Österreichischer Fußball- Bund facts for kids

Leo Windtner – president of the ÖFB

The Austrian Football Association (ÖFB) is the main group that runs football in Austria. They organize big football events like the Austrian Bundesliga (the top league) and the Austrian Cup. They also manage the Austrian national football teams for both men and women. Their main office is in Vienna.

In 2010, over 500,000 players were part of more than 2,200 teams! This makes the ÖFB the biggest sports group in Austria.

The Story of Austrian Football

The first football club in Austria started in 1894. Just ten years later, in 1904, the Austrian Football Association (ÖFB) was officially created. Before this, another group called the Österreichische Fußball-Union was in charge, but it closed down when the ÖFB began.

The ÖFB quickly became a big part of international football. In 1905, it joined FIFA, which is the world's main football organization. Austria even hosted the fifth FIFA meeting in 1908! Later, in 1954, the ÖFB also became a member of UEFA, which manages football in Europe.

The "Miracle Team" Era

The time before World War II was very successful for Austrian football. Between 1930 and 1933, the Austrian national team was so good they were called the "Wunderteam" (Miracle Team). They won 14 matches in a row! In 1934, they finished fourth in the FIFA World Cup. The Austrian team also won a silver medal in the Olympic football tournament held in Berlin.

After World War II, Austria continued to play in many FIFA World Cups, including in 1954, 1958, 1978, 1982, 1990, and 1998. Their best World Cup result was in 1954, when they came in third place. The last big international tournament Austria played in was the UEFA Euro 2008, which Austria co-hosted with Switzerland.

Who Manages Austrian Football?

The ÖFB works with nine regional football groups across Austria. These groups help organize football at a local level in different parts of the country.

Images for kids

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  Hugo Meisl was a famous coach of the "Wunderteam."

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  Heinrich Retschury also coached the Austrian team.

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  Herbert Prohaska, a well-known Austrian player, later became a coach.

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  Hans Krankl, another famous Austrian player, also coached the national team.

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  Dietmar Constantini coached the team at different times.