Christian Gratzei Appointed Head of Football Operations at LASK

Gratzei not only brings a wealth of experience from his successful career as a goalkeeper but has also remained deeply involved in football following his playing days. He has worked as a goalkeeper coach and assistant coach at the professional, academy, and youth levels with SK Sturm, as well as with the first teams of Wolfsberger AC and TSV Hartberg. At Hartberg, the holder of a UEFA A License and a UEFA A Goalkeeper Coaching Diploma was already part of Markus Schopp's coaching staff.

In addition, the 43-year-old, who holds a diploma in International Football Management as well as Sports & Innovation Management, also served as Transfer Manager at Hartberg. At the request of the sporting leadership led by Markus Schopp, Gratzei has now joined LASK as Head of Football Operations, where he will act as a key link between the executive management and the sports department.

During his playing career, Gratzei was one of Austria's most successful goalkeepers in recent history. The Styrian made 273 appearances in the Austrian Bundesliga, guarded the net 24 times in European competitions, and won one Austrian league title as well as two domestic cups. He was named Goalkeeper of the Season in 2007/08 and 2010/11 and earned 10 caps for the Austrian national team.