Bundesliga: crowd favorite and problem figure: the Hinteregger case

Martin Hinteregger polarizes. What Austria’s cult kicker produced in the headlines in his career, whole football clubs elsewhere have not delivered in decades.

A small excerpt: Interview attack against coach Manuel Baum, suspension at FC Augsburg, on video documented intoxication at a folk festival, blabbering out internals and most recently a collaboration with a former FPÖ councilor that has become public, which is why the 29-year-old is heavily criticized got. Harder than ever.

Keep the crowd favorite or get rid of the problem?

The Hinteregger case is now becoming a gigantic challenge for Europa League winners Eintracht Frankfurt. Actually, “Hinti”, to which the fans even dedicated a song, is an absolute crowd favorite because it comes across as authentic, approachable and undisguised. Hinteregger, who likes to drink beer and celebrate boisterously, could be one of them, that’s how it seems.

But some fans resent the recent involvement with Heinrich Sickl, who, in addition to his FPÖ activities, had also rented rooms to the right-wing extremist Identitarian Movement. Hardly any club in Germany – led by President Peter Fischer – is so clearly and decisively opposed to the right. Hinteregger himself defends himself in this case: “But I didn’t know anything about the Identitarian Movement or what it meant. I’ve been gone too long for that and I’m not interested enough in politics,” Hinteregger told the newspaper Der Standard.

The footballer ended the business relationship with Sickl, the two had worked on a joint football cup in Hinteregger’s home town of Sirnitz, among other things. “Even if he had told me that he was with the Identitarians, I would have had no idea what that was supposed to be. But then I would probably have googled, »said Hinteregger now.

«Embody tolerance and cosmopolitanism»

He clearly distanced himself from any right-wing theories. “If I had only thought a little differently, I would never have been able to build up this status and this life in Frankfurt. That would be completely contradictory because I embody this tolerance and cosmopolitanism, “added Hinteregger, looking at the Eintracht fans.

However, Hinteregger did not necessarily do himself any favors with the interview offensive that the international started around his organized football tournament last weekend. Statements such as “In Germany, many bring the FPÖ and AfD on the same level, but the AfD is ten times worse” are not well received by Eintracht and the cosmopolitan supporters. Neither did he describe the reporter who had revealed what happened to Sickl as a “left-wing extremist journalist” on Sky.

Is Hinteregger staying or is he going? For the player, the case is clear. “I will definitely end my professional career at Eintracht Frankfurt!” he said. Hinteregger described rumors about a possible move to Hertha BSC as “nonsense”. “It always depends on where you feel at home, and I feel extremely at home in Frankfurt. Even if I move back to Sirnitz after my professional days, I will still often be in Frankfurt because of my restaurant,” he described. According to “Bild”, a meeting with a discussion between Hinteregger and sports director Markus Krösche is said to have taken place on Wednesday. The club left this without comment.

Defender finds diplomacy difficult

From a Eintracht perspective, the case is not that simple. One of the brand cores of the European Cup winner is credibility, especially when it comes to political orientation. Hinteregger has credibly defended himself against any allegations, but some interview statements should cause headaches for those responsible. In addition, the club approached Hinteregger twice in late autumn and in April to ask him to leave. Hinteregger recently published this himself, which the bosses didn’t like either.

By his own admission, diplomacy is difficult for the Carinthian. He said about the media: “They want perfect professionals like Haaland and not those who step out of the machine. Those with corners and edges are no longer wanted, although I would think it would be good that exactly that is encouraged. » When asked whether there had been a learning effect in the recent past, Hinteregger replied: “I wanted to change, but I didn’t make it.”