Stephan Helm takes over as violet coach

Austria Wien fills the position of head coach with the preferred solution from within its own ranks. Stephan Helm, until recently coach of the Young Violets, will lead the Violets into the new season in close co-operation with assistant coach Christian Wegleitner, who has been working with young Austria players for many years. Helm signed a contract until the summer of 2026 and will lead the first training session on 24 June.

The Austria management came to this unanimous decision after analysing numerous options in detail. A shortlist of five options was presented to the committees from 16 analysed coaching candidates, who were examined in detail. The first recommendation of the sporting management, to put Stephan Helm in charge, was unanimously approved and accepted by the committees.

Stephan Helm will work closely with assistant coach Christian Wegleitner, who has won just as many games in his time as interim head coach in the last four matches and led Austria to the European Cup via the play-off. Christoph Glatzer, who has held various roles at the Violets since 1999, will also join the coaching team as assistant coach and will also become head of player development.

Sporting Director Jürgen Werner: "We made this decision together within the Austria management with full conviction. Stephan Helm was our first choice and will contribute further qualities as head coach. It was also important to us that Christian Wegleitner will continue to play a central role in the coaching team. Both have known and understood each other very well for years. The new coaching team has our full trust, all of them are well connected and know our highly talented young players inside out."

President Kurt Gollowitzer: "From my point of view, we have found a solution full of expertise and experience, of which I am 100 per cent convinced. An important focus at Austria Wien is on our academy, we want to push young and highly talented players and integrate them into the professional game in good time. I would just like to point out that the U16s won the championship at the weekend, which we are delighted about and on which I can only congratulate them!"

Head coach Stephan Helm: "The opportunity to take on this responsibility as head coach fills me with great joy and honour. Austria Wien is a club with a lot of tradition, a clear vision and a great fan culture. I have had a very strong connection to Austria for years and I am passionate about this task. In the last six months as head coach of the Young Violets, I have experienced first-hand the potential of the next generation of our young players. I really appreciate working with Christian Wegleitner and am convinced that we can take the next steps together and develop the team's strengths."

Experience as a video analyst, co- & head coach at home & abroad

Stephan Helm has worked as head coach of the Young Violets since the end of February 2024, having already been responsible for analysing Austria's matches as part of Thorsten Fink's coaching team in 2018 and later Thomas Letsch. He then followed Fink to Switzerland as assistant coach at GC Zurich (2018-2020), where he subsequently also served as video analyst & U21 head coach. After a season as assistant coach at LASK under Dominik Thalhammer (2020/21), Stephan Helm took over the head coach position at SKN St. Pölten in the 2nd division (2021-2023) together with Emanuel Pogatetz.