Martin Hinteregger defends himself against accusations that classify the footballer’s connections in the right corner. A report had uncovered a business relationship between the Eintracht star and a well-known right-wing extremist. Hinteregger has now ended it.
In mid-June, the “Hinti-Cup” takes place in Martin Hinteregger’s home town of Sirnitz in Upper Carinthia. Eintracht’s central defender has been promoting the tournament for amateur footballers for a long time.
The cup is organized according to a report by freelance journalist and author Michael Bonvalot from Hinti Event GmbH. “The GmbH was founded by three equal partners, each of whom brought in 12,000 euros: Martin Hinteregger, a restaurateur – and FPÖ man Heinrich Sickl,” writes Bonvalot. Sickl is an ex-FPÖ councilor and well-known right-wing extremist in Austria.
The footballer has now ended this business relationship after the report was published. Hinteregger writes on Instagram: “Due to the current state of knowledge, any business relationship with the Sickl family will be terminated with immediate effect, and the ‘Hinti-Cup’ event will be examined as an alternative in order to clarify a further course of action.”
He further explains: “I have no knowledge of past or future activities on the part of the Sickl family, I just want to hold a football tournament and nothing more.”
Hinteregger vehemently rejects allegations that place the 29-year-old in the right-wing scene: “I have friends all over the world through my time in professional football and also privately, and I clearly dismiss accusations that I am right-wing and settle down continue to stand up against any kind of discrimination!”
Hinteregger did not know about the connections to the right-wing scene of the Sickl family. “I’m rooted in Sirnitz just like the Sickl family,” writes the footballer. He was just looking for a suitable location for the football tournament “to show my appreciation and thank my fans, patrons and supporters from childhood with the “Hinti-Cup”.
As a location, Albeck Castle was “obvious”: “In the last 35 years there have been countless concerts, exhibitions and theater performances by national and international artists such as Otto Schenk, Bluatschink, Franziska Pietsch and many more in Albeck Castle.”
The castle is owned by Elisabeth Sickl, mother of the controversial businessman. She was Minister of the FPÖ for a short time in 2000. A sumptuous framework program for the tournament was to take place in and around the property. Among others, DJ Ötzi and the Frankfurt rapper Vega should appear there.
Sickl has been active in the right-wing extremist scene in German-speaking countries for decades. At 17 he was a member of the German neo-Nazi organization “Nationalist Front”. He is also a supporter of the Identitarian Movement. Hinteregger does not explain why the footballer did not find out about Sickl before the business relationship.
According to “Kicker”, his club Eintracht Frankfurt also wants to make a statement during the day. The Austrian Football Association (ÖFB) also wants to comment.
For years, the Bundesliga club has vehemently opposed discriminatory and racist movements at various levels. President Peter Fischer is one of the most prominent and loudest spokesmen against the AfD in German football.
The active fan scene of Frankfurt is decreed in the left spectrum. As part of the Eintracht ultra scene, the rapper Vega is also a loud voice against right-wing extremism.