In the spotlight: Franco Foda. / Picture: GEPA pictures / Christian Walgram
To be the team boss of the Austrian national soccer team is a respected job in this country. Hardly anyone wants to swap places with Franco Foda these days. The German, who has been in office for almost four years, has been exposed to massive criticism since the most recent course, including the defeats against Israel (2: 4) and Scotland (0: 1), he is counted.
For the turnaround, which was hardly considered possible, Foda needs a small miracle, which should now succeed in the upcoming away games against the Faroe Islands (Saturday) and Denmark (Tuesday).
The starting position before the two upcoming business trips could hardly be more unpleasant. The disgrace of Landskrona 1990 (0: 1) always resonates in duels with the Faroese. There is nothing to win against underdogs and a lot to lose. Denmark, on the other hand, is clearly to be placed above Austria.
The EM semi-finalist leads the World Cup qualification group F with a maximum of points (18) and an immaculate goal difference of 22: 0. Ironically, during the visit to the Faroe Islands, the 1-0 winning goal was only achieved five minutes before the final whistle.
Half of the European Championship team is missing
So what is the approach of the ÖFB team? Peter Schöttel, sports director by trade, outlines them. “We want to win against the Faroe Islands and get a top performance and score in Denmark.” So four points are the declared goal. You would certainly not nip the team boss discussion in the bud, but the tonality would be a little different. However, especially a point win in Denmark seems difficult to achieve, Schöttel knows about the strength of the opponent. “They really, really fit a lot.”
As if the challenge wasn't big enough, Foda is faced with a number of failures (see profile below). Some are serious, such as those by Marko Arnautović, Christoph Baumgartner or Aleksandar Dragović. Together with the long-term injuries Xaver Schlager, Stefan Lainer and Saša Kalajdžić, six players who played a key role at the European championship in the summer are missing.
Due to the failures, Salzburg's Maximilian Wöber as well as the Rapidler Marco Grüll and Ercan Kara slip into the squad, Schöttel sees “still a lot of quality. For some it offers the chance to present themselves. “
“With Foda to the World Cup”
At the media meeting on Tuesday, Schöttel could not answer whether Foda could still be saved as team boss. Of course, there was a healthy dose of optimism in the former defense attorney. “I am in good spirits that we can turn things around again,” said the 54-year-old, who assumes that “we will go to the World Cup with Franco Foda.”
So much for the wishful thinking of the sports director, who is at the same time a realist and knows the mechanisms of the football business. “The discussions will stop when we perform well and win games,” assured Schöttel, who has already held talks with the designated ÖFB President Gerhard Milletich.
The Burgenlander, he succeeded Leo Windtner on October 17th, had additionally fueled the team boss debate by publicly calling on Schöttel, the ÖFB sports commission and “long-time team players” to find out “which alternatives are there that are ready To look after the national team. “
Schöttel put Milletich's statements into perspective on Tuesday. “I was not asked by the new president to look for a team leader. There is a commitment to this course. Franco has our trust, but we don't close our eyes. “
