“It’s about respecting a contract”
After the falling out between Thiem and Bresnik, his ex-trainer is of the opinion that he is still entitled to a share in the income Thiem earns from sponsorship and equipment contracts that Bresnik had concluded in his role as manager. Originally, there should have been an agreement between Thiem and Bresnik concluded in 2014, which would have guaranteed the latter 30 percent of all contracts he had landed until Thiem’s career ended. This contract was changed in September 2016 and was limited in time – but without Thiems now manager Herwig Straka being aware of it.
Straka negotiated a solution with Thiem’s ex-coach and mentor in May 2019 after the end of the Thiem – Bresnik employment relationship, in which Bresnik was still granted a staggered participation in Thiem’s income. Thiem’s lawyer Ainedter declared this contract null and void in February 2020 and dissolved it. Reason: Straka and Thiem were “fraudulently deceived” by Bresnik. What Bresnik vehemently denies, which is why he insists on compliance with the agreements made in the previous year and the associated payments and has consequently brought a lawsuit at the Vienna Regional Court for Civil Law Matters (ZRS).
“It’s about respecting a contract,” said Bresnik lawyer Korn at today’s court hearing, to which Dominic Thiem appeared accompanied by his younger brother Moritz. “It’s about the money,” Ainedter countered. Bresnik earned twelve million euros as Thiems supervisor and manager. After the separation, he was offered a down payment of two million euros or ten percent for a limited period of time on all sponsorship contracts concluded during the Bresnik era. “He refused. We certainly do not offer more,” emphasized Ainedter.
