Josef Hickersberger

Josef Hickersberger
Hickersberger in 2015
Personal information
Date of birth (1948-04-27) 27 April 1948 (age 76)
Place of birth Amstetten, Austria
Height 1.77 m (5 ft 10 in)
Position(s) Midfielder
Youth career
1960–1966 ASK Amstetten
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1966–1972 Austria Wien 112 (28)
1972–1976 Kickers Offenbach 118 (28)
1976–1978 Fortuna Düsseldorf 59 (5)
1978–1980 SSW Innsbruck 35 (6)
1980–1982 Rapid Wien 48 (4)
Total 372 (71)
International career
1968–1978 Austria 39 (5)
Managerial career
1988–1990 Austria
1991–1992 Fortuna Düsseldorf
1993–1994 Austria Wien
1995–1997 Al Ahli
1996 Bahrain
1997–1999 El Mokawloon SC
1999–2000 Al-Shaab CSC
2000–2001 Al Wasl FC
2001–2002 Al-Ittihad (QAT)
2002–2005 Rapid Wien
2006–2008 Austria
2008–2010 Al-Wahda FC (Abu Dhabi)
2010 Bahrain
2010–2012 Al-Wahda FC (Abu Dhabi)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Josef Hickersberger (born 27 April 1948) is a former professional football player and former coach of the Austria national football team and Austrian club side Rapid Wien.

Club career

Hickersberger was born in Amstetten, Austria. He started his playing career with Austria Wien, where he was brought in by Ernst Ocwirk in 1966. After six successful seasons he was sold for 2.1 million schillings to Bundesliga side Kickers Offenbach. He later moved on to Fortuna Düsseldorf, then returned to Austria to join SSW Innsbruck and finished his professional career with Rapid Vienna. He continued playing for amateur sides Badener AC, UFC Pama, SV Forchtenstein and WSV Traisen where he took up his first coaching posts.

International career

Hickersberger made his debut for Austria in May 1968 against Romania and was a participant at the 1978 FIFA World Cup. He earned 39 caps, scoring five goals. His last international match was at the World Cup in 1978 against West Germany, a game dubbed The miracle of Córdoba which Austria won 3–2.

Managerial career

Since retiring as a player, Hickersberger has worked as a football coach. He was the coach of the Austria national team at the 1990 FIFA World Cup in Italy. However, after the sensational and embarrassing 1–0 defeat against the Faroe Islands in the first qualifying game of UEFA Euro 1992, he decided to quit and subsequently coached Fortuna Düsseldorf (1990–1992) and Austria Wien (1993–94).

Hickersberger then worked for a few years in the Middle Eastern region, where he trained several teams, among them the Bahrain national team, and Al Wasl FC Dubai, one of the most popular clubs in the UAE.

In 2002, Hickersberger returned to Austria, and brought back success to Rapid Wien. With him as coach, Rapid won the Austrian Championship of 2004–05, nine years after the last triumph, and accordingly qualified for the UEFA Champions League group stage where Rapid faced the teams of Bayern Munich, Juventus and Club Brugge.

He coached the Austria national team during the UEFA Euro 2008 played in Austria and Switzerland, obtaining only one point out of nine. Austria lost 1–0 against Croatia and Germany, and rescued a late draw, a 1–1 against Poland with a goal of Ivica Vastić on minute 93. Austria stayed in the third position in the Group B, staying out of the competition in their own country. Hickersberger and Joachim Löw were sent off in the match between Austria and Germany after claiming some errors made by Manuel Enrique Mejuto González. On 23 June 2008, he quit the Austria national team post.[1]

On 10 December, Hickersberger signed a contract with Al-Wahda FC (Abu Dhabi) as head coach until 30 June 2009. After finishing fourth, therefore earning a play-off berth in the Asian Champions League, and leading the team to the Etisalat Cup Final in his first year at the club, he signed a one-year extension.[2] He also brought along two of his former national team assistant coaches, including Klaus Lindenberger.

Personal life

Hickersberger's son Thomas played for the Austria national team in 2002.

Career statistics

Scores and results list Austria's goal tally first.
# Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1. 30 April 1972 Praterstadion, Vienna  Malta 1–0 4–0 1974 World Cup qualifier
2. 2–0
3. 3–0
4. 3 September 1972 Stadionul Central, Craiova  Romania 1–0 1–1 Friendly
5. 10 November 1976 Kavala National Stadium, Kavala  Greece 1–0 3–0 Friendly

Managerial statistics

As of 31 May 2012
Team From To Record
G W D L Win %
Austria 1 January 1988 14 September 1990 29 10 7 12 034.48
Fortuna Düsseldorf 1 January 1991 28 August 1991 23 7 3 13 030.43
Austria Wien1 1 July 1993 30 June 1994 40 23 5 12 057.50
Al Ahli SC 1 July 1995 30 June 1997
Bahrain 1 January 1996 21 December 1996 7 1 2 4 014.29
El Mokawloon SC 1 July 1997 30 June 1999
Al-Shaab CSC 1 July 1999 30 June 2000
Al Wasl FC 1 July 2000 30 June 2001
Al-Gharafa Sports Club 1 July 2001 30 June 2002
Rapid Wien1 1 July 2002 21 December 2005 143 63 38 42 044.06
Austria 1 January 2006 23 June 2008 24 5 8 11 020.83
Al Wahda S.C.C. 10 December 2008 1 June 2010
Bahrain 3 June 2010 20 October 2010 7 2 2 3 028.57
Al Wahda S.C.C. 22 October 2010 31 May 2012 38 15 13 10 039.47
Total 311 126 78 107 040.51
  • 1.^ Statistics includes league and Europe.

Honours

As a player

As a manager

References

  1. ^ "Austria coach Hickersberger quits". BBC Sport. 23 June 2008. Retrieved 20 August 2009.
  2. ^ Passela, Amith (22 July 2009). "Hickersberger focused on Al Wahda glory". The National. Abu Dhabi. Retrieved 13 September 2017.