15th anniversary as the voice of the ÖFB Cup Final

Hosting the UNIQA ÖFB Cup Final as a stadium announcer 15 times in a row. WOW. If someone had told me that in 2011… There were reports in print and online in advance, for example in Austria’s largest daily newspapers Krone and Kurier, and on sportsbusiness.at. I was also invited to appear on TV on OE24 and Kurier TV for an interview to mark this anniversary. 

Many memories 

A 15-year tradition brings back many memories. There was the 2015 final between Austria Vienna and Red Bull Salzburg, which had to be interrupted in extra time due to pyrotechnics. I also remember the bizarre 2020 final  between Altach and RB Salzburg, which took place in front of empty stands due to COVID. In the last two finals, Rapid Vienna and Sturm Graz faced each other, and there was a state of emergency in the stands. Yesterday, TSV Hartberg and RZ Pellets WAC played each other, two teams that had never been in the cup final before. This brought things full circle for me, because in 2011, when I made my debut as stadium announcer for the ÖFB Cup final, two underdogs, SV Ried and Austria Lustenau, were on the pitch.

The game: Hartberg narrowly defeated by WAC

It was the biggest game in the history of both clubs. Wolfsberg was considered the slight favorite going into the game, a team that still has a chance to win the championship. What followed was an intense game in which both teams gave their all. Who knows when such an opportunity will arise again? In the end, however, Hartberg was narrowly defeated by WAC, with Gattermeyer scoring the much-celebrated only goal in the 77th minute after a pass from Omic. 

Atmospheric backdrop 

In 90 previous editions, this was only the second time that a club from Carinthia had lifted the cup. The joy among the WAC fans was correspondingly great. However, both sets of fans contributed to the festive atmosphere in the stadium. There were more Hartberg fans in the stadium than there are inhabitants in their town. And their reaction was particularly impressive. They didn’t just hang their heads after the final whistle, but celebrated their team for the greatest success in the club’s history. It reminded me of my visit to the stadium in Brussels on May 8, 1996, when Rapid Vienna lost to Paris Saint-Germain in the European Cup Winners’ Cup final but still received incredible support from the fans. 

Looking forward to the future 

For me, it was another inspiring experience with a wonderful football festival in glorious weather. Maybe we’ll see each other again at the 2026 cup final, and maybe I’ll get to experience a penalty shootout as a stadium announcer for the first time… What was the most exciting final you can remember? Feel free to let me know in the comments.