Martin Hinteregger, the 67-time international, Europa League winner, five-time league champion, and four-time Austrian Cup winner, is returning to the big stage of the ADMIRAL Bundesliga after his break from professional football. The 32-year-old defender has signed a contract with Austria Klagenfurt until June 30, 2026, and will join the first-team training under head coach Peter Pacult on Tuesday at 10 a.m. He will be eligible to play from January 1.
"Martin Hinteregger has taken an unusual career path. After extremely successful years at Eintracht Frankfurt, he decided to take a break at what was probably the peak of his career. We stayed in regular contact and always communicated openly and honestly. Now, he has rediscovered his passion—his motivation and ambition are back. We are delighted that he will bring his quality and experience to Austria Klagenfurt, and we are convinced that he will be a great asset to our club in every way," says sporting director Günther Gorenzel.
Born in Sankt Veit, Hinteregger started his career at SGA Sirnitz before moving to the Red Bull Salzburg academy at the age of 15, where he made the jump to the professional level. After winning five Bundesliga titles and four cup trophies (including four domestic doubles), he moved to Germany, playing for Borussia Mönchengladbach, FC Augsburg, and Eintracht Frankfurt. With Frankfurt, the 1.84-meter defender celebrated the biggest success of his career—the UEFA Europa League title in the 2021/22 season.
"I have always followed my gut feeling. After physically and mentally exhausting years, it was important for me to take a step back and realign my life. But now, I have realized that my story as a footballer is not yet finished, that I am ready to compete at a high level and prove myself again. Austria Klagenfurt and the Wörthersee Stadium feel like home to me, and I can’t wait to be back on the pitch. I will give everything I have to help the team be successful," says Martin Hinteregger.
After playing 143 matches (scoring five goals) in the Austrian Bundesliga, 190 games (17 goals) in Germany’s top tier, and 77 appearances (eight goals) in international competitions, as well as 68 matches for Austria—including participation in the 2016 and 2021 European Championships—Hinteregger made the surprising decision to take a break from professional football in the summer of 2022 at the age of 29, despite having a contract with Eintracht Frankfurt until 2024. The left-footed defender returned to his home region in Carinthia and played for his childhood club, SGA Sirnitz.
Now, after two and a half years away from professional football, Hinteregger is ready for a fresh start. By signing with Austria Klagenfurt, he is fulfilling a long-held ambition he had already expressed during his time in Frankfurt. Back then, he said that he grew up as a fan of FC Kärnten, idolizing players like Manuel Weber, Almedin Hota, and Klaus Rohseano, and that he wanted to follow in their footsteps at the end of his career. Now, that moment has arrived—"Hinti" is back in Waidmannsdorf.
"As a young player in Salzburg, I benefited a lot from experienced teammates like Martin Hiden, who acted as a mentor to me and always gave me support. It is now a great motivation for me to pass on my experience and especially to help the young players in Austria Klagenfurt’s squad on their journey," emphasizes Martin Hinteregger.