{{Short description|Austrian footballer}} {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2024}} '''Karl Zankl''' (died 3 October 1945) was an Austrian football player. Through his initiative the Austrian Football Association ({{langx|de|Österreichischer Fußball-Bund}}, ÖFB) was rebuilt, even though it was during World War II.
==Life== Zankl was able celebrate great successes as an active football player. He played for Vienna Cricket and Football-Club, ''PSV Team Vienna'' and the Wiener Sport-Club, with which he won in 1922, as a midfielder, the Austrian Championship. Also during the Austrian Cup victory in 1923, Zankl played in the team that defeated the SC Wacker Vienna in the final 3:1.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.voetbal.com/wedstrijdverslag/oefb-cup-1922-1923-finale-wiener-sportklub-wacker-wien/ |title=Oostenrijk » ÖFB-Cup 1922/1923 » Finale » Wiener Sport-Club - Wacker Wien 3:1 |last1= |first1= |last2= |first2= |date=|website= |publisher=Voetbal |access-date=2016-04-22 |quote= |language=Dutch }}</ref>
Karl Zankl, who was police captain as profession,<ref name="Geschichte des Wiener Fussball-Verbandes">{{cite web|url=http://www.wfv.at/wfv/page/515602238780802662_515602238512367204~574323472678907262~574323612265344512_574323612265344512,de.html|title=Geschichte des Wiener Fussball-Verbandes|publisher=Wiener Fußball-Verband|access-date=2016-04-22|language=German|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160328171136/http://wfv.at/wfv/page/515602238780802662_515602238512367204~574323472678907262~574323612265344512_574323612265344512,de.html|archivedate=2016-03-28}}</ref> also became known for his commitment to Austria during the Second World War. He was also active in a resistance group and tried to rebuild the Austrian Football Association (ÖFB) before the end of the war.
Zankl also took care of the establishment of an Austria national football team, which he supervised after the war as the first team manager.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://kurier.at/sport/fussball/oefb-team-zuletzt-bei-teamchef-debuets-stark/749.138 |title=ÖFB-Team zuletzt bei Teamchef-Debüts stark |last1= |first1= |last2= |first2= |date=2011-12-05 |website= |publisher=Kurier |access-date=2016-04-22 |quote= |language=German }}</ref> Zankl was as provisional president of the Vienna Football Association,<ref name="Geschichte des Wiener Fussball-Verbandes" /> on whose founding he had played an instrumental part and was also responsible for the organization of the Championship and Cup.
For some time he also coached abroad, Italian side Venezia F.C. and Yugoslav club ND Ilirija Ljubljana.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=dHKCrsx7JH0C&dq=karl+zankl+laibach&pg=PA323 "Die Legionäre". 2. Auflage: österreichische Fußballer in aller Welt] by David Forster, Bernhard Hachleitner, Robert Hummer and Robert Franta, page 323 {{in lang|de}}</ref> In 1926, trying to reinforce their team, Ilirija brought Karl Zankl to be a player-coach of the team, but his stay was short.<ref>[https://snportal.si/zgodovina/po-poteh-zeleno-bele-stare-dame-iz-zgornje-siske/ Popoteh zeleno-bele stare dame iz Zgornje Šiške] at snportal.si, 21-12-2014, retrieved 22-1-2017 {{in lang|sl}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{Austria national football team managers}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Zankl, Karl}} Category:1945 deaths Category:Footballers from Vienna Category:Austrian men's footballers Category:Austria men's international footballers Category:Wiener Sport-Club players Category:FK Austria Wien players Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Yugoslavia Category:Austrian football managers Category:Austria national football team managers Category:Expatriate football managers in Italy Category:Expatriate football managers in Yugoslavia Category:Austrian expatriate sportspeople in Italy Category:Austrian expatriate sportspeople in Yugoslavia Category:Men's association football midfielders Category:Year of birth missing Category:Austrian resistance members