Four young talents sign first professional contracts
First Vienna FC 1894 continues to invest in youth development: Santino Pistrol, Felix Nagele, Louis Birkhahn, and Moritz Troindl have all signed their first professional contracts with Austria’s oldest football club. Each of them has committed to the club on a long-term basis, with contracts running until 2028.
All four players, each under the age of 20, will be permanent members of the club’s second-division squad in the upcoming season. Particularly noteworthy is that 17-year-olds Moritz Troindl and Santino Pistrol have already made the leap into the first team.
Youth development as a clear statement of intent
With this decision, Vienna remains true to its philosophy of building a balanced team that combines experience with homegrown talent. Players like Kelechi Nnamdi, Dean Titkov, Edin Huskovic, and Haris Zahirovic have already demonstrated in recent years that this approach is working. Now, four more youth players are being promoted to the senior squad – a strong sign of the club’s commitment to sustainable talent development.
Sporting director Andreas Ivanschitz is pleased with the players’ progress. “We’re absolutely delighted when academy players make it into the first team and become a regular part of the training squad from the summer onwards. We’re proud of their development – it’s a perfect example of the Vienna pathway. Our goal, and it will remain our goal, is to guide young players from the academy through the Vienna Amateurs and into the first team. That’s what we stand for and what we work towards every day.”
Moritz Troindl, 17, goalkeeper
Troindl joins the senior squad as the third-choice keeper and will train regularly with the first team. He began his football career at SC Simmering before moving to the youth academy of SK Rapid and eventually to Vienna, where he has steadily progressed.
- Born: September 26, 2007
- Height: 1.85 m
- Previous club: SK Rapid youth
- Position: Goalkeeper
Santino Pistrol, 17, defender
Pistrol started out at Wiener Sport-Club and then moved to Hellas Kagran before joining Vienna. Last season, he played 22 matches in the Stadtliga for Vienna’s amateur side and scored one goal. Now he gets the opportunity to prove himself at second-division level.
- Born: August 26, 2007
- Height: 1.90 m
- Previous club: Hellas Kagran
- Position: Defender
Felix Nagele, 18, midfielder
Nagele came through the ranks at Vienna and was part of the successful amateur team last season. He was also named in the senior squad for the first time, including for the away match against SW Bregenz. With his vision and understanding of the game, he’s making a strong case for more first-team action.
- Born: April 2, 2007
- Height: 1.89 m
- Previous club: Sportclub youth
- Position: Midfielder
Louis Birkhahn, 19, forward
At 19, Birkhahn is the most experienced of the four new professionals. He began his youth career at FC Stadlau, then moved to Rapid before joining Vienna. In the 2024/25 Stadtliga season, he scored 15 goals in 24 appearances – an impressive tally that earned him his spot in the first team.
- Born: February 5, 2006
- Height: 1.84 m
- Previous club: SK Rapid youth
- Position: Forward
All four players were key contributors to Vienna’s successful amateur side last season and have earned this next step with their performances. Their promotion is a major milestone in their young careers and a powerful statement about the club’s long-term vision.
