[ad_1]
Like Austria, Romania last played in a World Cup in 1998, but the Euro Cup hosts squandered their chance to win the Euro. The ÖFB also has better cards in the Nations League.
Ploiesti / Wien. Transfiguration is also a common stylistic device in Romanian football. The proud nation played five times in a European Championship, seven times in the World Cup. In 1994, superstar Gheorghe Hagi led the “Golden Generation” to the quarterfinals. The “Tricolorii” was last represented on this stage in France in 1998, which unites them with Austria, current rival in the League of Nations.
The current generation, led by Hagi’s son Ianis, also dreams of major events. However, it is particularly bitter that qualification for Euro 2021 in Iceland has been miserably missed. So the two teams will meet next year, if the corona virus follows suit, not the EM in Bucharest. Georgia or North Macedonia join the Austrian group with Ukraine and the Netherlands.
There is no doubt that Romania would have had a chance. Klagenfurt’s 3-2 record is memorable, the shadow cast by the clear 4-0 defeat to Norway, but dampens the euphoria. Alone: Austria has never won in Romania. Is the series broken (8:45 p.m., live, ORF1)?
A draw is not enough for Foda
Three points at Ploiesti would be essential for Franco Foda’s team if they want to maintain their vision of group victory and promotion to League A. One point is the minimum but a disappointment for Foda. He announced that they would “play to win.” “We always want to have the will and the mentality to win from the first minute.”
If you look back, from a purely playful point of view, to sobering appearances against Greece (2: 1) and Northern Ireland (1: 0), the doubts are quite justified. The results, however, give reasons to wait for promotion, which could later be important for the next play-off of the 2022 World Cup. So the German remains in line with the world ranking 34. (Austria is 27 years old ). Loyal, calm and prudent, he looks towards the kickoff. “I do not know the state of the Romanian players, there is no point in speculating about it. We want to show a united team performance. “
Marcel Holzmann, on the other hand, knew enough to report on the skill and form of the Romanians. Last year, the 30-year-old from Salzburg came via St. Pölten and admires first-division club Botosani, which plays in the northeast of the country in a city of 100,000 inhabitants and finished the league in fourth place last season. . He sees individual advantages in the ÖFB team, but believes that the hosts are strong enough to win. “Austria is definitely better in terms of individual players. But you saw in Klagenfurt that Romania has a lot of quality in the squad. In addition, with Mirel Rodoi they have a young and dynamic team leader who can be underestimated, ”says Holzmann, who has lived in Romania since 2019 and feels at home.
Gossip for patriots
The left-back not only expected a victory from David Alaba and company from a patriotic point of view, but he would also save some “gossip”. Because his contract runs through 2022, the rude jokes could be repeated for longer. The Romanian and Austrian leagues would be “more or less equal”, in Austria the game could be more physical and tactical, in Romania, however, technically, “and there are also more emotions involved”. Many here are really “crazy about football,” he told the APA.
In any case, the direction of Austria is determined. After the guest appearance in Romania, the valuable friendship game will continue in Luxembourg (November 11). The Nations League will then conclude with two matches at the Happel Stadium against Northern Ireland (November 15) and Norway (November 18). It will then show if Foda has found the right words. Or if the Transfiguration is experiencing the next rebirth.
