Interview with Alpenvolleys boss Hannes Kronthaler: "Sport will be one year down."
Unterhaching / Innsbruck – The trial period of Hypo Tirol Alpenvolleys Haching is over: In 2017 the Austrian volleyball champions from Innsbruck joined the volleyball Bundesliga (VBL) in cooperation with the second division club and four-time German cup winner TSV Unterhaching. The project was initially scheduled to run for three years, after which a decision should be taken to continue the cooperation. The hour of decision is approaching, but because of the Corona crisis in an extremely unfavorable situation: The season was stopped shortly before the playoffs, meaningful planning is currently hardly possible. The Innsbruck alpine volleyball manager Hannes Kronthaler (54), who is also the managing director of a large construction company, spoke to our newspaper about the difficult situation.
How are you doing in terms of health?
Thanks, I'm fine and I'm not in quarantine.
What is the current situation in Innsbruck?
Almost everything is closed by Easter Monday, including our hardware stores. I sent half of the company on vacation, but production is on. We expect that it will be like this by the end of April. After that, people will no longer stay at home.
Does the corona situation influence the decision whether to continue with the alpine volleyball?
That can be natural, because you don't have time to talk about sponsorship now.
The volleyball Bundesliga has postponed the deadlines for license applications. Does that help?
That helps, but it won't be easy. I think that the sport will be a year down. And the first thing that will be helped will be the footballers, who are already complaining that they have lost billions. Then the marginal sports will come. In any case, everyone will have to slim down.
Will the alpine volleyball even have a smaller budget?
That could be. But it is like this: my future is in Bavaria. Because in Tyrol I have sponsors, but not the great acceptance. I have great acceptance in Bavaria, but few sponsors. It is therefore important that we have one month left. And yet it is clear: It will not be easy for the alpine volleyball, just as it will not be for sport as a whole.
Are your players still in Innsbruck?
About half of them left, some of them fleeing. Shavrak, Richards, Stalekar, Siirilä, Gelinski, Clère, Cross are in their home countries. The others are still here, but they are not allowed to train. They all crouch at home. I continue to pay the players' basic salaries, not bonuses, which would only have been given when the final was reached.
Here we are with the sporting aspect of the canceled season: This final for the German championship was the declared goal. They seemed to be firmly on course towards second place after the main round, but then slipped to fourth place after three defeats, including against their direct competitors Friedrichshafen and Frankfurt. Defending title Berlin would have threatened as an opponent in the semi-finals of the playoffs. Would the endgame still be achievable?
I don't think we would have had a chance against Berlin in the semi-finals. I'm sorry about the possible quarter-final against Herrsching. It would have been casual to play in the Audi Dome. You could have looked at how it is there. It would not have been easy in terms of sport, but I think we would have already reached the semi-finals.
How do you explain that after a great run since the beginning of December, the team suddenly had this sag?
It should not be forgotten that Paulo da Silva (until then top scorer in the league - red.) Was injured. But we were wrong about it. It is understandable that the shock was still felt against Friedrichshafen shortly after the injury. Then we played a huge game in the European Cup against Saint Petersburg without Paulo and saw that it also works with his substitute Jerome Cross. But instead of playing against Frankfurt accordingly, everyone seemed to be pissed off and wondering why Paulo had to injure himself now. We should have done it differently, it was disappointing.
In the CEV-Cup there is nothing to complain about after the quite honorable quarter-final knockout against top favorite St. Petersburg.
We had a great volleyball evening at 2: 3 against Saint Petersburg in Unterhaching. Nevertheless: If we continue, we will probably not play in the European Cup anymore. You always have to play Champions League, but it's not worth it in the CEV Cup. Last season I paid 25,000 euros there, in this even 65,000 euros because we had such unfavorable trips away. And because of our situation with the cooperation, I have two thirds away games in the season anyway. Because when we play in Unterhaching Bundesliga, I have to pay a hotel every time. That costs me 100,000 euros a year.
So what are the chances that the alpine volleyball will continue?
I have 25 sponsors and I have already had contact with our main sponsor. The others don't have any time at the moment, just like me. I will think about the Easter holidays and then decide. After all, we were the clear number three in the Bundesliga over the three years. The problem is: In Germany, where we need new sponsors, everything happens (that is, all about the Corona crisis - red.) Two weeks later than here in Austria. I don't think anyone will then receive me or Mihai (Paduretu, the Alpine volleyball sports director from Unterhaching - ed.) For discussions about volleyball.
Everything is very complicated.
That is exactly the right word.
The conversation was going on
Umberto Savignano.