Austria President: “There is a lot of stupidity being put into the world”

Away from the World Cup, Gollowitzer had the time and leisure to give free rein to his thoughts about Austria.

Were you surprised that Michael Wagner resigned as sports director?

Kurt Gollowitzer: Yes, this was a very surprising step for all of us. Unfortunately, there were differences of opinion within the sports management and Michael drew the relevant conclusions. I very much regret his step, although we accept it. Michael is very straightforward and authentic and did a very good job in a difficult phase.

The communication within the sports management is said not to have worked at all. Is that correct?

I can’t really judge that from my role because I’m not involved in the day-to-day running of the sport. But I think that this cannot be left as it is; many things were done in unison. However, there were two opinions on some important decisions, and Michael took the consequences.

Does sports director Tomas Zorn now have sole say?

In the sporting area, Tomas is the top decision-maker and has to take responsibility for it. Nevertheless, he is a team player, and decisions at Austria Vienna are made on a broad basis, especially with the sports directorate and in financial consultation with the CFO and the supervisory board. We don’t go it alone.

Is the athletic department set up as you would like, or does it still need to be adapted?

The sports department at Austria Vienna is highly competent and enjoys my trust. We focus on our own offspring and have had consistent success with this in the last few months. The installation of the young academics Saljic, Maybach and Markovic alone speaks for itself. Scouting has been strengthened to ensure that the right players are also found in the international sector. We expect corresponding results in this area in a timely manner.

How quiet is it in the background at Austria at the moment?

Things are rarely quiet at Austria Vienna. There are many stakeholders and shareholders with different orientations and preferences. It is often not easy to find your way in this complex environment, but my employees do it very well. I sense a great focus in the company and people are concentrating on the essentials.

What points do you have to do or implement in the coming months?

We are currently in the important phase of finalizing the squad for the coming season. Having a good and competitive team is our top priority. It will be interesting to see which academics will make a breakthrough in the coming season. Operationally, we do our homework to achieve our economic goals.

Austria has been trying to buy back the shares of the investment group WTF with Jürgen Werner for some time. Why hasn’t this happened yet?

This is an important and groundbreaking decision for Austria Vienna and must be thought through very carefully. I have often said that I would like to buy the shares back for the club, but that I would not take too much financial risk in doing so. The path to successful debt reduction will continue. We are currently in the process of identifying potential investors as part of an international bidding process.

Is it still an important goal to buy these shares? Why actually?

From the club’s perspective, I think it is very important to secure the majority in FK Austria Wien AG. The aim here is to secure the club’s identity and a tradition that has lasted over 115 years. I owe it to the fans and members. I am against financial investors holding the majority in a football club and having sole say. On the other hand, I wasn’t 100 percent satisfied with the sporting performance of the last few years and we simply have to get better here. The sports strategy of the last few years, which was within the competence of our financial investor, was not as successful as hoped. There was no international group phase, there were no transfers and the players from the academy were not promoted. That will have to change! Although we have achieved a lot economically in recent years, we need sustained sporting success, which has not been the case. The club must exert its influence here.

Is it also the goal in the medium term to buy the remaining shares in Viola Investment?

Yes, that is the goal. We are indebted to all Viola shareholders for their involvement in a difficult phase, but we would like to bring the shares back into the ownership of the association in the medium term.

There is a syndicate agreement among the investors that gives the WTF a lot of power. Is Austria trapped in this?

The syndicate agreement regulates essential competencies in the sporting area. I also expect corresponding success here, but on the other hand, things have to be changed here. The club has always been a reliable partner and strictly faithful to its contract, and I expect the same from the co-partner.

Why was this contract actually signed back then? Was Austria in such dire financial straits?

This contract was concluded before my time as part of the share sale and we must accept it. Nevertheless, the club has, albeit only just, a majority in FK Austria Wien AG and uses it when necessary, always for the benefit of the club. It’s no secret that the level of debt at the time was a threat to our existence, which makes me all the more relieved about what we’ve achieved in the last three years.

Will it be possible to terminate the contract at some point?

This contract is linked to the company shares. In a constitutional state, contracts cannot be terminated unilaterally, as we all know. That would not be our intention either. Nevertheless, I am monitoring the possibilities very closely.

What role did the contract play in the appointment of Tomas Zorn?

The right of suggestion for the sports board lies with the investors, and Tomas was nominated from this side. The club has a unique right of veto, primarily for qualification reasons. If this is exercised, the second candidate must be accepted! Tomas previously unanimously convinced the board of directors, and only then did the supervisory board receive unanimous approval.

The COURIER has assigned you a key role in the Zorn order. Why did you vehemently reject that?

As president and representative of the main owner, it is in the nature of things to have an important leadership role in this construct. I rejected sole decision-making power. I explained the process in the previous question. It’s much more because the initiation of the recruitment process and the nomination of the sports director is not in the hands of the club, and I simply had no mandate here. As mentioned, we are loyal to the contract, but are monitoring the situation very closely.

The contract of AG board member Harald Zagiczek expires in October. Do you want to extend it?

I have already made it clear several times that Zagiczek is the club’s candidate and has our complete trust. The association’s board of directors also decided this. We live in a meritocratic society and his achievements over the last three years are unaffected. The license hat-trick in the first instance, the reduction of debt and the sale of the stadium have changed many things for the better at FK Austria Wien AG under his leadership. The backpack when he started in 2023 was extremely heavy. The results speak for him.

The WTF, which has a minority on the supervisory board, is against an extension for Zagiczek. As president, are you encouraging the Austria members on the supervisory board to make a decision in favor of Zagiczek?

All supervisory boards are not subject to instructions and make decisions independently. They have also seen Zagiczek’s results and are satisfied that Austria has achieved this economic development. He could not and did not please all shareholders. However, I assume that the Viola supervisory board will also make an objective and rational decision for the benefit of the AG; as a supervisory board they are obliged to do this and a decision against a successful board of directors who has demonstrably achieved all of their goals would be surprising.

Is it true that Austria could soon part with Tomas Zorn if it bought the WTF shares?

As a general rule, I do not provide any public information about HR matters relating to Austria Wien employees. Tomas has a contract with Austria Vienna and enjoys our trust.

Is it true that you own a consulting company and Jürgen Werner is a customer of yours? This rumor was circulating recently.

This rumor is ridiculous and even bizarre. Jürgen Werner is of course not a customer of me or my company. This would be very bizarre, and I am always amazed at the stupidity that is put out into the world about Austria Vienna and the people involved.

What do you hope for as president for the coming season?

That our young path continues like this and that even more talents from our own offspring will take advantage of their opportunities in the fighting team. If this happens to some extent, as it has in the last six months, all Austrians can look forward to another very exciting season. I also hope that our influx of fans and members continues at these incredible growth rates. It is also important to me that we stick to our consolidation process in the long term. Austria Vienna is trendy – and it should stay that way.