Dietmar ("Didi") Kühbauer (born 4 April 1971) is an Austrian professional football manager and former player who is currently the head coach of Austrian Bundesliga club Wolfsberger AC.

Club career

Born in Heiligenkreuz, Burgenland, Kühbauer began his professional career at Admira Wacker, making his Austrian Bundesliga debut in 1987 at the age of 16. After five years, he moved to city rivals Rapid Wien, where he won both a league title and a domestic cup. He also played in the 1996 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup final against Paris Saint-Germain in Brussels, which Rapid lost. "Don Didi" remains a fan favorite at Rapid, and in 1999, he was named to the club's Team of the Century. In 1997, Kühbauer moved to La Liga side Real Sociedad. In 2000, he signed with German Bundesliga club VfL Wolfsburg. Two years later, he returned to Austria to join his childhood club, SV Mattersburg, where he finished his playing career after the 2007–08 season.

International career

He made his debut for Austria in a May 1992 friendly match against Poland and was a participant at the 1998 FIFA World Cup. He earned 55 caps, scoring five goals. On 4 September 2005, he announced his retirement from international matches. His final international was a September 2005 World Cup qualification match against Poland.

Coaching career

On 18 November 2008, he signed a contract by Trenkwalder Admira II as head coach. In 2010, he became coach of the first squad and led the team to the promotion to the Austrian Football Bundesliga. From September 2013 to November 2015 he was the trainer of Wolfsberger AC. On 1 October 2018, Kühbauer was announced to become the new head coach of Rapid Wien, after only a half year at SKN St. Pölten. In May 2022, Kühbauer was appointed head coach of LASK, signing a contract until June 2024. He finished the 2021–22 season with the Schwarz-Weißen in eighth place. The 2022–23 season saw significant improvement, as Kühbauer led the team to a third-place finish, securing their return to European competition. However, he was replaced by Thomas Sageder at the end of the season, due to differences of opinion regarding squad planning for the next season. In May 2024, Kühbauers return as head coach of Wolfsberger AC was announced, with him taking over the position from Manfred Schmid ahead of the 2024–25 season.

Personal life

On 16 February 1997, Kühbauer's pregnant wife, Michaela, was driving to Vienna International Airport to pick him up after Rapid's winter break in Dubai. Tragedy struck when her car veered off the road near Eisenstadt, and she was rushed to the hospital with three ribs puncturing her lung. She fell into a coma and died seven months later, on 13 September 1997. A disillusioned Kühbauer then left Austria to begin a new career abroad at Real Sociedad.

Career statistics

Club

International

Managerial

Honours

Player

Rapid Wien

Manager

Admira Wacker