After 6:1 against Turkey

What Rangnick is now “really dreading”

Ralf Rangnick has to be prepared for some difficult squad decisions.(Bild: GEPA pictures)

Ralf Rangnick has taken note of the high spirits in the Austrian national team two and a half months before the start of the European Championship. "But what I really dread a little bit is, quite honestly, when everyone is fit and we've possibly invited 23 players, to say on June 7 that I don't have a rose for you. That's not necessarily a good idea."

The team boss urged players to produce performances like those in Tuesday's 6-1 friendly win over Turkey in Vienna at the tournament in Germany in two-and-a-half months' time. "It's always about what happens in the future," emphasized the German, who will have to be prepared for some difficult squad decisions. The ÖFB team will not meet again until May 29 in Windischgarsten after their highest win in four and a half years. After the recent strong performances, Rangnick is struggling to decide whether he should take more than the 20 outfield players in the European Championship squad with him for the preparation.

Ralf Rangnick(Bild: APA/GEORG HOCHMUTH)

Not an easy task
The squad size was reduced from 26 to 23 by UEFA after the 2021 European Championship due to the coronavirus - including goalkeepers. The first training session of the year with the international double-header against Slovakia (2:0) and Turkey did not make his decisions any easier, said Rangnick. "Some players have already drawn a lot of attention to themselves. It won't be an easy task. But I'd rather it was like this than not having to think so much."

Some players such as Romano Schmid and Andreas Weimann already justified their substitutions in Slovakia. Schmid also impressed in the starting eleven against the Turks. Rangnick did not want to single out any player. "It was a very strong team performance from us, a performance of will too - especially because there was also a quarter of an hour where it wasn't easy."

Five wins in a row
The group games against France, Poland and the Netherlands are on the agenda at the European Championships. The ÖFB team has now won five games in a row. "We didn't qualify for the EURO according to the Olympic motto 'Taking part is everything'," emphasized Rangnick. They want to perform like they did in the tests against Germany (2:0) or now Turkey.