FC Dornbirn: Insolvency fight for the regional league sparked emotions!

FC Dornbirn: Insolvency fight for the regional league sparked emotions!

Dornbirn, Österreich - The football fate of FC Dornbirn is on the brink. On June 3, the league commission decided that the association had to forced due to an ongoing insolvency proceedings. This emerges from a report by the Krone . The outrage in the club around chairman Gerhard Ölz can be felt: "We will protest against this decision and submit a lawsuit," says Ölz.

The problems are not new to FC Dornbirn. After relegation from Admiral 2. League in 2023, the refusal to admit for the second division followed in 2024 due to financial difficulties. With liabilities of 849,400 euros, the association is insolvent and has undergone a renovation process, which was known too late for the championship season in early 2025

a way to the uncertainty

The league is now discussing a new format for the Regionalliga West, which could include 17 clubs instead of the usual 16. This could represent a possible compromise for FC Dornbirn and avoid a lengthy legal dispute. The opinions of the participants are currently also obtained in a survey that still runs to this day. Toni Feldinger, chairman of Seekirchen, has announced that the Salzburg Football Association will decide after the survey was evaluated. However, the time of the final decision remains unclear.

However, there is also resistance to the concept of a 17-person league. Sepp Klingler from St. Johann expresses concerns about the difficulties of schedule. The clubs FC Pinzgau and Kuchl also speak against this reform. The discussion about the possible expansion is part of a major problem that the Regionalliga West also records; Clubs such as KFC Uerdingen and 1. FC Düren also have to register bankruptcy.

regional league between professional and amateur football

The situation in the regional leagues is tense overall. In Germany there is a comparison between traditional clubs, village associations and U23 teams. Here is also the question of fair promotion regulations. The regional league has to act as an interface between professional and amateur football-a role that it has had a hard time fulfilling in recent years, as ZDF

A total of around 20 clubs in the regional league have had to register bankruptcy since 2008. The high financial requirements, which can often not be covered by sponsorship or TV money, have forced many clubs to their knees. It remains to be seen whether the discussion about a reform of the league leads to the situation improving.

FC Dornbirn has just freed itself from a renovation process. But the pressure to struggle against the forced relegation could soon be a new attempt. The future for the club remains uncertain, and the next time will show how the situation will develop.