First Vienna FC: Four talents conquer the professional stage!

First Vienna FC: Four talents conquer the professional stage!

The youth of First Vienna FC 1894 is getting a breath of fresh air: On June 3, 2025, the traditional club announced the awarding of four professional contracts to promising young talents. In addition to Moritz Troindl and Santino Pistrol, both of whom are only 17 years old, 18-year-old Felix Nagele and 19-year-old Louis Birkhahn were also called up to the professional squad.

With a clear focus on supporting young players, Austria's oldest football club not only focuses on tradition, but also on the future. The four new professionals have signed contracts until 2028 and will be an integral part of the team in the coming second league season. Sports director Andreas Ivanschitz emphasizes the central role of youth work and the importance of integrating talented players into the fighting team, which is crucial for future competitiveness. “We have a good knack for young talent,” explains Ivanschitz.

The new talents in detail

Moritz Troindl, a 17-year-old goalkeeper, is 1.85 m tall and has good qualifications and most recently played in the youth ranks of SK Rapid Vienna. He will be promoted to the first team as the third goalkeeper and will train regularly with the team.

Santino Pistrol, also 17 years old, is a 1.90 m tall defender and is moving from Hellas Kagran to the “Violettes”. In the last city league season he made 22 appearances.

The 18-year-old Felix Nagele, who is 1.89 m tall, comes from the youth team at the sports club and has already gained experience in the professional squad last year. As a central midfielder, he will play an important role in the build-up of the game.

Louis Birkhahn, the oldest of the four newcomers, is 19 years old and previously played in the SK Rapid youth team. The striker scored an impressive 15 goals in 24 games in the city league season and should now also make the difference in the professional squad.

A look back at the club's history

First Vienna FC 1894, founded on August 22, 1894, looks back on a proud history. It was founded as the first football club in Austria and has experienced ups and downs ever since. From early successes in the Challenge Cup to more recent difficulties such as forced relegation in 2017, the club has always strived for a return to the higher leagues. In the past, the club has been champion several times and has had numerous cup successes.

With the return to the second division and the targeted promotion of young talent, First Vienna FC shows that it is ready to continue its legacy and steer successfully into the future.

The topic of youth work in football is of great relevance not only in Vienna, but also in Germany. A current study shows that many German professional clubs have invested significantly in promoting their youth in recent years, which could serve as an incentive for First Vienna FC to take similar paths in order to successfully train their own youth and recruit them for the first team. [Statista] reports that this trend could continue to increase until the 2023/2024 season.

First Vienna FC proves that a promising future can also be created with an emphasis on youth and its own offspring. Fans can be excited to see what the next season has in store for their traditional club.