ÖFB launches transparent process for new sporting director in Dublin
Dublin, just a few hours before the Nations League match against Ireland, the Austrian national team is using the opportunity to discuss the future of the ÖFB. Josef Pröll, chairman of the supervisory board, announced that the search for a new sporting director officially starts today.
New selection process with external consultant
The ÖFB has engaged Ernst & Young as an external personnel consultant to establish a transparent and economically standard application procedure. “I believe it is right and important to take new paths here and to present them transparently and publicly,” emphasizes Pröll. All candidates must go through the same standardized process.
The position will be publicly advertised next Thursday, and applications can be submitted until October 23. In parallel, ten to fifteen national and international candidates will be actively approached. Team manager Ralf Rangnick may also suggest names.
“I was a bit surprised when I heard that in the past people in positions said: We’ll start now and then we’ll see,” explains Pröll. “That won’t work.” This is intended to exclude an ad‑hoc approach in the future.
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The search is for an “architect for the sporting future” who will take overall responsibility from grassroots to elite sport – including national teams, talent development and coach education. Management and communication skills as well as decisiveness should be weighted more heavily, while sporting competence remains a central core point.
License and language skills not required
A UEFA Pro licence or other coaching licences are considered only advantageous assets, no longer a mandatory requirement. German language skills are also not treated as an exclusion criterion, in order not to narrow the pool of candidates prematurely.
After the application deadline, a screening will take place, and a shortlist is to be compiled in November. The candidates will be invited to hearings before a five‑member panel consisting of Pröll, his two deputies, Bernhard Neuhold and Thomas Hollerer. The final decision will be made by the supervisory board later this year; the salary is based on Schöttel’s contract of about €200 000 gross per year, with room for special personalities.
The new sporting director is already expected to help shape the 2027 sport strategy. Pröll also calls on all ÖFB employees to apply, and emphasizes that a classic, economically standard application process can bring out new talent from unexpected areas.