Training for "public announcements"
At the World Cup, referees were partly criticized for their limited English skills during stadium announcements following on-field reviews.
Even though it is planned for announcements in Austria to be made in German, a significant amount of time was spent practicing this during the summer course in Salzburg (July 18/19) and the VAR training sessions in Vienna (July 25/26).
Do the officials not trust the domestic top referees to be able to explain their final decision in German in one or two sentences?
ÖFB Campus not an option for referees?
It is also interesting that the mentioned training sessions had to be held on two different weekends and not simply at the ÖFB Campus or a nearby hotel for convenience.
Wouldn't an optimization through saving travel expenses and utilizing their own infrastructure benefit everyone?
Or was the referee administration simply late in requesting bookings?
ÖFB Cup – Oldies in Power!
The training sessions held over two weekends resulted in many referees from the 3rd performance level being deployed for the start of the ÖFB Cup.
As a particular curiosity, even the 59-year-old (!) ex-Bundesliga referee Manfred Krassnitzer was deployed. Additionally, several referee assistants from the regional associations were present, who could boast "decades of experience."
The appointments could also be a clear indication regarding the promotion of young referee talent.
Fitness and Rule Tests
While both areas repeatedly led to some failures in recent years, everything has gone smoothly in recent weeks.
This is probably also because the "stern eyes" of Messrs. Viktor Kassai and Ali Hofmann, head of the referee department, were temporarily closed during the fitness test under optimal temperature conditions.
This is the only way to explain why some of the participating referees (whose names are known to the editorial staff) clearly missed the limits.
Apparently, the officials did not want to admit that the exclusively voluntary participation in the training bases paid for by the ÖFB is not such a success after all.
Thomas Einwaller has taken over
Perhaps at the next running test, the new chairman of the ÖFB Referee Commission, Thomas Einwaller, should personally supervise the process.
In any case, the Tyrolean is credited with great competence and courage for change. Perhaps it is already a first sign that the previously omnipresent Ali Hofmann hardly makes any public appearances anymore.
Speaking of consequences. Since everyone "passed" the fitness tests, those for whom an eye was probably turned a blind eye will be rewarded with an assignment at the start of the championship.
Those who are not deployed will be "frustrated" by this.
Here, too, there is a need for action for the former FIFA referee Einwaller.
However, there are other issues. Andreas Rothmann, responsible for women referees in the ÖFB Referee Commission, recently celebrated his (re-)promotion as an active referee in the Regionalliga.
It definitely seems a bit strange when an active referee sits on the ÖFB Referee Commission while also serving as a VAR "specialist."
According to LAOLA1 information, the role of "specialists" is reserved for non-active individuals, such as Manuel Schüttengruber, Christopher Jäger, and others.
CD/CI is paramount
In the new season, all FIFA referees and assistants will not only wear the FIFA badge mandated by FIFA for all match officiating, but also the new ÖFB badge.
A novelty that, while not improving the quality of match officiating, is intended to put the "ÖFB product" even more in the spotlight.
