Father confirms: Martin Hinteregger storms after the end of his career for the amateur club in Austria
The sudden end of his career at the age of 29 surprised not only the fans of Eintracht Frankfurt: Martin Hinteregger is turning his back on professional football after the Europa League triumph with SGE. “The reasons matured in autumn when I didn’t play a few games. I got up in the morning and felt how beautiful life is when you’re not under pressure,” the Austrian explained his step. However, Hinteregger has by no means finished with the sport, as his father Franz has now done Crown newspaper reveal hat: Accordingly, his son is already targeting a football comeback – in the amateur field!
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However, in an unusual role. The long-time defender Hinteregger is supposed to go hunting for goals as a striker for his hometown club SGA Sirnitz in the fifth division of Carinthia. “We are happy that he is returning home after 17 years,” Hinteregger’s father is quoted as saying by the newspaper. “Martin is happy that peace is returning.” In addition to his work as an amateur footballer, Hinteregger will also be running the “Gasthaus Adler” restaurant in Frankfurt, which opened shortly after he retired, with two partners and a company that offers helicopter sightseeing flights with the Austrian ex-ski jumper Thomas Morgenstern.
Hinteregger’s contract with Eintracht, which was valid until 2024, was only suspended and not terminated so that the ex-national player could not switch for free if he changed his mind about the end of his career. But traveling does not look up to date, even if he remains a Frankfurt fan: Hinteregger announced that he would also be attending away games from the Main metropolis in the future. “It was the greatest time of my life,” he summed up. Although he actually experienced the best year of his football career, in the end he was no longer so happy privately, Hinteregger said.
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Through a business relationship with an FPÖ local councillor, Hinteregger recently come under heavy criticism. The defender ended the relationship and clearly limited himself to the right, but annoyed other fans with his statements in the following interviews. “Emotional, perhaps thoughtless words from me have led to irritation and I would like to apologize for that. I very much regret that. To say it again very clearly: I condemn right-wing, intolerant and inhuman ideas in the strongest possible terms,” Hinteregger said after his exit as a professional footballer again clearly.