Gerhard Kapl

Gerhard Kapl
Gerhard Kapl in May 2009
Born	(1946-11-11)11 November 1946 Wels
Died	25 July 2011(2011-07-25) (aged 64) Graz
Nationality	Austrian
Alma mater	University of Graz
Occupation	Civil servant
Title	Vice-President of the Austrian Football Association
Term	2004–2009
Children	3

Gerhard Kapl (born 11 November 1946 in Wels; died 25 July 2011 in Graz) was an Austrian state official, referee and football official.

Gerhard Kapl lost his father at an early age and grew up in poverty. Kapl completed the matura with distinction in 1965 at the High School of the Schlierbach Abbey and then studied jurisprudence, business administration and political science at the University of Graz. He completed all three courses in 1970, 1974 and 1974, with double magister degree and double doctorate.

After completing his studies, Kapl worked in the private sector. In 1977, he took a job in the state administration and completed his training year in the Feldbach District. In 1978 Kapl was entrusted with the construction, and later with the management, of a department for management of testing, inspection and complaints. In June 1994, he became head of accounting of the state of Styria. Kapl became Judge Advocate of the Styrian government in 1994, after he had already held the position of deputy from 1989 to 1993. Because of his success, Kapl received the professional title "Hofrat", the highest honor that can be given to a state official.

Kapl, who was considered a workaholic, began having health problems in 2009. During a critical heart operation, he received four bypasses. He died on 25 July 2011 following a diagnosed disease in autumn 2010. Kapl, who wanted to retire in 2011, was married, had three children and three grandchildren.

In addition to his professional career Gerhard Kapl also had a successful career in football. At the age of 20, he passed the exam to become a football referee. Starting in 1980, he began refereeing games in the second division and three years later he referred games of the Austrian Football Bundesliga. On 30 September 1983, Kapl refereed the game of SC Eisenstadt against FC Linz, his first game in the highest Austrian league. Over the next ten seasons, he refereed 92 more games. On 28 November 1992, Kapl ended his career as a football referee with the game between SK Vorwärts Steyr and VfB Mödling (3:2) for reasons of age.