Fair Play on the Green Pitch

"We didn’t need much: a ball, two backpacks for goals – and we were already kicking off," recalls Irene Fuhrmann about the beginnings of her romance with the sport that is now both her profession and her calling. The ÖFB women’s national team coach sums up the essence of football: it’s for everyone. No fancy equipment, no nets, bats, hoops, or other "gimmicks" (as the Viennese say) – the ultimate people’s sport, from the schoolyard to the professional league. All facets of the round leather are also present in Seestadt: the after-work match or the football camp at the newly opened Soccerbase by comedian Gernot Kulis, the spontaneous match at the street soccer pitch under the subway – and soon, national team training at the new ÖFB Campus, which recently broke ground.

Life as a footballer is stressful, says Irene Fuhrmann: "The demands on our team players are increasing – with more games come more travel strains. And in Austria, there just aren’t that many options where we can prepare ideally for matches." But the ÖFB Campus meets all the criteria, she says: "It’s extremely valuable for us to have training facilities here, as well as recovery, meeting, and weight rooms. The proximity to the airport and being able to stay right at the campus also helps, of course. This way, we can prepare for our opponents very efficiently."

The entire campus will become the new headquarters of the ÖFB, housing a small stadium with 1,000 seats, an artificial turf pitch, and three additional grass pitches. There will also be locker and function rooms, accommodation options, and modern office spaces. Set back a bit from the street, the new training center will feature a forecourt, while facing Seestadtstraße, there will be a restaurant, auditorium, press office, and training rooms. This connection makes the campus spatially what it’s meant to be: an invitation. To drop by, to watch, to join in. "The new facilities will also benefit local schools and kindergartens, as well as Vienna’s football clubs, who can hold training sessions and matches here," says Sports City Councillor Peter Hacker.

Do you remember the media speculation about which hairstyle David Beckham would wear onto the pitch? And how many excited teenagers showed up in class with the same hairstyle just days later? "When the European Championship was broadcast on ORF for the first time in 2017, Laura Feiersinger always played with two braids," Fuhrmann recalls. "And then I noticed how many girls suddenly came onto the field with two braids. That was a real aha moment for me: we were suddenly visible." She is convinced that regular training sessions at the new campus have the potential to inspire children and young people – and maybe even get them to move from the stands onto the pitch: "Nearby schools, kindergartens, and clubs will also be able to rent the pitches – and I believe every opportunity for boys and girls to simply chase the ball is a good thing. Ultimately, it’s about bringing them closer to the sport, inspiring them. And that, in turn, ensures new talent."

Directly opposite HoHo Vienna, on the roof of a parking garage with an adjacent office building, the Soccerbase offers five pitches for four to five players per team, plus an event base and a sports bar with regular match broadcasts. From children’s birthday parties to corporate events, everything is covered. There are training sessions and courses for children from the age of three – and then no upper age limit, as Kulis emphasizes: "We want to offer something for everyone: for kids just starting out, who want to see if they’re interested in the sport. But also for club players – they also love coming to our camps."

That’s mainly due to the training methods developed by Nino Martinovic, Kulis is convinced: "It’s intensive training with lots of ball contact – we work on cognitive, coordination, and technical skills – Nino is on an incredible level when it comes to the exercises. Especially with children, it’s also about working on mindset: what does football mean in terms of togetherness and integration? And of course, we want to convey fun – that’s what my whole life is about in a way." There’s also a secret in how you communicate with kids: "My son is now eight and just starting football – recently we trained together and I told him: 'Your left foot is sad.' When he asked why, I explained that his right foot had already shot twenty times and his left only twice. At his next training, he said: 'Daddy, today my left foot isn’t sad anymore.' You just have to find a way to talk to kids that they can relate to and process well." In summer, "Starcamps" are offered in cooperation with Spusu: "Under Nino’s guidance, a different Bundesliga pro comes every week to train with the kids."

There’s no difference made between boys and girls, either in training or in group formation: "Up to U12, kids play mixed teams in championships anyway. When forming groups, it’s only about football skills – so everyone can benefit from each other, especially if they have an equal or maybe even slightly better counterpart. In the end, it’s about learning from and with each other."