A delicate task for Ralph Krueger: getting Vienna on the right track with Davos from Austria

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It was surprising news when Austria Vienna announced that the former successful coach of the Swiss national ice hockey team Ralph Krueger (64) would become their new chairman of the supervisory board. For the German-Canadian, who has also had a Swiss passport since 2019, it is a return to football. From 2014 to 2019 he was chairman of the then English Premier League club Southampton FC.

And now the traditional Austrian club Austria Wien, which has been champions 24 times, but whose glory days are long ago. Since the last title ten years ago, there have been major problems again and again and the financial situation remains very tense; There is currently even discussion about a possible sale of the stadium.

Austria visited Vienna for a year

“This commitment was made by people I know very well from my time at Feldkirch and who now work in a leadership role at Austria,” Krueger explains. He started his coaching career in Feldkirch, Vorarlberg, in 1991, and Krueger was subsequently national coach from 1998 to 2010. “I am involved as a friend and advisor and hope that with my input I can help bring the right culture to Austria-Vienna.” Krueger says he has visited the club repeatedly for a year: “It’s not like I spontaneously decided to do this overnight.”

Firstly, they are struggling to correct the fact that the club has done very poorly in recent decades. “If this succeeds, Austria Vienna will become a very interesting club with very interesting possibilities from a sporting point of view,” said Krueger. He is not afraid to burn his fingers with this delicate task: “When it is very hot in the kitchen, you learn the most and you can also make the most changes and corrections.”

Nice addition to life as a grandfather

Krueger emphasizes that he no longer wants to work in the executive sector with a full-time job. But whatever his commitment as chairman of the supervisory board looks like, it suits him. “It is a role in which you can control the culture, but also advise and influence.”

Krueger and his wife Glenda have returned to their permanent residence in Davos since February. The former NHL coach (2010 – 2013 Edmonton, 2019 – 2021 Buffalo) does not want to change that: “Davos is our home and it will remain that way.” They are now grandparents of four and are having a great time, “so we want to take a lot of time with our children and grandchildren.” The mandate with Austria, currently eighth in Austria, is very suitable as an interesting addition to family life.

Why not in Switzerland?

Krueger will be in Vienna in person once a month. Occasionally he also meets national coach Ralf Rangnick (65), who caused football euphoria in Austria with his convincing European Championship qualification and friendly victory against Germany (2-0). “It is always very exciting to discuss all processes with him,” says Krueger.

But why didn’t the former head coach of the hockey association look for a comparable position in Switzerland? After all, here too there are football and ice hockey clubs with problems and ambitions. Almost on his doorstep. Krueger confirms that there have been occasional requests for this, but responds: “Here I would probably automatically expose myself to such an extent that I would quickly end up in an area that I don’t want to go to anymore.”

Source : Blick