2024-02-02 17:07:22
Former U21 national soccer striker Marlon Mustapha has come into conflict with the law because of a call-up order to the Austrian armed forces, which he failed to comply with in January. According to sports director Peter Schöttel, the ÖFB is in contact with the Ministry of Defense in order to mediate. “We are trying to help, but the situation is obviously complicated,” Schöttel told the APA – Austria Press Agency on Friday.
Mustapha moved on loan this week from Italian Serie B promotion candidate Como to Fortuna Düsseldorf in the second German Bundesliga. According to the call-up order, the 22-year-old would have had to start his basic military service on January 8th at the Maria Theresien barracks in Vienna, the “Kronen Zeitung” reported shortly before the transfer. But Mustapha didn’t want to interrupt his professional career. If he enters Austria, he now faces arrest and possibly a prison sentence.
According to Schöttel, Mustapha would not have been able to get a place in the Army Sports Center (HSZ), for which the ÖFB makes the rankings, because he was always employed abroad at the beginning of his professional career. “When you are abroad, you can only apply for deferrals once more and once more,” explained the ÖFB sports director. Recently, however, this obviously no longer happened on time. “He should have asked for a postponement once more, but he didn’t,” “Der Standard” quoted ministry spokesman Colonel Michael Bauer as saying on Friday.
In November, he was consulted by Mustapha’s management in the matter, Schöttel reported. “We passed on our contact to the ministry.” An ÖFB employee is currently in contact with the authority. “We hope for the sake of Austrian football that this will turn out for the better,” said the sports director. “We can’t do anything more at the moment.” The decision lies with the ministry. According to Bauer, however, there is “no possibility of goodwill because it would be an abuse of office if we turned a blind eye.”
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