VdF - Cast
This is the VdF - Cast
VdF cast with Markus Kuster: “In football, everything can change within a few weeks“
From long-time Bundesliga goalkeeper to difficult experiences abroad – Markus Kuster speaks openly about the highs and lows of his career in the new VdF podcast ⚽🎙️
Together we will talk about:
🧤 his formative time at SV Mattersburg
🇩🇪 the difficult step to Germany to join Karlsruher SC
🇨🇭 the restart in Switzerland at Winterthur
🇨🇾 his experiences in Cyprus and the challenges off the pitch
💭 Mental phases with little playing time and doubt
📄 outstanding salary payments and player rights
🤝 the importance of support from the VdF
🎯 The time after your career and what young players should understand early on. Subscribe to our channel for more.
VdF Cast with Leila Peneau About Leaving France at a Young Age to Chase the Football Dream
From France to Austria 🇫🇷➡️🇦🇹 In the new VdF-Cast episode, Leila Peneau talks about her journey in football, moving abroad at a young age, the reality of women's football, difficult moments away from home and everything people normally don't see behind the scenes. Really honest conversation with a player that has already experienced a lot in her young career. Subscribe to our channel for more insights into the football world ⚽ And let us know in the comments which topics or guests you would like us to cover next.
We also talked about:
⚽ playing for SKN St. Pölten Frauen and the importance of this chapter in her development
⚽ differences between France & Austria
⚽ pressure and sacrifices in football
⚽ financial reality in women's football
⚽ life after the career
⚽ where the women's game still needs to improve
Really honest conversation with a player that has already experienced a lot in her young career. Subscribe to our channel for more insights into the football world
And let us know in the comments which topics or guests you would like us to cover next.
VdF-Cast with Ilija Plavcic about the new cooperation between VdF and Player Finder.
Player Finder offers players the opportunity to present themselves professionally and become visible to clubs. Together with the VdF (Association of German Football Players), this platform will be used even more effectively in the future to actively support careers.
In this episode you will learn: • How the collaboration came about
• What problem in football is this intended to solve
• How players specifically benefit
• What opportunities arise from digital visibility
👉 Subscribe to the channel so you don't miss any more episodes.
VdF-Cast with Irene Fuhrmann about women's football in Austria
Guest on the VdF-Cast is Irene Fuhrmann, former team manager of the Austrian women's national team.
In this open and in-depth episode, we talk about the reality of women's football in Austria. The focus is on the players as individuals.
Together we will talk about:
– the pressure between football, education and career
– Protection and responsibility towards players
– Contracts, working conditions and lack of security in women's football
– Injuries, stress and prevention – Pregnancy, maternity and the return to competitive sports
– mental health, insecurity and performance pressure – concrete measures for the further development of
Women's football in Austria 👉 Subscribe to the channel so you don't miss any more episodes.
VdF-Cast with Andreas Lukse about career, transition & future in professional football
In this episode of the VdF podcast, we speak openly and reflectively with Andreas Lukse about his journey in professional football – from his beginnings at Rapid Vienna, through stints in the Austrian Bundesliga and at 1. FC Nürnberg, to his final years as a professional at Blau-Weiß Linz. The conversation focuses not only on sporting achievements, but above all on decisions, pressure situations, the transition after his playing career, and structural issues within Austrian football.
VdF Cast with Dario Pecirep about rise, setbacks & a new app
In this episode, we welcome Dario Pecirep, who at 34 already boasts an impressive career: Bundesliga, 2nd division, and regional league – he has experienced all levels of Austrian football and knows the differences like few others. He achieved promotion to the Bundesliga with Austria Klagenfurt in 2021, but he is also very familiar with the challenges and downsides of professional football.
VdF – Cast I Doppelpass: Right to Training
Every player has the fundamental right to participate in their team's training. Clubs cannot simply exclude players from team training or "outsource" them without reason. Such measures – like isolated training or permanently training with a second team – are often used to get rid of unwanted players or pressure them to terminate their contracts. In the VdF podcast, Gernot Baumgartner and lawyer Christina Toth explain the legal situation, the limits clubs must observe, and what players can do if their right to train is violated.
VdF – Cast with Walter Franta about his experience in Saudi Arabia
In this episode we talk to Walter Franta, current goalkeeping coach, about his exciting journey in football, from his beginnings as a goalkeeper to his coaching positions in Austria, Germany and Saudi Arabia.
- His start at Admira Wacker & the challenges of the coaching profession
- Experience with short-term contracts, club transfers and
- Uncertainties: First impressions of Saudi Arabia – from infrastructure to culture
- The reality behind big promises and contract issues
- Tips for young goalkeepers and anyone who wants to move abroad with big offers
VdF – Cast with Christian Gartner about his time in Germany and Austria
In this episode of the VdF podcast, Christian Gartner is the guest. He speaks candidly about his beginnings in Austrian youth football, his move to Fortuna Düsseldorf in the 2. Bundesliga, and his stints in Duisburg and Aachen. He also discusses his return to Austria, the development of the 2. Bundesliga, infrastructure and spectator numbers, as well as his role as assistant coach at Stripfing during an injury period.VdF – Cast with Bernhard Zimmermann on success, setbacks & comeback
In this episode, we welcome Berni Zimmermann, who at just 23 years old has already experienced some highs and lows in professional football. From SC Korneuburg to the St. Pölten academy to Rapid Vienna – and after a serious cruciate ligament injury, now under contract with First Vienna.VdF – Cast I Double Pass: Contracts are for making up!
In this new episode of the VdF-Cast, Gernot Baumgartner and lawyer Christina Toth provide an in-depth insight into the topic of contract drafting in professional football.
They explain which clauses clubs typically include in their contracts and what players should pay particular attention to before signing. Using concrete examples from the professional sector, they highlight pitfalls and protective mechanisms in contracts.
VdF-Cast with Gernot Zirngast about the profession of coach
This episode is about the world of coaching behind the scenes: Gernot Zirngast talks about his role at the Austrian Football Coaches Association and his work at the VdF regarding female and male coaches.
The focus is on the legal situation of coaches in Austria – from the Bundesliga to the regional league – current coaching changes as well as challenges with contracts and social security issues.
VdF – Cast I Double Pass: Options in Football
In the current episode of the VdF-Cast, Gernot Baumgartner and lawyer Christina Toth discuss the practice of unilateral contract extension options in professional football.
These clauses allow clubs to extend player contracts for another year without renegotiation. Gernot and Christina examine the legal and ethical aspects of this practice and explain its potential impact on players' career planning and contractual freedom.
VdF-Cast with Mirnes Becirovic about consistency, fighting spirit & career goals
Next guest on the VdF podcast: Mirnes Becirovic – the stalwart of the 2nd division! In this episode, we welcome a true veteran: Mirnes Becirovic – captain, leader, and one of the most experienced professionals in the 2nd division with over 400 appearances!VdF-Cast with Mirnes Becirovic about consistency, fighting spirit & career goals
Next guest on the VdF podcast: Mirnes Becirovic – the stalwart of the 2nd division! In this episode, we welcome a true veteran: Mirnes Becirovic – captain, leader, and one of the most experienced professionals in the 2nd division with over 400 appearances!VdF Cast with Manfred Fischer: From regional league to Bundesliga captain
In this episode of the VdF-Cast we talk to Mandi Fischer, captain of FK Austria Wien, about his impressive career path, the challenges as a professional and the importance of mental strength in football.VdF Cast: All about licensing in football with Gernot Baumgartner
Welcome to the latest episode of the VdF-Cast! Today we are speaking with VdF Chairman Gernot Baumgartner about one of the most important topics in professional football: the licensing of clubs.Jörg Siebenhandl on his career, the pressure as a goalkeeper & Austrian football
In this exciting episode, we speak with Jörg Siebenhandl, one of Austria's most experienced goalkeepers! We delve deep into his career – from his beginnings in football, through his time at Wiener Neustadt, Admira, Würzburger Kickers, Sturm Graz, and LASK Linz, to his greatest challenges and successes. Jörg gives us exclusive insights into the life of a goalkeeper, how to handle pressure, mental preparation, and his perspective on Austrian football. We also discuss his involvement with the Austrian Football Association (VdF) and his plans for the future. A must-see for all football fans and aspiring goalkeepers!VdF Cast with Markus Suttner: From professional footballer to entrepreneur!
This time we have a special guest: Markus Suttner – a former professional footballer who played for Austria Vienna, FC Ingolstadt, Brighton, and Fortuna Düsseldorf. Today he works as an insurance broker at Safe11, a company that offers insurance solutions specifically tailored to the needs of footballers.Podcast with Oliver Prudlo about the 2025 winter transfer window
Oliver Prudlo talks about various factors of the 2025 winter transfer window and the involvement of the VdF – The Players' Association in various areas.„In the end, the players are the winners“ | Gernot Baumgartner and Gregor Pötscher
Almost exactly two years ago, it became necessary for the VdF (Association of German Footballers) to become an independent football organization. Reason enough to celebrate the half-dozen episodes: In the 6th edition of the VdF-Cast, Chairman Gernot Baumgartner and his colleague Gregor Pötscher explain why they continue to prioritize dialogue with the ÖGB (Austrian Trade Union Federation), why the players voted for a reform of membership fees, and why female and male footballers are currently the big winners.„I really got caught up in it at FC Tirol“ | Oliver Prudlo
Oliver Prudlo has been part of the VdF team again for ten years. He was already with the players' association between 2004 and 2010 and played a key role in the VdF's first collective bargaining agreement in 2008. In this interview, he talks about how the players' association helped him as a player and what he hopes for in the future.„I drive up to 28,000 km a year for the VdF“ | Gregor Pötscher
He's a GAK legend and well on his way to becoming a VdF legend: Gregor Pötscher has been part of the players' association since 2011 – and is constantly on the go. We accompany the man responsible for member support, team visits, and the Starcamps on a car trip to Vienna.„"Football can still give you a lot even if you don't make it to the top" | Volker Piesczek
When Wiener Sportclub filed for bankruptcy in the mid-1990s, Volker Piesczek became a member of the VdF (Association of German Footballers) – and the TV presenter has recently become a permanent member of the VdF team. He had to end his professional career early due to injury, but his story is the best proof that the world's most popular sport can be an important door opener. In this episode of the VdF Cast, he talks about how he made his entry into professional life and how VdF members can now benefit from his experience.„VdF Coaching offers more to players without a club“ | Ümit Korkmaz and Gernot Baumgartner
In the second episode of the VdF Cast, Ümit Korkmaz and Gernot Baumgartner are the guests. Ümit, a former national team player and veteran of both German and Turkish leagues, is now the VdF's expert on out-of-contract players, career development, and integration. In the interview, he discusses what makes the new VdF Coaching project for unattached players so important and why he was already grateful for the VdF as an institution during his time as a professional player.„We just want to work in peace“ | Gernot Baumgartner
Gernot Baumgartner has been chairman of the Association of Footballers (VdF) since autumn 2022. In the first episode of the new VdF Cast, he explains what lies behind the discussion surrounding the „ÖGB/younion political issue“ and why the players want to be represented by the VdF.