01 / 2022

Project "Our New Way" - the new Volleyball Bundesliga

Another Consulting mandate for MK Consulting GmbH

The aim of the association is to actively contribute to the positive overall development of the Austrian volleyball sport. As a first step, the VBL sees the independent implementation of the 1^st Volleyball Bundesliga of the men from the season 22/23. In further consequence, the offer also goes to the clubs of the 1^st Bundesliga ladies, as well as the clubs of the respective 2^nd Bundesligen.

After years of discussions with the Austrian Volleyball Federation (ÖVV) and internal analysis of a working group of some club representatives, the founders of the VBL have now decided to establish this own league association in order to strengthen the league in a sportive and economic sustainable way - MK Consulting GmbH will support the clubs on this way and help to develop a clear strategy and the corresponding schedule.

MK is a member of the negotiating team

For the now necessary further negotiations with the official bodies, the Austrian Volleyball Federation and its regional associations, a negotiating team was nominated with VBL-President Peter Kirchmayr, Vicepresident Karl Hanzl and Markus Kraetschmer as an external consultant.

The negotiating team of the league will enter into talks with the representatives of the ÖVV very soon in order to arrange the transition of certain areas from the ÖVV to the VBL as constructively as possible. "The development in many other sports has shown that it is more than reasonable to separate the agendas of the national federation from those of the respective national league, as representative of the TOP area. The clear and very ambitious goal of the clubs is to appear in the new organization as early as the 22/23 season," reports Markus Kraetschmer.

VBL President Kirchmayr said in a first statement: "I am pleased that eight clubs are involved as founders in this step, which is so decisive for volleyball in Austria. I would also like to thank the chairmen of the clubs for the trust they have placed in me to represent the VBL to the outside world."

Markus Kraetschmer adds: "A very, very exciting project - I am pleased that I can on the one hand work on a very visionary development and on the other hand contribute my many years of experience from the association and league system in other sports!"

Experience in national and international federations

Kraetschmer will bring to this process, on the one hand, his decades of experience in the organization and reorganization of clubs and associations and, on the other hand, his experience through board functions in the ÖFBL, the ÖFB and the ECA. "The clubs of the VBL are more than dissatisfied with the development of the past years in the ÖVV in the sporting as well as in the economic area, with the new league association they want and will now decisively shape the development at the top of Austrian volleyball!", says Kraetschmer about the clear wish and mission of the clubs.

Successful role models

The difficult framework conditions due to the restrictions of the Covid-19 pandemic in the Bundesliga, but also in the CEV competitions and the MEVZA, as well as with the national teams, always new, partly not practical ÖVV specifications and decisions of the ÖVV without appropriate involvement of the clubs have let the clubs come to this decision! "Especially the separation of the areas of responsibility in the soccer association, when more than 30 years ago the ÖFB and ÖFBL reorganized the competences, rights and tasks, and the resulting sporting and economic development are a prime example of the meaningfulness of such a reorganization," Kraetschmer holds, "but also in other sports such as Ice Hockey or Handball, both in Austria, but also abroad, the autonomous leagues are models of success and role models for the new VBL!"

In addition to the reorganization of the handling of match operations and registration, the negotiations will focus on questions of scheduling, sponsorship and rights marketing, various guidelines and the relationship with or representation in the international federations and competitions of the CEV and MEVZA. "At the end of the day, it's about finding solutions that make sense for the VBL AND the ÖVV or the regional associations - that's what I will focus on in the negotiations!" concluded Kraetschmer.

28.01.2022 - MK Consuling GmbH