Wolfsberger AC has appointed Manfred Schmid as its new head coach following the departure of Thomas Silberberger. The club, currently sitting at the bottom of the Austrian Bundesliga, turned to the 55-year-old manager on Thursday to address a five-game losing streak and stabilize the team’s performance.
Trainer Change at RZ Pellets Wolfsberg
The decision to part ways with Thomas Silberberger came after a period of intense struggle for the club. Despite a promising start to the 2026/27 campaign—highlighted by a victory against Austria Wien and a draw with Red Bull Salzburg—the team failed to secure points in their subsequent five league matches. The final catalyst for the leadership change was a 0:2 home defeat against WSG Tirol last Sunday. Following that result, Dietmar Riegler and Silberberger reached an agreement to terminate the contract during a one-on-one meeting held on Wednesday afternoon.
WAC Dietmar Riegler confirmed the separation in a statement, acknowledging the difficult position Silberberger had inherited last season. We are greatly indebted to Thomas, as he helped us in an extremely difficult situation last season and saved us from relegation,
Riegler said. However, due to the results in the last few weeks, we saw ourselves forced to make a change.
Silberberger had originally taken the reins in the spring after the club parted ways with former coach Ismail Atalan, eventually leading the squad to the semifinals of the Europacup play-offs.
Silberberger, who joined the club in April, expressed both regret and understanding regarding the decision. I am aware that the sporting development has recently taken on a dynamic that makes the club’s decision understandable,
he noted. He expressed pride in the team’s successful fight against relegation during his tenure.
Manfred Schmid Returns to the Lavanttal
Manfred Schmid, who previously led Wolfsberg from March 2023 to the summer of 2024, has been tasked with reversing the current slide. During his first tenure, he successfully guided the team to two victories in the qualification group. Club officials believe his familiarity with the environment will be a decisive asset as they attempt to climb from the bottom of the table. Riegler noted that Schmid had previously proven his ability to guide the team back onto the right path after a difficult phase, expressing confidence that he would succeed again.
Schmid emphasized that his prior knowledge of the squad and club structure was important. I know the club inside and out,
Schmid said. That is an advantage not to be underestimated in this phase, as it significantly shortens the familiarization period. So I can concentrate on the essentials from the beginning: the work with the team.
He added that he intends to focus on open communication and individual discussions with players to address the current issues. Schmid noted that he had followed the team’s struggles from the outside and aims to provide small, helpful inputs without overloading the players.
The new coach wasted no time, leading his first training session on Thursday at 3 p.m. He is supported by assistants Christian Mayrleb and Andreas Biritz, both of whom previously worked with him during his recent stint at TSV Hartberg. Before joining Wolfsberg, Schmid spent time at Hartberg from September 2024 until June 2026, where he managed 65 matches and led the club to the Meistergruppe in the 2025/26 season.
Immediate Challenge Against TSV Hartberg
The coaching change carries an ironic twist, as Schmid’s first match back in charge will be an away fixture against his former employer, TSV Hartberg, on Saturday. The match presents a significant challenge for the new WAC staff; Hartberg has maintained a strong home record, remaining unbeaten in their last three Bundesliga matches at the Profertil Arena, including a 4:3 victory over Austria Lustenau and a 3:3 draw against LASK. Wolfsberg enters the match with only five points from their first nine games and currently holds the weakest offensive record in the league.
TSV Hartberg head coach Markus Schopp noted that his team is preparing for a high-intensity encounter. We know that we are meeting an opponent who is not where they should be in the table based on their quality, Schopp stated. Meanwhile, Hartberg defender Konstantin Schopp acknowledged the potential impact of the coaching change: The new coach has certainly already given the team new impulses.
Player Simon Piesinger echoed the sentiment of the squad, noting that the team is focused on improving defensive discipline. We hope that we finally get more stability in our game again, that we perhaps keep a clean sheet once and concede fewer goals,
Piesinger said. Following the weekend match, Wolfsberg faces a critical schedule, including a Cup-round-of-16 tie against Wels.