Power Struggle in Austrian Football: Schöttel's Departure Looms

The tension at the Austrian Football Association has finally broken the surface.

According to Austrian outlets Kurier and Krone, Peter Schöttel’s future as sporting director is expected to be settled on Friday, when the federation’s supervisory body meets to decide on what now looks like his final departure.

At the heart of it: a relationship with head coach Ralf Rangnick that insiders describe as shattered beyond repair.

Schöttel Sidelined as Rift with Rangnick Deepens

The ÖFB has already pushed Schöttel to the sidelines. For months, the sporting director and the German coach have been pulling in different directions, and the split is no longer being disguised.

Marc Janko, former Austria international and now a Sky pundit, has lifted the lid on the mood inside the camp. Asked about the situation, he admitted the developments are hardly a shock.

“If you ask around behind the scenes, then it is not hugely surprising,” Janko said.

He painted a picture of a working relationship that simply never clicked.

With Schöttel “and Ralf Rangnick, it did not really work properly,” the ex-striker explained. “It is indeed the case that for some time Rangnick, in all the matters that are important to him, has not been doing that via Peter, but via other people.”

In other words, the sporting director had already been bypassed before any official decision was made.

End of a Successful Nine-Year Run

If Friday brings the expected outcome, it will close a notably successful chapter for Austrian football.

Schöttel, now 59, joined the federation in 2017. He started as U19 coach, but within two months he was promoted to overall sporting director. From there, the national team’s trajectory bent upwards.

Under his guidance, Austria qualified for back-to-back European Championships. In both 2021 and 2024, the ÖFB side reached the last 16, a level of consistency the federation had long craved.

The biggest breakthrough came last summer: Austria reached a World Cup finals for the first time in 28 years. They went out in the round of 32 to eventual world champions Spain, but the return to the global stage marked a clear high point of Schöttel’s tenure.

Now, that era is on the brink of ending not on the pitch, but in the boardroom.

Prödl Emerging as Favourite Successor

Attention inside the ÖFB has already turned to the question of succession.

No official decision has been announced, but Krone reports that an internal favourite is already taking shape: Sebastian Prödl.

The former Bundesliga defender, who spent several years with Werder Bremen, has headed the ÖFB’s youth department since 2024. His work there is said to be highly valued within the federation, and his name is gaining momentum in the internal discussions.

One factor stands out above all: Prödl is believed to enjoy an exceptionally good relationship with Rangnick.

In a structure where the coach’s influence is growing and the sporting director’s position hinges on alignment with him, that might be the decisive detail that shapes the next chapter of Austrian football.