In Leipzig, Rangnick refrained from giving a long speech. “After a game like that, it doesn’t help to say: keep your head up and carry on. It’s better to talk less for now.” The speech followed on Wednesday, after a two-hour overnight journey back to Berlin. After a shared breakfast, the 66-year-old German coach spoke to the players before they made their individual departures and left the sophisticated Schlosshotel Grunewald behind.
It will take time to arrive on holiday. Austria’s footballers had high expectations of themselves and they fulfilled them with a surprising group victory ahead of runners-up France and the Netherlands. The ÖFB team was ultimately overwhelmingly superior to the passionately defending Turkey, but conceded two avoidable goals from a corner and missed too many opportunities. This is not usually forgiven in a knockout match.
European Football Championship: Out for Austria
The ÖFB team lost 2-1 against Turkey in the European Championship round of 16 and has to return home.
“It was clear to us that the journey would continue”
“It will be extremely difficult to recover from this,” said Michael Gregoritsch, whose goal was not enough. “I can’t even imagine that we will travel back. It was clear to us that the journey would continue for a while, that we would prepare for the next games in our quarters in Berlin,” said Rangnick, who made a name for himself in his home country with an underdog, but in the end, like Franco Foda in 2021, failed in the round of 16.
IMAGO/Sportimage/Paul Terry Rangnick and his team still had a lot planned for the European Championships in Germany
Back then, Austria was a clear underdog against eventual European champions Italy and lost 1:2 after extra time after a tough fight. This time they went into the game against Turkey as favourites and lost an emotional match in bitter fashion. “In knockout games, the supposedly weaker team sometimes wins,” said Florian Grillitsch, citing a bitter realisation that evening. The Turks, however, presented themselves as clearly improved compared to the 1:6 defeat in Vienna in March, and coach Vincenzo Montella and his players were clearly motivated to correct the “flaw”.
Austria promotes itself, World Cup in sight
Overall, Austria’s performance at the European Championships in Germany was more than impressive. Austria scored seven goals in the European Championship matches against France (0:1), Poland (3:1), the Netherlands (3:2) and Turkey (1:2) – only Germany (10) and Spain (9) managed more in the first four games. “I think that all four games we played had the highest entertainment value of all,” said Rangnick. That also applies to the round of 16, “even if not everything went completely accurately or precisely.”
debate
How should the ÖFB team’s performance at the European Championships be assessed?
The highlight remains the 3-2 victory against the Netherlands, which was ultimately the most prestigious victory since the 3-2 against Germany at the 1978 World Cup. Against France they were only a short distance from a point, against Poland they secured a mandatory victory and against Turkey they were just not enough despite some great chances. The performances have to be taken into account, said Rangnick. “I think that if we play like we have played in these four games, we have a very good chance of qualifying for the World Cup.” This will take place in North America in two years’ time. Austria has been waiting to take part in the world’s most important football competition since 1998.
Arnautovic before the end of an era
The qualification will probably take place without Marko Arnautovic. The record team player hinted at his retirement from the ÖFB team after 116 games and 37 goals for Austria; the Inter Milan legionnaire had already toyed with the idea before his third European Championship finals. One of the most influential figures in domestic football was no longer granted a historic quarter-final appearance.
The 35-year-old record international missed a great chance to equalize shortly after half-time, but failed to score alone in front of Mert Günok, who was outstanding that evening. “It’s very bitter, it’s madness. The fact that we left the game like that is brutal. They only had two corners. But that’s football,” said Arnautovic, who commented on his future. “It could be the last time for me.” He wants to come to his senses over the next few days and then decide.
