Who will succeed Leo Windtner at the top of the ÖFB? / Picture: APA / EXPA / JFK
Vienna. In the shadow of the World Cup qualification, the decision to succeed Leo Windtner as ÖFB President is approaching. On Monday there is a landmark meeting of the ÖFB election committee in Vienna – the candidate or candidates will be nominated for the head of the largest sports association in the country. The formal installation of the new President will take place during the Ordinary General Meeting on October 17th in Velden.
The fronts will be clarified before then, probably on September 11th, when a new meeting of the electoral committee is planned in Salzburg. Hearings of the presidential candidates are planned for this meeting. As things stand at present, it is likely to be Burgenland's head of association Gerhard Milletich and ex-Rapid presidential candidate Roland Schmid.
The 65-year-old entrepreneur Milletich has been the Burgenland Association President and member of the ÖFB Presidium since 2012. The 45-year-old Schmid, also an entrepreneur, is considered an outside candidate and almost became Rapid President in November 2019. A little later Schmid left the Hütteldorfer as a sponsor and is now involved with the Viennese eastern division club Vienna.
Wolfgang Bartosch, chairman of the ÖFB election committee, confirmed talks with Milletich and Schmid about a possible presidency. “From my point of view, both would be good candidates. Monday will show whether the electoral committee agrees, ”said Bartosch. On that day, both could be confirmed as presidential candidates. If this is the case, they would have to convince the electoral committee members in hearings five days later.
However, the scenario could also arise that the election committee would decide on a candidate on Monday. It is also not ruled out that another candidate will join the group at short notice. Bartosch: “You have to see what other alternatives exist.”
In any case, a turbulent presidential election like the last one in the ÖSV should be avoided. “We had good meetings recently. I am assuming that we will do all of this in a very orderly manner, ”said Bartosch.
According to Bartosch, the new head of the association should be “enthusiastic about football, as independent as possible and well networked” as well as possess professional competence. A full-time, i.e. paid, ÖFB President is not an issue, at least for the coming four-year period. “This would require an amendment to the statutes, and that is no longer possible in the short time,” said the chairman of the electoral committee. In any case, the future head of the association does not have to make any drastic changes. “I don't expect a revolution from the new president, but rather continuity,” said Bartosch.
The ÖFB president is considered to be a kind of supervisory board chairman who has the right to make suggestions in important areas such as the team boss question. The operational management of the association is the responsibility of General Secretary Thomas Hollerer and the managing director of ÖFB Wirtschaftsbetriebe GmbH, Bernhard Neuhold. The first major challenge facing the Windtner successor is likely to be to finalize the construction of the training center and the new office. Windtner had spoken out in favor of the Vienna-Aspern location, but there is certainly resistance in the Presidium.
