Ralph Krueger

Coach of the Swiss National Ice Hockey Team (1997/98-2010), Chairman of Southampton F.C. (2014-2019), Chairman of the Supervisory Board Austria Wien

Ralph Krueger

Coach of the Swiss National Ice Hockey Team (1997/98-2010), Chairman of Southampton F.C. (2014-2019), Chairman of the Supervisory Board Austria Wien

Ralph Krueger was born in Canada. At the age of 19 he moved to Germany and began a 13-year career as a professional ice-hockey player. For five years he played for the German national team. When his playing career finished he moved to the underperforming VEU Feldkirch in Austria as coach. Within a short period of time he had turned the team’s fortunes around and had turned them into one of the top teams in the country. In a seven-year period they were Austrian champions five times, they won the Alpen League three times and in 1988 they were champions of the Euro League. From 1997 – 98 season until the end of the XXI Olympic Winter Games in 2010 he was head coach of the Swiss men's national ice hockey team. Every year since 1998, the Swiss team, which had been a third-rank team in international standings, has belonged to the top ten teams in Europe, regularly reached the final stages of the world championships and took part in several Olympic games. Krueger was also head coach of the Edmonton Oilers of the National Hockey League (NHL) during the 2012–13 season. In 2014, Krueger shifted from hockey to the world of association football, to become director of English Premier League team Southampton. From March 2014 until the end of the 2018/2019 season Krueger was the chairman of Southampton F.C. After five years in football returned to ice hockey from May 2019 to March 2021 as head coach of the Buffalo Sabres, before he has become chairman of the supervisory board of the Austrian football club Austria Wien in November 2023. His success and principles are based on hard work and high-quality communication. Ralph Krueger describes himself as an optimistic realist. His maxims are honesty, directness and a positive outlook. He believes in the power of metaphor and rhetoric. He finds the scientific analysis of player performance counter-productive. He prefers to paint pictures in the players minds, to convey a simple „How and Why“ to them.

About Ralph Krueger

Ralph Krueger was born in Canada. At the age of 19 he moved to Germany and began a 13-year career as a professional ice-hockey player. For five years he played for the German national team. When his playing career finished he moved to the underperforming VEU Feldkirch in Austria as coach. Within a short period of time he had turned the team’s fortunes around and had turned them into one of the top teams in the country. In a seven-year period they were Austrian champions five times, they won the Alpen League three times and in 1988 they were champions of the Euro League.

From 1997 – 98 season until the end of the XXI Olympic Winter Games in 2010 he was head coach of the Swiss men's national ice hockey team. Every year since 1998, the Swiss team, which had been a third-rank team in international standings, has belonged to the top ten teams in Europe, regularly reached the final stages of the world championships and took part in several Olympic games. Krueger was also head coach of the Edmonton Oilers of the National Hockey League (NHL) during the 2012–13 season. In 2014, Krueger shifted from hockey to the world of association football, to become director of English Premier League team Southampton. From March 2014 until the end of the 2018/2019 season Krueger was the chairman of Southampton F.C. After five years in football returned to ice hockey from May 2019 to March 2021 as head coach of the Buffalo Sabres, before he has become chairman of the supervisory board of the Austrian football club Austria Wien in November 2023.

His success and principles are based on hard work and high-quality communication. Ralph Krueger describes himself as an optimistic realist. His maxims are honesty, directness and a positive outlook. He believes in the power of metaphor and rhetoric. He finds the scientific analysis of player performance counter-productive. He prefers to paint pictures in the players minds, to convey a simple „How and Why“ to them.

Topics

  • Teamwork
  • Only positive thinking leads to a positive outcome
  • Vision and action together can change the world
  • How the leader sets an example

Books

  • Teamlife - From Failure to Success, 2001

Talks & Podcasts

  • Episode 33

    What makes a good team, Ralph Krueger?

    Ralph Krueger, former coach of the Swiss national ice hockey team and current Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Austria Wien, impressed us with his expertise and clarity in our exclusive interview. In addition to questions about his …

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