"Annoys me colossally"

Rangnick’s warning: “… then it will be bitter!”

Ralf Rangnick warns his players ahead of the European Championship opener.

(Bild: AFP/Fabrice COFFRINI)

Ralf Rangnick was happy about the wake-up call nine days before the European Championship opener against France. Austria's team boss was anything but satisfied with the first half of Saturday's dress rehearsal in Switzerland (1:1). The German missed the energy necessary for his style of play. "That really annoys me," said Rangnick. However, because such a performance in the ÖFB team is the exception rather than the rule, he is confident going into the European Championship.

"If we play like we did here in the first half against France, it will be bitter. Then we have no chance," said Rangnick. However, he is convinced that he can also succeed against the strong opponents in the European Championship. "We can only win in this group." If you want to estimate probabilities, you should ask for the odds in a betting shop. "I don't think we're among the top two in the group."

After the French (June 17), Poland (June 21) and the Netherlands (25) await. "If we play with the right level of energy, I'm confident that we can also look good against the top nations in our group," said Rangnick. "Then it won't be so easy to create scoring chances against us." Switzerland, who lacked penetration without their still injured striker Breel Embolo, had to acknowledge this.

Clear message at half-time
Rangnick was particularly lacking a willingness to sprint in the first half. "There were far too few actions in which we were on the front foot." For the pressing he demands, the first sprint has to be right. "But there was no first sprint at all. We lacked the basic virtues that characterize our game." His message at the break: "It doesn't work with a little bit. There's no such thing as a little bit pregnant. Either right or not at all - there's no other way with our style of play."

(Bild: AFP)

"That's human, but it doesn't help us"
Rangnick suspected the explanation for the drop in performance was primarily in the minds of his players. "We were traveling, it was the last game before the EURO. Nobody wants to get injured then." They had also won six games in a row before that. "Everyone is praising us to the skies. Now we're suddenly one of the secret favorites - then you suddenly do a little less. That may be human, but it doesn't help us."

He was glad that the dress rehearsal had gone so well, said the 65-year-old. "The important thing was that the team realized that it was a completely different game again after shifting up into fifth, sixth or even seventh gear." There is still room for improvement in attacking play. "I'm a long way from saying everything is fine." However, he is convinced that he can create enough scoring chances with the best eleven currently available. "That's the least of my worries. But we need as many men on board as possible."