The final series of the Erste Bank Ice Hockey League (EBEL) should have started last Sunday at the latest. At the Black Wings Linz, instead of the hoped-for finals, internal disputes were on the program. On Monday, President Peter Freunschlag confirmed to APA media reports that Gregor Baumgartner is Linz’s new manager and is looking for a trainer in a first task.
In the power struggle, a deep rift has gone through the leadership in recent weeks. At a board meeting, the three vice presidents Karl Egger, Peter Zauner and Peter Matausch announced their resignation. Whether this also holds legally remains to be seen. Freunschlag sees the resignations as valid, which is why he makes decisions without a board decision.
In this way, the separation from manager Christian Perthaler and the installation of Baumgartner, who won the championship title as a player with the Linzers in 2011/12, took place. Legal follow-up is not excluded.
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“Democracy and Financial Transparency”
Behind the scenes, the three vice presidents, all of them sponsors themselves, mobilized and have the two main sponsors Liwest and Linz AG behind them, as a press release made clear last week. The leaders of the fan clubs also went public with a broadcast in which they expressed doubts about President Freunschlag and asked him to resign.
In the meantime, Freunschlag, previously chairman and treasurer in personal union, continues to work unabated. He wants to implement some of his critics’ demands, the association “Democratize and financial transparency” create with it “Main sponsors will remain”. And he is confident. “I think they will stay.”
The effects of the Corona crisis will affect the club anyway. “It will be closer. Many companies have been harmed and marketing is the first to be cut. I can’t say the size ”Freunschlag said.
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