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The current situation for the Austrian soccer team can be described as a quarantine before today’s Nations League game against Romania (8:45 PM, ORF 1 live). The FB selection is even better protected than is already the case in the days of Corona. The “Sky Blue” hotel, a five-star palace in the center of Ploiesti, has all the FB selection. There are no other hotel guests. The procedure is even more complicated than usual because the Austrian national team traveled to Romania directly from the game in Northern Ireland. You generally travel abroad for up to three days.
“Belfast and Bucharest airports were deserted, we were the only large group on the way,” said FB President Leo Windtner. The two FB CEOs Bernhard Neuhold and Thomas Hollerer as well as Windtner are the only teammates on the national team outside of the usual supervisory staff. The days are long and people do not leave the hotel to avoid any risk of contagion. Windtner is impressed with the discipline of the players. “It shows that everyone not only looks at themselves, but above all at others. Nobody wants to expose a partner to unnecessary risks. All instructions are followed, the protection of the mouth and nose is only removed when eating in the table”.
The players deal with the situation in an extremely professional manner and with the necessary calm. Windtner: “These unpleasant external circumstances have made the team even closer together.” Following the 1-0 win in Northern Ireland, the FB team, who are in first place, are eager to win. 2: 3 in the “first leg” against Romania in September in Klagenfurt should be warning enough.
More risk expected
FB team boss Franco Foda wonders if he will make a change or two today. Former LASK captain Pavao Pervan will start again at the gate. At least the pre-game announcements give hope that Foda will take a little more risk. “We want to have the will and the attitude to win from the first minute,” he said yesterday.
This also assumes that you are not being overly cautious yourself. Foda takes it easy to be criticized for his (too) moderate playing style. “It’s good that the expectations are so high. I have no problem with criticism of the style of play. It wasn’t that bad either. It was analyzed objectively and soberly. It’s fine.”
The Rumnen suffered two bitter defeats after their victory in Klagenfurt. The 1: 2 against Iceland spelled the end of the play-off for EM 2021. More recently there was a 0: 4 defeat at the Erling Haaland Festival with three goals for Norway. Foda doesn’t want to make too much of this. “We have to pressure them and not let them come into play.”
Article of
Harald bartl
Sports editor
