Klagenfurt’s Survival: A Team, A Season, A Fight for Salaries
The worst is supposedly over for SK Austria Klagenfurt, but the path forward is uncertain and fraught with financial distress. The team weathered a stormy season, but the aftermath has left several former players and staff members high and dry, waiting for their unpaid salaries from the 2021-2022 season.
Unpaid Salaries: A Growing List of Names
- Aaron Sky Schwarz
- Ben Bobzien
- Bego Kujrakovic
- Solomon Bonah
- Christopher Cvetko
- Simon Straudi
- David Toshevski
Incoming Turbulence: Bankruptcy Looms Large
With salaries unpaid, the VDF union has taken steps to avoid bankruptcy. “At the latest on Tuesday morning we bring everything into the Senate 2 of the Bundesliga, prepare everything. Subsequently, you have to request the salaries – they don’t flow, of course, it goes towards bankruptcy,” said VDF boss Gernot Baumarnter on Monday.
Hope Resting on an Investor
A potential savior in the form of an investor from the Middle East could be the club’s lifeline. However, negotiations have hit a snag, with a group from Dubai reportedly backing out. Current shareholder Zeljko Karajica has been in talks with interested parties from Germany, with meetings scheduled for the following days.
Karajica Threatens Legal Action
Karajica’s threat of legal action has been echoed by former members of the club. Ex-Viktoria Berlin players and employees, including former sports director Bernd Nehrig, are still awaiting premiums and salaries dating back to June 2021. Karajica warned, “Then a prison application will be made in the next step!”
Did You Know?
SK Austria Klagenfurt gained promotion to the Bundesliga in 2018, celebrating their 40th anniversary in 2020.
What’s Next?
The coming days will tell whether an investor steps in to save Klagenfurt from bankruptcy, or if the club’s future remains as uncertain as the unpaid salaries that haunt its past.