SV Ried: “We have created a stable foundation that we can build on”

SV Guntamatic Ried made a profit of just over 850,000 euros in the 2021/2022 financial year. “This is the second-best result in the club’s history, sales were around ten and a half million euros,” said SVR President Roland Daxl at a press conference on Tuesday afternoon. Reaching the cup final, the sale of the players Ante Bajic, Constantin Reiner and Lukas Gütlbauer and a turnover of 3.5 million euros from sponsoring and advertising were the main sales drivers. Our equity has thus improved to EUR 1.095 million. Despite three seasons in the second division, we have created a very solid and stable foundation on which we can build,” said Daxl. It is very pleasing that the personnel costs, including the junior academy, were only 52 percent. “From my point of view, personnel intensity is the most important key figure in football. At SV Ried the limit is 60 percent, anything below that is good and you can make ends meet,” said the club president.

Video: SV Ried President Roland Daxl in an interview

The financial resources give the association the opportunity to fill certain positions. Among other things, a full-time kit and groundskeeper was hired, and the coaching team was expanded. With Maximilian Senft, the second team now also has a full-time coach. According to managing director Rainer Wöllinger, the number of viewers increased by 11.5 percent. According to Wöllinger, an average of 4,700 fans came to the home games in the Josko Arena in the autumn season. “It is gratifying that we were recently able to increase our number of members to 500, the goal is 1000,” said Marketing Manager Tim Entenfellner.

Green light for transfers

In terms of sport, reaching the cup final was undoubtedly the highlight of the year, said sporting director Thomas Reicheltshammer. Sports director Wolfgang Fiala was absent from the press conference due to illness. “We are currently penultimate in the Bundesliga. Wolfgang Fiala and I certainly won’t get bored during the Christmas break,” said Reifeltshammer. In any case, the presidency has given the green light for transfers, and transfer fees can also be paid. “We will certainly not throw the money out the window. Wolfgang Fiala and I complement each other very well and I am convinced that we have a good sporting future. Eight youngsters made it into the youth national teams this year. The goal is that we bring more and more of our own players into the professional team,” said Reifeltshammer.

In the spring, there is more danger in front of the gate. Reicheltshammer: “We simply score far too few goals and are generally too safe in the third in front of the opponent’s goal. There is a lack of purpose. There were and are intensive discussions between the sporting management and coach Christian Heinle.” He assumes that one or the other player will leave the club in winter. “There are one or the other dissatisfied player with whom we have discussions It’s good that Nikola Stosic and Marcel Ziegl will hopefully return two very important players to the team. In general, we need a little more dynamism in the squad,” said Reifeltshammer. Philipp Pomer should play a much more offensive role in the spring. One or other attacking players and a left-back should be at the top of the shopping list President Daxl said: “We are not a savings association, but a sports association. Yes, there will be money for the first team. We have a clear and transparent salary structure. We will not deviate from this.”

Video: Interview with Thomas Reicheltshammer

investments in infrastructure

Investments should not only be made in the squad. At least as important is the expansion and improvement of the club’s own infrastructure. “We will invest in several projects,” announced SV Ried Vice President Thomas Gahleitner. In the spring, the groundbreaking ceremony for the extension of the academy building in Hohenzell takes place. “There will be an extension of around 200 square meters,” says Gahleitner. In addition, a grandstand will be erected on the main field of the academy.

In the Josko Arena, the stadium technology, i.e. the sound system and the video wall, will soon be renewed. “We will invest several hundred thousand euros. If we get a good offer, we will exchange the video wall.” According to Gahleitner, it is quite conceivable that a second video screen would be installed on the opposite side of the west stand. The sanitary facilities will also be renovated.

In the background, intensive work is currently being done on the “Vision Stadiondorf Neu”. “The considerations go far beyond a conventional fan village. We definitely have space problems in the office and in the fan shop. Therefore, a large building is being considered, possibly with additional office and retail space. We are well on the way to being able to implement this mega-project . But a lot still has to be clarified, including things relating to building law,” said Gahleitner and Daxl. The investments would amount to several million euros. “At the moment this project is still a long way off, but we want to realize it.”