Bundesliga
LASK and trainer Dietmar Kühbauer go their separate ways with immediate effect. This was announced by the third-placed player in the last Admiral Bundesliga season on Tuesday. The reason for the termination of the cooperation was differences in the squad planning for the next season, as the LASK announced. Kühbauer had been in office since May last year.
Co-trainer Manfred Nastl was also released from his duties with immediate effect. The club management thanked both of them for their work over the past 13 months. Thomas Sageder, most recently co-coach of FC Liefering in the second division and before that co-coach of Oliver Glasner at VfL Wolfsburg in the German Bundesliga, will be the new head coach of Linz.
“Didi Kühbauer took over as coach in a particularly difficult situation and quickly stabilized our LASK thanks to his personality, experience and expertise. By reaching the European Cup group stage, our most important goal for the season was also achieved this season,” said Radovan Vujanovic, Sports Director of LASK.
With regard to the long-term orientation of the club, according to Vujanovic, further cooperation was not expedient due to the differences in opinion on squad planning. “I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Didi Kühbauer and Manfred Nastl for their cooperation and wish them all the best for the future.”
Wieland’s successor
Recently there had been rumors about a possible transfer of the 52-year-old from Burgenland, which Kühbauer dismissed after the 2-0 loss in the last game of the season in Graz with the words “I don’t know why I shouldn’t be there”. Now the speculation has come true.
Kühbauer was presented by LASK last year as Andreas Wieland’s successor after the Upper Austrians had missed the championship group. The ex-national player managed to lead Linz up this season and to establish himself as the third force behind champions Salzburg and Sturm Graz.