Tomas Zorn takes charge as FK Austria Wien's new sporting director
Tomas Zorn has taken on the role of sporting director at FK Austria Wien at a challenging time. He was proposed by the investor group led by Jürgen Werner, whose shares in the club Austria Wien aims to repurchase by 2026.
"I didn't come here to fight proxy wars," Zorn declared at his presentation as the club's new sporting director on Thursday. Instead, he emphasized the need for strong collaboration to minimize "external disruptions." He stressed that he has no ties to the investors. "I am not a proxy."
Zorn acknowledged the unrest that has plagued the club in the past. "I know I have to earn the trust of the public and the fans first. But I'm highly motivated to do so. I'm genuinely excited to help this historic club return to success and unlock its full potential. I'm passionate about this challenge." Since his appointment a week and a half ago, he reported, discussions have been highly productive. "We're all pulling in the same direction." Zorn revealed that initial talks with Austria Wien had taken place as early as a year and a half ago—through the club's supervisory board member Hanno Egger and on the recommendation of Austrian national team manager Ralf Rangnick, who had brought him on as sporting director at Lokomotiv Moscow back in 2021.
"I've known him for over 15 years," Zorn said of Rangnick. He first met Rangnick during his time as a player agent, admiring his vision for football and his approach to building structures. The two remain in regular contact. Just days ago, they met in Vienna, and they plan to do so again this Friday at Austria Wien's spring season opener in Salzburg, as well as a week later at the Vienna derby. "He's an important figure for me when it comes to football," Zorn said. Though born in Moscow and trained as a lawyer, Zorn is determined to forge his own path. Since leaving Lokomotiv Moscow after Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, he has earned a FIFA diploma in club management, gained experience through internships, and worked as a consultant. "I was determined to work in the German-speaking world," he explained. "I'm a doer—I like to shape things, not just administer them."
There's plenty of work ahead at Austria Wien. "For us, it's absolutely essential to work in a performance-driven, goal-oriented, and united way," Zorn stressed. He described his relationship with the club's newly appointed technical director, Michael Wagner, as well as with sporting director Robert Urbanek and academy head Manuel Takacs, as excellent. He dismissed recent claims to the contrary as frustrating. "We make decisions collegially—I'm a team player."
One of Zorn's key objectives is to establish strong processes in scouting and youth development. "We have a good pool of talent." He has no intention of interfering in head coach Stephan Helm's work. "The coach must make his own decisions on the team." While Helm's contract expires at the end of the season, Zorn has made it clear that he is focused on understanding Helm's methods. "We're not judging Stephan based on short-term results," he said. Still, the new director emphasized the importance of securing a top-six finish in the upper playoff bracket. Austria Wien begins the spring season in fifth place.
The club's president, Kurt Gollowitzer, explained that major decisions—particularly personnel matters—will now follow a "four-eyes principle" between Zorn and financial director Harald Zagiczek, ensuring close collaboration. The syndicate agreement with the investors clearly states that while the club appoints the financial director, the investors retain the right to propose the sporting director.
"As the supervisory board, we could have vetoed Tomas Zorn's appointment," Gollowitzer confirmed. However, Zorn had impressed in all internal hearings. "He convinced us that he wants to take this new path together with all of us. That's an excellent foundation. He won everyone over."
Gollowitzer dismissed suggestions of an internal power struggle. However, he acknowledged that the contract with the investors—who had secured the survival of FK Austria Wien with a double-digit million-euro sum in early 2022—had been finalized by his predecessors. "I would like to see contracts honored," Gollowitzer emphasized. "One of my key responsibilities is to ensure the situation doesn't escalate further."
He confirmed that both sides are working to transfer the shares of the investor group WTF (we think forward), led by Werner, back to the club. "We've had very, very productive talks in recent weeks," Gollowitzer said. "Ideally, the share repurchase would be completed by the end of the second quarter." Financing, however, remains unresolved. He stressed that the deal must not strain the club or the budget of its parent company in the near future, risking the "very, very strong recovery trajectory" they are currently on.
"We've been through far tougher times than this," Gollowitzer remarked. Zagiczek, the club's finance chief, pointed out that Austria Wien had posted a positive half-year result and was on track for its first annual profit in over a decade. The forecast for 2026/27 even projected "a substantial profit." Last year, the club had sold its stadium to the City of Vienna to shore up liquidity. "We pay all our bills on time," Zagiczek underscored. "A turnaround doesn't happen overnight. But we're optimistic."
He expressed confidence that Austria Wien would secure its league license for the third consecutive year in the first instance, with the deadline for documentation set for March 2. "There are challenges," Zagiczek admitted. The issue of negative equity had been resolved, while ensuring liquidity beyond the next fiscal year was still a work in progress.
Economically, the club's strategy hinges on generating "operational revenue from sports wherever possible"—such as through the sale of homegrown players. This is where Zorn comes in. Zagiczek described a highly productive start with his new board colleague, noting that despite Zorn—who had previously commuted from Berlin—having the longest travel distance, he was the first to arrive at the office and the last to leave. "I'm looking forward to working with him."
