Windbichler leads Ortmann into new Lower Austria league season

The Lower Austria Landesliga begins its season on Friday, with 16 teams competing across 30 matchdays. ORF reports that former Admira defender Richard Windbichler is the league’s most prominent coach, bringing international experience to SG Ortmann/Oed-Waldegg in Wiener Neustadt District.

Windbichler, 35, played more than 100 Bundesliga matches for Admira and Austria Vienna. His career also included clubs in Denmark, South Korea, China, the United States and Australia. Ortmann is his first job as a head coach.

“I am certainly not the star. I have actually been out of the spotlight for a long time,” Windbichler told noe.ORF.at. “I am not coming here and saying that, just because I had a career, I am the great expert who will explain to everyone how things work. I am part of a team, and we are all pulling in the same direction.”

Windbichler said he had deliberately chosen the move back from international football to the Landesliga.

“All the experiences I have had need to serve a purpose. Simply having had a good time is not enough,” he said. “I felt that I could make a difference in Ortmann. People listen to me, and that is a good feeling. Hopefully, my work will make everyone a little better, including me.”

Ebreichsdorf and Wiener Neustadt are favourites

Ortmann is not targeting the league title this season. Most players and coaches agree that the favourites are Ebreichsdorf in Baden District and Wiener Neustadt.

Wolfgang Heidenreich, Ebreichsdorf’s sporting director, made no attempt to reject his team’s status as a title contender.

“We have a team that definitely wants to challenge for the title. But there are other clubs that have something to say about that,” he said.

Ebreichsdorf previously attracted attention in the Austrian Cup by beating Bundesliga teams including Wolfsberg and Altach.

Wiener Neustadt coach calls for more support

Wiener Neustadt is also aiming for promotion to the Regionalliga. The former Bundesliga club is regularly named among the title contenders but has so far failed to win the championship.

Coach Robert Weinstabl said the team needed greater support from the public and issued unusually sharp criticism of the club’s surroundings.

“You get the impression that people do not want the club to succeed. I deliberately say that at times it already feels like hatred,” said Weinstabl, 42.

“But it is up to us. If we put in good performances and get results, hopefully we will have more fans back in the stadium,” he added.

Newly promoted club targets another promotion

Hohenau/Hausbrunn, a newly promoted team from Gänserndorf District, also wants to challenge for the title. After winning the 2. Landesliga Ost, the club is targeting a second successive promotion to the Regionalliga.

Coach Matej Mitrovic said the club wanted to move up quickly because the Landesliga offered few local derbies and involved long journeys.

“The 1. Landesliga is unattractive for us. We have no derbies and the journeys are long. We want to be promoted within two years at the latest,” he said.

The Amstetten amateurs will field one of the league’s youngest teams. After winning the 2. Landesliga West, Gernot Krimberger’s young squad will compete in the higher league for the first time.

“Thankfully, there are other young teams in the league. But they have been here longer and know how things work. My players still have to learn that,” Krimberger said.

Ybbs begins season after player’s death

Ybbs in Melk District faces an emotional season following the death of Robert Kaminger. The 29-year-old was substituted during a derby against Kilb in early May because of chest pain and died shortly afterwards in hospital.

His brother Thomas Kaminger also plays for Ybbs and is the team captain. He said he had still not overcome the shock of Robert’s unexpected death.

“I am still a long way from normality. It was a very difficult time, and at first I could not even think about football,” Kaminger said.

He is nevertheless looking forward to the new season, which will include several derbies because half of the league’s teams come from Mostviertel.

“The biggest match is of course the one against Wieselburg. The fans are looking forward to that the most as well,” Kaminger said.