Katzener last worked for four and a half years at Vienna as sports director for the men’s team and helped to get Austria’s oldest football club back into the 2nd division. The team from Döbling are currently in sixth place, six points behind leaders SKN St. Pölten. According to the Rapid broadcast, the former defender received a three-year contract and should now get Hütteldorfer back on the road to success.
“Markuskatzer was one of several personalities that I had in mind from the start for the position of Managing Director Sport. After many discussions with him, I am now completely convinced that we – together with our existing sports management and the coaching staff – will form a strong team in the future, which will subordinate everything to the sporting success of our club,” saidkatzer’s senior manager Hofmann in a club broadcast .
Katzener only responsible for professionals
The new Managing Director Sport, who began his active career at Admira Wacker Mödling, experienced his most successful times as a player at Rapid and was also part of the last green-white championship teams in 2005 and 2008. According to Hofmann,katzer should now be “one hundred percent on the professional team, including squad planning and scouting”. The agendas of Rapid’s second team, which is committed to the second division, are entirely in Hofmann’s hands, according to the German.
In any case, Katzener himself, who will officially take up his new position in January 2023, is approaching his new role with great enthusiasm. “But I just have to accept an opportunity and a challenge like the one SK Rapid is offering me. Everyone knows my connection to this club, and I’m also convinced that we as a team have a very good opportunity to make positive sporting headlines once more in the future,” said the eleven-time team player, who has also been with Vienna for the past few years thanked.
Happy new president
Cat’s commitment was decided unanimously in the presidency, Rapid announced. The new president, Alexander Wrabetz, was pleased that the post had been filled so quickly. Katzener is still a young football manager, but already experienced in this area. “With Markuskatzer, two-thirds of our future management trio is now fixed, and I, like the entire Executive Committee, am convinced that we can count on a very committed, ambitious and collaborative management team in the future,” said Wrabetz. Katzener, Hofmann and Wrabetz made their first joint appearance on January 5th at a joint press conference in the Rapid Stadium.
