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A captain who does not know if he is going to start. For Julian Baumgartlinger, too, the situation in the Austrian soccer team is new and unknown. The Bayer Leverkusen midfielder entered the ÖFB camp a week ago without preparation. At the start of the Nations League in Norway (2: 1), the 32-year-old was only substituted in the 86th minute.
The ÖFB captain could also start on the bench against Romania on Monday (starting at 8:45 pm on the LIVE ticker >>>).
“I want to be ready. I feel great,” Baumgartlinger said at the final press conference in Klagenfurt on Sunday, sitting next to team boss Franco Foda. A good solution has been found in Norway. “There are players who have been accumulating continuously.” And they would have done well in Oslo.
For Baumgartlinger, his 75th international game was a short task. “The situation was very special, going to the team with zero training units,” said the Salzburg. After Corona’s postponements, it was due to the Europa League finals with Leverkusen and, as a result, a delayed offseason. “We didn’t all know 100 percent where we were after this strange season.”
In this regard, the performance of the ÖFB team in Norway should be classified as high. “The first step has been taken, but we still have a long way to go,” the Austrian captain said of starting position in the Nations League. With a home win against Romania, you would have a chance to make a perfect start in League B.
Baumgartlinger warned against the Romanians, number 37 in the FIFA world rankings (Austria ranked 26). “They are a strong and very unpleasant team, very self-confident, almost cheeky. You have to be very careful.” Also, the Austrians in Klagenfurt have to do without their local audience. Baumgartlinger loses the “momentum” that could come from fans.
At the ÖFB’s next international match, a test against Greece on October 7, also in Klagenfurt, the European association (UEFA) could again allow some fans for the first time. A decision will be made after the UEFA Super Cup on September 24 in Budapest. Baumgartlinger: “I hope it’s the last one for now and that ideally we can play in front of the spectators again in October.”
Textquelle: © WHAT
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