Mitterdorfer elected in Austria

Mitterdorfer takes over at the helm of Austrian football from Johann Gartner, who has served as interim president since February. "The role of ÖFB president is a great honour and an exciting challenge for me,” he said, “which I gladly accept, and will fulfill and embrace with great dedication, passion and respect from the heart."

"I would especially like to thank Hans Gartner,” Mitterdorfer added. “He has played a crucial role in bringing a harmonising strength that has significantly contributed to the ÖFB undertaking an important path towards togetherness."

In professional life, Mitterdorfer is the deputy director of Carinthia's medical chamber. His initial objective as ÖFB president is to prioritise the development of the association’s infrastructure, in particular through the construction of a new state-of-the-art headquarters and training centre in the north of the Austrian capital Vienna.

Initiatives and plans

The project in Aspern is considered as one of the most important initiatives in the FA's history. Mitterdorfer also aims to establish a new five-year plan for the ÖFB in the coming months.

Mitterdorfer is especially committed to grassroots sports, as well as to strengthening and supporting officials. "I come from this field, and I want to give something back," he said. "I see daily work as a ‘competition’ of ideas within various areas of interest. I aim to foster a sense of unity during this upcoming period, driven by love and enthusiasm for football – a task that I am eagerly looking forward to."

The new ÖFB leader equally sees the success of Austria’s national teams as a driving force for the country’s domestic football. "We aim to regularly qualify for major tournaments and perform well in them," he said. The immediate short-term goal is for Austria to secure a place at next summer’s UEFA EURO 2024 tournament in Germany – thereby qualifying for their third successive EURO finals.