Austria is mourning the loss of a former player: Mukhsin Mukhamadiev is dead. The native Tajik, who played for the “Veilchen” in the 1997/98 season, died at the age of just 59 after a serious illness.
Last summer he suffered several strokes.
Even though Mukhamadiev only wore the purple jersey for six months, he left his mark. In total, he made 13 competitive appearances for Vienna Austria that season and is therefore part of the club’s history. There is great sympathy in Tajikistan and Russia: the media praises him as a football legend who made an “invaluable contribution to the development of Tajik football” and who will “live on forever in the memories of fans, colleagues and students”. The Football Association of Tajikistan expressed its sincere condolences to the family and loved ones.
Mukhamadiev’s career extended far beyond his short time in Vienna. In his homeland he made a name for himself especially at Pamir Dushanbe, where he was one of the most accurate strikers in Soviet times. Internationally, he played for Spartak Moscow, with whom he became Russian champions in 1994 and scored 17 goals in 39 competitive games, as well as for Lok Moscow and Lokomotiv Nizhny Novgorod. At international level he wore the national jersey of both Russia and Tajikistan.
After the end of his active career, Mukhamadiev remained closely connected to football. He worked as sports director at Rubin Kazan and in this role was part of the 2008 and 2009 championship titles. He also served as team manager of the Tajik national team and led FC Istiklol to the championship in 2018 as a coach.
His involvement with Austria came during a difficult sporting phase. Between January and July 1998, he joined the Viennese team during a period of change, who had a disappointing season under coach Wolfgang Frank. In the end they only finished seventh, a long way behind champions Sturm Graz.
