Vienna strengthens defense with Marco Gantschnig
First Vienna FC 1894 made its first statement on the transfer market at the beginning of the year and secured the services of Marco Gantschnig. The 28-year-old defensive player signs a contract at Hohe Warte until summer 2027. The Carinthian was most recently at Austria Klagenfurt in the autumn season.
With Gantschnig, the Blue-Yellow are bringing an experienced defender to Vienna-Döbling who knows Liga Zwa very well and should give the team additional stability. The new addition brings not only routine, but also leadership qualities and expands the tactical options in defense.
Head coach Hans Kleer is convinced of the new signing: “Marco combines defensive quality with game intelligence and experience. He can hold several positions in the defense, which gives us more flexibility. He is also the type of player who takes responsibility and gives the team security with his presence.”
The numbers underline his consistency: 15 Bundesliga appearances in the previous season, 161 games in the second highest division and over 100 games in the regional league speak for themselves. Gantschnig was also regularly in action in the ÖFB Cup.
Gantschnig began his football training in Steinfeld and Lurnfeld before moving to the SK Sturm Graz academy at the age of 13. There he went through all youth levels up to U21. The 1.82 meter tall defender gained his first experience in professional football as a loan player at Kapfenberger SV. In 2019 he moved to GAK, with whom he celebrated promotion to the Bundesliga in the summer of 2024. In the following season he gained experience at the highest level with Graz before moving to Austria Klagenfurt on loan in the summer of 2025.
The new addition looks forward to his new task with motivation: “I consciously decided to take this step because I see great potential here. The discussions were very positive and I feel that something can happen at Vienna. I want to contribute my experience, take on responsibility and develop successfully together with the team.”
Profile of Marco Gantschnig:
- Born: October 18, 1997
- Height: 1.82 m
- Most recently: Austria Klagenfurt
- Position: Defense
