Family Over Stadium Spotlight on Milestone Birthday
Thomas Parits is celebrating his 80th birthday on October 7. Rather than taking part in public celebrations planned by the club during their match against Sturm Graz, the former player, coach, and sporting director chose to spend the milestone watching his 12-year-old granddaughter Lisa and 10-year-old grandson Luka play football in Burgenland.
Despite the club’s plans to honor him at the stadium, Parits opted out of the spotlight. The current players and net i Oida sollen im Mittelpunkt stehen,
Parits explained regarding his absence from the fixture. He also noted that at his age, Das ist kein Alter mehr zum groß Feiern.
Unlike many of his former peers and opponents—such as Herbert Prohaska and Hans Krankl, who require artificial hips, or Pepi Hickersberger, who needed knee surgery—Parits maintains his physical health without joint replacements.
Rare Trophies and a Call From Franz Beckenbauer
Parits reached a milestone back in October 2006 during his 60th birthday celebrations. Austria Wien honored him alongside Franz Beckenbauer, noting that Parits had achieved a feat: winning league titles with the same club as a player, a coach, and a club executive, mirroring Beckenbauer’s history with FC Bayern Munich. Gerhard Kaltenbeck, the club’s museum director, recalled that the comparison prompted the famous Beckenbauer to call and offer his personal congratulations.
From a Container Fan Shop to Modern Infrastructure
Parits, who resides in Siegendorf where his career began, maintains a lifelong season ticket for Austria Wien matches in Favoriten when his schedule permits. He has expressed pride in the modern stadium and upgraded infrastructure developed at the venue, noting that the foundation for those changes was laid during his time on the board. Als der Fan-Shop aus einem Container bestand,
he recalled of the earlier era, when the East Stand was little more than a basic steel structure.
Nomadic Grounds and the 1978 European Cup Run
During his playing days, Austria Wien lacked a permanent home ground, playing home fixtures across Döbling, Hernals, Favoriten, or at the Prater for international fixtures. That nomadic setup included the 1978 run to the European Cup final, powered by an attacking trio featuring Parits, Hans Pirkner, and Julio Morales.
International Career Cut Short in Spain
Before his administrative and coaching achievements, Parits built a reputation abroad as a fast-moving forward in Cologne, Frankfurt, and Spain’s Primera División with Granada. During his stint in Spain, the club’s president blocked him from traveling for international duty for three years. Du verdienst dein Geld bei uns. Also spielst du auch nur bei uns,
Parits recalled being told. That restriction limited him to 27 appearances for the Austrian national team, a scenario he noted would be impossible in modern football.
