European Football Championship

What remains of Austria’s “summer fairytale”

(Bild: AFP/Axel Heimken)

The Austrian national team's "summer fairytale" has come to an end before it could really begin. The 2-1 defeat to Turkey in the European Championship round of 16 in Leipzig on Tuesday will go down as one of the most painful defeats in ÖFB history - especially as much more would have been possible in the current constellation in Germany. And yet it's not all bad ...

Ralf Rangnick and his team were able to restore Austria's faith in itself as a soccer nation. The ÖFB team proved that they could keep up with any top opponent with their physical style of play based on winning the ball quickly. After winning the group ahead of France, the Netherlands and Poland, there was a week of high spirits. However, Rangnick's team failed to live up to the sky-high expectations in the first knockout match. Even the international media suddenly counted the Austrians among the secret or even co-favorites for the European Championship title.

Ralf Rangnick

(Bild: AFP)

"Technically, we're not perfect yet!"
Rangnick will remain true to his style of high pressing. Many of his players have long since internalized it, having grown up in the Red Bull school he founded. Rangnick considers the comparison with the automatisms of a club team to be valid. "Technically, we are not yet perfect," said the team boss. However, his team had also developed enormously in terms of ball possession during his two years in charge.

ÖFB team looked physically superior to its opponents
The ÖFB team not only recorded the most fouls (61) and ball wins (179) up to the round of 16, they also looked physically superior to their opponents at times. This could have something to do with their freshness: Compared to group opponents France and the Netherlands, Austria's top players were significantly less taxed over the course of the season. Alexander Prass at Sturm Graz (47) and Konrad Laimer, whose 43 games for Bayern Munich included many short appearances, recorded the most competitive appearances for their clubs.

Konrad Laimer

(Bild: GEPA/GEPA pictures)

Austrians spared themselves any traveling hardships
It is not uncommon for top international clubs to play 50 or more games a season. In contrast to Kylian Mbappe and co, the ÖFB aces were still bursting with energy at the end of a long season. The very well-chosen European Championship quarters probably also contributed to this. The Austrians traveled 20 minutes by bus to each of the two group games in Berlin, sparing themselves any travel hardships - and won both the key game against Poland (3:1) and the Netherlands (3:2).

Before the match against "Oranje", both teams were already almost certain to reach the round of 16. All that remained to be decided were the group positions and the rest of the tournament tree. Austria's success with a starting eleven in which several regular players were rested due to yellow cards was celebrated by more than a few fans as if they were almost European champions.

(Bild: APA/GEORG HOCHMUTH)

There are no "friendlies" under Rangnick
There are no such things as "friendlies" under Rangnick anyway. In 2022, the then European champions Italy were dispatched 2:0 in Vienna, followed a year later by European Championship hosts Germany. Not least the Italians complained about what they considered to be far too harsh a style of play for a test. Of eight ÖFB test matches in the Rangnick era, none have been lost, while in competition matches there have also been seven defeats with nine wins and two draws.

Opponents better prepared for the ÖFB team at the second attempt
It seems that opponents are adapting better to the ÖFB team at the second attempt. There is an opinion that Austria needs to be felt in order to be able to cope with the pressure exerted and the "through-the-man defense". Videos alone should not be enough. The bare figures: In the Rangnick era, the ÖFB result in each second duel was only better against Estonia (2-0 after 2-1) than in the first.

(Bild: AFP)

A win against Croatia was followed by a defeat in the Nations League, and after a draw against France, they have now lost twice against the "Bleus". They also lost 3-2 at home to Belgium in the European Championship qualifiers after a 1-1 away draw, the highlight being a 6-1 victory in a test in Vienna in March, for which the Turks returned the favor on a much bigger stage in the European Championship round of 16.

One problem for the ÖFB selection is the lack of squad depth
The clash with number 42 in the FIFA world rankings - Austria are 25th - also revealed other problems for the ÖFB team. One of them is the lack of squad depth. The absence of the suspended Patrick Wimmer, for example, had such an impact that Rangnick was unable to bring in a dynamic, fast attacking player with sufficient depth. Instead, Michael Gregoritsch was brought in as a second striker alongside Marko Arnautovic.

(Bild: GEPA)

Baumgartner is the be-all and end-all in the Austrian offense
Should Arnautovic actually end his career in the national team after 116 international matches, Gregoritsch would be alone in the center of the attack. A lot is riding on the 30-year-old from SC Freiburg. Much more was riding on Christoph Baumgartner at the European Championships. The 24-year-old is the be-all and end-all of the Austrian offense, yet he is not even a regular at his club RB Leipzig. Marcel Sabitzer's European Championship was characterized by ups and downs after a strong season with Borussia Dortmund. The midfielder, who sported a new cornrow hairstyle, fell short of expectations in the defeat to Turkey.

The disappointment was great for everyone involved. However, there is hope that it will be absorbed. The team spirit that has developed in the squad is something that will last. Rangnick has managed to make all 26 players in the European Championship squad - even those who did not play - feel valued. With the exception of the possible departure of Arnautovic, there will be no major changes for the run-up to the 2026 World Cup. With the injured David Alaba and Xaver Schlager, two other key players could be available again instead.