• croatiantimes.com
• romaniantimes.at
• salzburgtimes.at
• viennatimes.at
• austrianindependent.com

Today

• Vienna - Johnny\'s Pub Quiz
• Vienna - Unknown Underground
• Vienna- January and February at the Austrian Film Museum
• Vienna - Art by Petronilla Hohenwarter.
• STOMP at the MuseumsQuartier

05. 02. 10. - 15:00

• more Sports news
• RSS Feed Sports

05. 02. 10. - 15:00

Austrian football coach gives up on Moscow job

Gerhard Hitzel, who has been coaching at football club Lokomotiv Moscow’s youth academy, has quit his job and returned home to Forchtenstein in Burgenland's Mattersburg district.

Hitzel, 62, who flew back to Vienna yesterday (Thurs), said club officials and he had mutually agreed to end his contract which had been valid until the end of 2010.

He said cited security and professional reasons for his decision to quit.

Hitzel, who was mysteriously kidnapped in Moscow in early December, said police there had told him he was in danger of being kidnapped again and that his December abduction had not been the result of a case of mistaken identity or attempted robbery.

Rather, they said: "I should look for the reason for it in my personal and professional work and was running the risk of a second one."

He added that club management and he had also had different views about the team’s future.

Hitzel added that he was in no hurry to get another job and would prefer not to have to retire, but, if he did, "so what, why not."

He had said in December that he had thought he would be killed after he was kidnapped in Moscow after being dragged into a car by unknown men as he went to work and held by them for an hour before being dumped on a roadside.

The former youth coach for the Austrian Football Association (ÖFB) was left with bruises and scratches all over his body.

Austrian Times

Related articles: football

1. Beckenbauer bashes Bulls

   » Sports 2011-12-12

   Football legend Franz Beckenbauer has harshly criticised Red Bull Salzburg’s (RBS) strategy.

2. Best of the bookshelf this Xmas, part three

   » Panorama 2011-12-06

   Winter is the perfect time to withdraw from this modern world’s routines and stress to read a book. Here is an overview of acclaimed non-fiction publications of the past few months.

3. Bulls bruised in Vienna

   » Sports 2011-11-21

   Red Bull Salzburg (RBS) coach Ricardo Moniz is under enormous pressure after his team suffered a humiliating 2-4 defeat in Vienna yesterday (Sun).

more related articles tagged "football"

Related articles: business scandals

1. Electricity supplier switch barriers to disappear

   » Business 2012-02-07

   People’s Party (ÖVP) Economy Minister Reinhold Mitterlehner has promised a further reduction of bureaucratic obstacles for people planning to change their electricity providers.

2. Erste Bank expert optimistic about Hungary

   » Business 2012-02-07

   The chief analyst of Austria’s biggest bank has said chances for a political agreement about the difficult economic condition of Hungary are good.

3. ORF forced to leave Facebook

   » Business 2012-02-06

   A media rights watchdog has ordered the ORF to exit Facebook.

more related articles tagged "business scandals"

Foglar infuriated by 'tactical games'
Austrian Trade Union (ÖGB) President Erich Foglar has accused the vice chancellor of "playing games".

Le Carré novel hits the big screen
A new espionage film is now on at the Burgkino Vienna where all movies are screened in their original versions.

Kadyrov welcomes Austrian right-wingers
A delegation of representatives of a rightist Austrian party met with Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov, it has emerged.

Gourmet evenings at Linsberg Asia
Less than an hour away from Vienna is the Linsberg Asia - four star hotel, spa and culinary hotspot. For several years now the Linsberg restaurant has been producing award-winning food, receiving the ultimate accolade in the most recent Gault Millau when its lamb was described simply as melt in the mouth.

Felderer 'disappointed' as government eyes up tax hikes
A leading economist has criticised the government for making tax hikes an essential part of its upcoming savings package.

Unionists criticise hotels over mini-jobbers
Labour union leaders are alarmed as the number of tourism sector mini-jobbers is climbing.

Satek snatches Zielpunkt
A German businessman has taken over Zielpunkt.

Europe's highest brewery in Austria
Europe’s highest brewery has opened in Austria. The "Asitz Bräu" which opened for business on 17 December last year, is located at 1,760 metres and is run by the Altenberger family, owners of four star hotel "Der Krallerhof" in Leogang.

Austria registers decrease of business bankruptcies
The number of Austrian business bankruptcies is in decline despite increasingly difficult economic circumstances in Europe.

Austria registers decrease of business bankruptcies
The number of Austrian business bankruptcies is in decline despite increasingly difficult economic circumstances in Europe.