Trip to Almaty

161 ÖFB fans defy costs, hardships and cold

The ÖFB plane made its way to Almaty on Wednesday.(Bild: GEPA)

The Austrian national soccer team can rely on its fans: 161 die-hard fans are accompanying the team to the away game in Almaty, some 5,000 kilometers away, braving the cold, long journey and other hardships. ÖFB team star Christoph Baumgartner takes his hat off and says: "That's anything but a matter of course."

"Outstanding! This support is absolutely impressive," said ÖFB star Christoph Baumgartner to the "Krone" before departing for Kazakhstan. The national team took the eight-hour flight from Vienna-Schwechat to Almaty on Wednesday. But - of course - not alone. The twelfth woman and the twelfth man are also accompanying their favorites to Central Asia.

"You can only take your hat off. We will thank them after the game and go to the curve or wherever in the stadium they are cheering us on. This support is simply fantastic and outstanding," enthused the Waldviertel-based high-class technician about the hard-boiled fans.

In the former Alma-Ata, the national team is supported by a hand-counted 161 supporters. Only very few of them (VIP guests, sponsors and partners of the ÖFB) took the direct flight with Baumgartner, Arnautovic and co. Most of them chose to travel individually. Some of them via Doha, Dubai or Istanbul.

Tickets in Almaty for the equivalent of six euros
131 of the tickets went to ÖFB fan clubs: they are called Vollpfosten, Blutgruppe Rot-Weiß-Rot, Bad Gleichenberg Crew or Hurricanes. They come from all the federal states and are united by one motto: Always and everywhere at the side of the national team! Either at bargain prices like in Kazakhstan (the fan clubs pay the equivalent of 6 euros) or at exorbitant sums like on Sunday at the home game against Slovenia in Vienna's Happel Stadium, where tickets cost up to 70 euros.

Sabitzer & Co. won their first clash with Kazakhstan 4:0 in Linz.(Bild: APA/GEORG HOCHMUTH)

The approximately two million inhabitants of Kazakhstan's largest city will certainly be amazed on Thursday. In the former capital of the Kazakh SSR (a constituent republic of the former Soviet Union), they will see red-white-red fans who have embarked on a veritable odyssey.

Fans are already eagerly awaiting the World Cup qualifiers
Time-consuming, expensive, costs vacation time, causes problems at home with wives, girlfriends or partners: but these fans are giving the shirt off their backs for Austria. It is "only" the conclusion of the UEFA Nations League, where temperatures are expected to be around freezing point in Almaty. But it gives an idea of what will be going on at the away games in the World Cup qualifiers in 2025. The group draw for the European qualifiers for the major event in Canada, Mexico and the USA will take place on December 13.

The 23rd final round of the World Cup from June 11 to July 19, 2026 should finally put Austria back on the international map. Even team boss Ralf Rangnick had a grin on his face at the Courtyard Vienna Prater hotel when he heard about the travel plans to Kazakhstan of the (positively) "mad" fans of the national team.

After Germany is before overseas
The reward? Hopefully the 2026 finals, which will be played in Vancouver, Toronto, New York City, Dallas, Kansas City, Houston, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Seattle, San Francisco, Boston, Miami, Mexico City, Monterrey and Guadalajara. Thousands, sorry, tens of thousands of Red-White-Red players would make the trip overseas. The next ÖFB invasion. Düsseldorf, Berlin and Leipzig with the EURO 2024 were yesterday. The future is qualification for the 2026 World Cup.