 will be important with the strategy debate in the ÖFB – and together with the Bundesliga. We have to constantly bring young boys and girls into the domestic league and then into the top leagues.

There has been a lot of criticism on this point recently. The top clubs don’t rely enough on young Austrians. How much can you influence that?

The desire is there. At the U17 World Cup it was an issue that our boys, as second division players, kept playing against adult players. That would have been obvious.

Which construction sites when you took office are now closed?

I believe that, despite accepting differing opinions, we on the Supervisory Board will ultimately come to a decision. We have succeeded in speaking to the outside world using one language. And with the move to the campus there was a jolt through all employees. Nevertheless, we have to move forward, become more digital and modern. The foundation has been created with the campus.

The two offices of Thomas Hollerer and Bernhard Neuhold are almost next to each other. As is well known, there was not the best of terms between the two. Are you a mediator between them?

We have managers who have to do their jobs. I give everyone their chance. Of course I have heard the calls from the past, I am much more likely to judge what I see in the present. You don’t have to be best friends and go out for a beer regularly. That’s not that important either. You must be able to find consensus in difficult situations. Of course, we are all always under scrutiny.

Is there still a need for a personnel decision in this case?

I don’t see any reason to change anything at the moment. I measure managers by their work. And that’s fine.

Personnel decisions before the World Cup can cause unrest. Example Ralf Rangnick – would a decision before the World Cup make sense?

I had a detailed conversation with him on the sidelines of the draw about a possible contract extension. He cares about much more than just his position, but also about width and movement. We will address it at the appropriate time.

But a lot is connected with his position.

Absolutely. Both sides have to get on the same page at some point. We can rely on our conversational atmosphere. But we don’t play this through the public eye.

Will there still be a national stadium in your era?

The ÖFB can only be the initiator and source of ideas for such a large project. Without private investors, a stadium will not be possible. Especially in the current tense political situation. But we will certainly not give up on this topic in the future.