Austria's Football Or Soccer: What's In A Name?

Football is the most popular sport in Austria. The Austrian Football Association, the ÖFB (Österreichischer Fußball-Bund), was founded in 1904 and has been a member of FIFA since then. The Austrian men's national team, in its different categories, is controlled by the Austrian Football Association. The Austrian team played their first official game on 12 October 1902 in Vienna against Hungary, which they won 5-0. This match was the first played between two non-British European teams.

In Austria, the sport is referred to as football, and the Austrian Football Bundesliga is the top level of the Austrian football league system.

Austrian Bundesliga

Football is the most popular sport in Austria. The Austrian Football Association, the ÖFB (Österreichischer Fußball-Bund), was founded in 1904 and has been a member of FIFA since then. The Austrian Bundesliga, which began in the 1974–75 season, is the top level of the Austrian football league system. The competition decides the Austrian national football champions, as well as the country's entrants for the various European cups run by UEFA.

The Austrian Bundesliga has been a separate registered association since 1 December 1991. It has been won the most by the two Viennese giants Austria Wien, who were national champions 24 times, and Rapid Wien, who won the national title 32 times. The current champions are SK Sturm Graz. Phillip Thonhauser is the president of the Austrian Bundesliga. The Austrian Football Bundesliga is currently known as the Admiral Bundesliga for sponsorship reasons.

Football has been played in Austria since around 1890. From 1900 onwards, a cup competition was played in Vienna, the Neues Wiener Tagblatt Pokal. The first Austrian football championship was introduced in 1911, with the creation of the 1. Klasse (First Class). The competition was created and organised by the Niederösterreichischer Fußball-Verband (the Lower Austrian Football Federation), and the participants played for the title of Niederösterreichische Landesmeister (Lower Austrian National Champion). In 1924, the league was considered professional and changed its name to I. Liga (First League).

In 1929, an all-Austrian amateur championship was first played, won by Grazer AK. Clubs from the professional league in Vienna were not part of this competition. Teams from the other states of Austria were first allowed to join the highest division with the introduction of the Nationalliga (National League) in the 1937–38 season.

Austria's annexation by Germany in 1938 brought the Austrian Nationalliga to an early end. Numerous teams were disbanded, and some players fled the country. The Austrian Nationalliga was integrated into the system of the NSRL, the Sports office of the Third Reich, as the Gau XVII section under Gaufachwart Hans Janisch.

The Bundesliga is the highest national league-club competition in Austria, with 12 teams. The second tier is the Second League (2. Liga), which has 16 teams. The third tier consists of three parallel divisions, which are the regional leagues (Regionalliga). These cover the different regions of Austria as follows:

• The East (Regionalliga Ost), which comprises teams from Vienna, Lower Austria, and Burgenland.
• The Central (Regionalliga Mitte), featuring teams from Styria, Carinthia, Upper Austria, and East Tyrol.
• The West (Regionalliga West), competed for by teams from Salzburg, Tyrol, and Vorarlberg.

Austrian football history

The beautiful game of football has been played in Austria since around 1890. The Austrian Football Association, the ÖFB (Österreichischer Fußball-Bund), was founded on 18 March 1904 in the Austro-Hungarian Empire and has been a member of FIFA since then.

The first Austrian football championship was played in 1911 and was organised by the Niederösterreichischer Fußball-Verband (the Lower Austrian Football Federation). The competition was called 1. Klasse (First Class) and the participants played for the title of Niederösterreichische Landesmeister (Lower Austrian National Champion).

In 1924, the league became professional and changed its name to I. Liga (First League). The first football league of the country was born in 1911, called 1. Klasse, organised by the Football Federation of Lower Austria, and became a professional league in 1924, the year in which it changed its name to I. Liga.

In 1929, an all-Austrian amateur championship was organised for the first time, which was won by Grazer AK. Clubs from the professional league in Vienna were not part of this competition.

In 1937, the Nationalliga was introduced as the second division, in which the equipment of other states of Austria could ascend and consist of the maximum competition of the country. Teams from the other states of Austria were first allowed to join the highest division with the introduction of the Nationalliga in the 1937-38 season.

The Austrian national football team, known as the "Wunderteam" during their successful run in the 1930s, became a dominant force in European football under coach Hugo Meisl. Notable achievements included a fourth-place finish in the 1934 FIFA World Cup and runners-up at the 1936 Summer Olympics.

The Anschluss in 1938, which annexed Austria into Nazi Germany, led to the dissolution of the ÖFB and the forced integration of Austrian players into the German national team for the 1938 World Cup. Numerous teams were disbanded and some players fled the country. The Austrian Nationalliga was integrated into the system of the NSRL, the Sports office of the Third Reich, as the Gauliga Ostmark section.

After World War II, Austria re-established its national team and achieved significant success in the 1954 World Cup, finishing third. The team continued to be competitive throughout the 1950s and 1960s, including a notable victory over England at Wembley Stadium in 1965.

The 1970s and 1980s marked a revival for Austrian football, with the national team reaching the second round in the 1978 and 1982 World Cups. The Austrian Bundesliga, which decides the Austrian national football champions, was introduced in the 1974-75 season.

In the 1990s and 2000s, Austrian football faced challenges and disappointments, such as a shocking defeat to the Faroe Islands in UEFA Euro 1992 qualifying and a group-stage exit in the 1998 World Cup.

More recently, in the 2010s, Austrian football experienced a revival, successfully qualifying for the Euros in 2016, 2020, and 2024.

Austrian Football Association

The Austrian Football Association, or the ÖFB (Österreichischer Fußball-Bund), is the governing body of football in Austria. It was founded in 1904 in the Austro-Hungarian Empire and has been a member of FIFA since 1905 and UEFA since 1954. The association organises the Austrian Bundesliga, the Austrian Cup, and the national football teams for both men and women.

The Austrian Football Association has its headquarters in Vienna and is the country's largest sporting organisation. Football is the most popular sport in Austria, with 285,000 players (of both sexes) registered in 2004, playing for 2,309 teams in the federation. Many more play informally or for non-recognised teams.

The First Vienna Football Club, founded in 1894, was the first football team in Austria and served as the nucleus for the Austrian Football Association's establishment. One year after its founding, Austria became a member of FIFA and hosted the fifth FIFA Congress in 1908.

Hugo Meisl was a prominent figure in the early years of the Austrian Football Association, becoming general-secretary and national team coach in 1927. Meisl's team, nicknamed the "Wunderteam", went undefeated from 12 April 1931 to 23 October 1932, in 14 successive matches. This included victories over Germany with scores of 6-0 and 5-0.

The Austrian Football Association's women's national team debuted on July 9, 1970, against Mexico, losing the match 9-0. The team has yet to participate in a FIFA Women's World Cup but reached the semi-finals of the European Championship in 2017.

Austrian national football team

The Austrian national football team, or Österreichische Fußballnationalmannschaft in Austrian German, represents Austria in men's international football competitions. The team is controlled by the Austrian Football Association, or the ÖFB, which was founded on 18 March 1904 in the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

During the 1930s, the Austrian national team, known as the "Wunderteam" or "Wonder Squad," became a dominant force in European football under coach Hugo Meisl. Notable achievements during this era include a fourth-place finish in the 1934 FIFA World Cup and a silver medal at the 1936 Summer Olympics. However, the annexation of Austria into Nazi Germany in 1938 led to the dissolution of the ÖFB and the integration of Austrian players into the German national team.

After World War II, Austria reestablished its national team and achieved significant success, including a third-place finish in the 1954 World Cup. The team remained competitive throughout the 1950s and 1960s, with a notable victory over England at Wembley Stadium in 1965. However, the following decades brought challenges, with the team failing to qualify for several FIFA World Cups.

More recently, Austria has experienced a revival, successfully qualifying for the UEFA European Championship in 2016, 2020, and 2024. In the 2020 tournament, Austria reached the knockout stages for the first time since the 1982 World Cup, advancing as one of the best third-place teams.

The Austrian Football Association controls the Austrian men's national team and the country's football league system, which consists of several tiers, including the Bundesliga as the highest national league-club competition.

Football is the most popular sport in Austria, with a rich history dating back to the early 20th century. The game has evolved and adapted over the years, with the country producing talented players and memorable victories.

Austrian football league system

Football is the most popular sport in Austria. The Austrian Football Association, the ÖFB (Österreichischer Fußball-Bund), was founded in 1904 and has been a member of FIFA since then. The Austrian Bundesliga (Österreichische Fußball-Bundesliga) is the highest-ranking national league club competition in Austrian football. It is the competition that decides the Austrian national football champions, as well as the country's entrants for the various European cups run by UEFA.

The Austrian Bundesliga format

The Austrian Bundesliga began in the 1974–75 season and most championships have been won by the two main Viennese clubs FK Austria Wien and SK Rapid Wien. At present, it is composed of two divisions – the Bundesliga and First League (Erste Liga) - which both have 10 teams. There is relegation and promotion between the two leagues. The third tier is the regional leagues (Regionalliga), which are split into three geographical divisions: the East (Regionalliga Ost), which comprises teams from Vienna, Lower Austria, and Burgenland; the Central (Regionalliga Mitte), featuring teams from Styria, Carinthia, Upper Austria, and East Tyrol; and the West (Regionalliga West), competed for by teams from Salzburg, Tyrol, and Vorarlberg. The fourth tier is the state league (Landesliga), with the 2. Landesliga as the fifth tier in some states.

The Austrian Bundesliga season

The regular season in Austria sees the twelve Bundlesliga teams play each other. They each play once at home and once away, which is standard for a 22-game campaign. At the end of those 22 games, played between July and mid-March, the league splits into two. The top six play in the Championship Round and the bottom six take part in the Relegation Round. Games are usually held on Saturdays and Sundays. The six Championship Round teams then play each other home and away again until the champions are known. Only some of their points are retained from the regular season. The same format happens to the bottom six sides.

Relegation and Europe

In the relegation round, whoever finishes the 32-game season at the bottom of the final table is relegated to the Austrian Second League. The next three up retain their Bundesliga status for the following year. While, oddly, having finished in the bottom six, the top two from this mini-league go into Austria’s Europa League play-offs.

The winner of the Championship Round is naturally crowned champion, going into the UEFA Champions League. The runner-up goes to the qualifying rounds for the same competition, the third-placed team enters the Europa League. Teams 4 and 5 move into the Europa League play-offs.

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