Story Summary
Herbert Jerich, president of the Moser Medical Graz99ers, has criticised the planned end of Holding Graz sponsorship payments after the 2026-27 season, calling the decision impossible to understand. Graz99ers have joined GAK 1902 and SK Sturm Graz in presenting a united position after representatives of the three major Graz professional clubs met in person to co-ordinate their response.
The clubs say the issue reaches beyond the immediate loss of funding. In a joint statement, Jerich argued that the decision raises questions about the value placed on elite sport and on clubs representing Graz nationally and internationally. He said the matter should not be considered closed and called for a joint, workable solution.
To support their case, the three clubs released combined figures on payments to the city and on the promotional value they say their partnership generates. They put their annual combined payments, including municipal tax, stadium and ice-rink rent, energy costs and other charges, at around €2.8 million. They value the annual advertising return for Holding Graz at €5.3 million, compared with €905,000 a year in sponsorship payments and grants from Holding Graz and the City of Graz.
Key Facts
- Holding Graz has announced that it will stop its sponsorship payments at the end of the 2026-27 season.
- Herbert Jerich, president of the Moser Medical Graz99ers, said the sponsorship halt was impossible to understand.
- Representatives of GAK 1902, Graz99ers and SK Sturm Graz have held an initial personal meeting to co-ordinate their next steps.
- The three clubs say they make combined annual payments of around €2.8 million through municipal tax, venue rents, energy costs and other charges.
- The clubs value Holding Graz’s annual advertising return from the partnerships at €5.3 million.
- Sponsorship payments and grants from Holding Graz and the City of Graz total €905,000 per year, according to the clubs’ joint figures.
- The presidents and managing directors of the three clubs plan a further round of talks on possible measures and the way forward.
IHM Discussion
For Graz99ers, the dispute is being framed as a question of partnership rather than a narrow request for financial support. Jerich’s intervention places the club alongside the city’s other leading professional teams, giving the response a collective civic and sporting dimension.
The financial figures are central to that argument. The clubs have set their claimed €5.3 million annual advertising value against €905,000 in annual sponsorship and grants, while also highlighting €2.8 million in combined annual payments connected to municipal tax, facilities, energy and other costs. Those numbers are the clubs’ assessment of the relationship, intended to show that the city receives identifiable value alongside its contribution.
Jerich also focused on recognition. His position is that Graz’s leading clubs should be regarded as organisations that carry the city’s name in national and international competition, not simply as recipients of a subsidy. That distinction explains why the clubs have chosen a common statement and a co-ordinated process rather than treating the matter as three separate commercial discussions.
The immediate position remains clear: the announced end of payments is scheduled for the conclusion of 2026-27, while the clubs want further engagement before that point. No replacement arrangement or final resolution has been announced. The next discussions will therefore matter because they are intended to establish the available measures and the shared course of action.
Why It Matters
The planned withdrawal would affect a sponsorship relationship involving Graz99ers and two other prominent professional clubs in the city. The clubs’ collective response underlines that the issue concerns more than one team or one sport.
For the Graz99ers, Jerich has made public the club’s view that support for elite sport should be accompanied by responsibility and recognition from the city. By releasing specific figures, the clubs have also moved the debate onto measurable ground: payments made by the clubs, the value they attribute to promotional exposure, and the level of public-linked support currently received.
That does not settle the dispute, but it gives the forthcoming talks a defined basis. The relevant question is whether the parties can find the joint solution sought by Jerich and the other clubs before the announced end of the existing sponsorship payments.
Fan Pulse
Graz99ers supporters have been given a clear public position from their president: the club does not accept the announced sponsorship halt as an understandable outcome and wants a solution found with the relevant parties. The joint approach with GAK 1902 and SK Sturm Graz also signals that this is being handled as a city-wide professional-sport issue.
The published figures will be the focal point for fans following the situation. The clubs contend that their partnerships create substantial promotional value for Holding Graz while the clubs also contribute through taxes, rents, energy and other payments. Those claims explain the force of the clubs’ response, even though the future funding arrangement has not yet been resolved.
Mini Q&A
What has Holding Graz announced?
Holding Graz has announced that its sponsorship payments will end after the 2026-27 season.
What is Herbert Jerich’s position?
The Graz99ers president said the planned halt is impossible to understand and called for a joint solution.
Which clubs are acting together?
Graz99ers, GAK 1902 and SK Sturm Graz have co-ordinated their response.
What figures have the clubs released?
They cite around €2.8 million in combined annual payments, €5.3 million in annual advertising value for Holding Graz, and €905,000 in annual sponsorship payments and grants.
Coach Mark Comment
The important operational point is stability around the club. Public discussion of sponsorship can create noise, but the Graz99ers’ immediate task is to keep the conversation structured and collective. Jerich’s emphasis on a joint solution is sensible because the three clubs are presenting shared financial evidence and a common case for the value of elite sport in Graz.
There is no hockey solution to a commercial question, but clear communication helps protect the sporting environment. The next meetings should establish what practical options are on the table rather than allowing the issue to be defined solely by the announced end date.
What Comes Next
The presidents and managing directors of GAK 1902, Graz99ers and SK Sturm Graz are planning another meeting to discuss possible measures and their next steps. The clubs will continue to represent their position jointly as they seek clarity on the planned end of Holding Graz sponsorship after the 2026-27 season.
IHM Final View
Jerich has put Graz99ers firmly behind a collective challenge to the planned sponsorship withdrawal. The club’s case rests on two connected points: the financial value the three clubs say they provide to Graz and the recognition they believe elite sport should receive from the city. Further talks, rather than any announced settlement, are now the concrete next stage.