Heissl takes over Bad Ischl – his ex-club is upset

From the 13th minute onwards, SV Bad Ischl was outnumbered by top team Wallern in the Upper Austrian football league – but the team from the Salzkammergut was still able to celebrate a 1-1 draw in the end. The number one topic of conversation on Saturday in the Öko-Box Stadion in Bad Ischl was something completely different: the week before, the club had separated from coach Josef Bögl, and against the Trattnachtaler assistant coach Andreas Aster and goalie coach Michael Wimmer formed the interim duo.

From Monday, an old acquaintance from the Salzkammergut will take over the coaching scepter: Thomas Heissl, former coach of Bad Ischl’s local rivals Gmunden and Vöcklamarkt. Most recently, the 48-year-old was active with the Salzburg league club Adnet. The separation didn’t go really smoothly – and quite short-lived: on Friday he celebrated a 4-0 win against Bergheim, after which he resigned. “He told us that he wanted to have an ankle operation shortly and that he had to take a longer break. That’s why he resigned from his post. This approach is disappointing,” explained Adnet section head Roman Walkner to the Salzburger Nachrichten. Heissl’s break was short-lived: on Saturday he was officially presented as Bad Ischl’s new coach. While Salzburg are not happy about their ex-coach’s move, Heissl will start training in the imperial city on Monday.

“Can leave the club at any time”

“We were informed that Thomas had agreed to be able to leave the club at any time. That’s why we had no contact with Adnet,” explains Bad Ischl’s sports director Johann Roitmayer. With Bad Ischl, Heissl should secure relegation as soon as possible – and in the medium term take a path with many footballers from the region: “Thomas is also active as the sports director of the HAS/HAK Bad Ischl soccer school, so he knows a lot of young talent. We’re also expecting each other what it stands for: modern training,” says Roitmayer.