New chapter at Vienna: Sports director looking for Ivanschitz!

New chapter at Vienna: Sports director looking for Ivanschitz!

The situation at Vienna, a traditional Austrian football club, shows once again how quickly ambitions can stumble. On December 23, 2025, the executive board held a meeting to plan the sporting future after the separation from sports director Andreas Ivanschitz. Above all, the promotion ambitions expressed at the beginning of the season are now a waste of time. After a series of unsuccessful games, these efforts were finally shelved. Now it's time to reposition the club and launch a serious attack on the top spots in the table next season, reports the courier.

Coach Hans Kleer is faced with the challenge of reducing the squad. This step is part of the task that the club's management has entrusted to him. The analysis of the fall season clearly showed that the composition of the squad was anything but optimal. This makes the need to also sell players with long-term contracts all the more urgent, although this entails additional costs.

Role of the athletic director and future planning

The search for a new sports director is already in full swing. The club management has agreed on a shortlist to present a suitable successor to Ivanschitz during the winter break. The sports director plays a crucial role in modern football, where he not only acts as a link between the coaching team, staff, players and the medical department, but is also responsible for the strategic direction of the entire sporting area. According to the DFB Academy The tasks of a sports director include, among other things, squad planning, transfer activities and contract negotiations.

The Football Development Institute (FDI) highlights that the role of sporting director is considered the most important position in a football club. Especially in Europe, there is often chaos in the exercise of this function, which hinders the development of many clubs. Difficulties arise primarily from the lack of a clear “football identity” that is seen as central to success. The inadequate training of these officials also contributes to the problem. There is currently no uniform certification, which makes it difficult to recruit many sports directors and often leads to unqualified appointments, as shown on LinkedIn is analyzed.

Future outlook for Vienna

It is now important for Vienna to develop a clear plan. The new sports director should be able to implement an overarching game philosophy and strategically realign the team. The goal is to be able to be part of the promotion race again next season. The Executive Board has recognized that the past few weeks have not only caused unrest, but also some instructive insights. With conscientious planning and the right man at the top of the sporting field, Vienna could return to success.

What the next steps are and whether a new sports director can be successfully found will be crucial for the club in the coming months.