Schmid has been the coaching assistant of the current head coach Peter Stöger for many years, Ortlechner was captain of the last championship team in 2012/13 under the duo. Little has remained of Austria’s former glory, the two returnees should now lead Austria back into a successful sporting future.
The Viennese had missed the championship group of the top six at the end of the season, but still got going in the season finale and are about to participate after a 4-0 win over Hartberg and a 3-0 in the final of the European Cup play-off against the WAC the newly created UEFA Conference Leauge.
Schmid looks forward to a challenge
Schmid is looking forward to the challenge. “Becoming head coach at my heart club is a very emotional story for me, I realized that again when I signed the contract,” said the 50-year-old Viennese. Austria is probably in the most difficult situation since he knew the club.
“I want to help shape this new beginning and actively contribute my national and international experience,” said Schmid, who was primarily addressing the economic situation. Austria, which is in debt with 78 million euros, only received the license in the second instance and with financial support from “Friends of Austria”, the new investor Insignia has not yet transferred, Stöger announced his departure in April.
His successor is now his former Kotrainer, also in the 2012/13 championship season. Schmid followed Stöger as an assistant to Cologne (2013 to 2017) and Dortmund (2017/18) and then returned to 1. FC Köln in various positions, most recently as a development trainer. Schmid was also head coach of the then second division Schwanenstadt and the Austria Amateurs. As a player, the 50-year-old played almost 300 competitive games for Austria between 1989 and 2002 and won the championship three times.
“I’m dying for this task”
The new sports director Ortlechner thanked the club for the great trust that was placed in him. “I’m dying to do this job. There are many important decisions to be made in the next few weeks, ”said the 41-year-old from Upper Austria. As a player, he can look back on a championship title in purple and wants to reawaken the potential in the distribution circle.
“I will sit down with a lot of people, coordinate ideas and try to contribute my ideas. We all know that the current situation is not an easy one. This club has a lot of potential, together we have to make Austria Wien fun again. ”Ortlechner worked for Austria for eight years from summer 2009 and also played with the“ Veilchen ”in the UEFA Champions League. After his time as an active player, he stayed with Austria Wien as the project manager of the “Violafit” educational program, which trained players, coaches and employees of the club.
Schmid and Ortlechner were ideal candidates
Austria board member Gerhard Krisch was pleased “that we have succeeded in winning over our preferred candidates for the positions of sports director and coach in Manuel Ortlechner and Manfred Schmid”. There are still many unanswered personnel questions, and the financial framework is still challenging. “It is all the more important that we are now working together as a team to reposition Austria and lead it into a positive future in the long term,” said Krisch.
