An emotional year

ÖFB team: Many “winners”, no real “loser”

Things can only get better for Kevin Danso (left) in 2025. Romano Schmid (right) is one of the "winners".(Bild: GEPA pictures)

Romano Schmid heads the long list of "winners" in the very emotional 2024 international year in the ÖFB team. Ralf Rangnick will continue to deal with the "one-win question".

Eight wins, three draws and an ÖFB record of 32 goals in 14 matches - the 2024 international year was an emotional high. With a crash against Turkey at the EURO and the final Nations League setback. "I'm not worried about the future," says Rangnick. Nobody will contradict the team boss - not even when it comes to World Cup qualification. Austria will be drawn from Pot 1 on December 13 and will not be underdogs against any opponent.

In sporting terms, the team is completely intact, as there were many winners in 2024 - in addition to the perennial favorites Seiwald, Laimer and Posch:

• First and foremost Romano Schmid, who flew under the radar as an "emergency nail" in the ÖFB a year ago. The Werder legionnaire exploded in the Oranje 3:2 in Berlin and was always in the starting eleven after that.
• Phillipp Mwene and Alex Prass (Rangnick's "invention") also put an end to the discussion about the "missing" left-back.
• In the absence of David Alaba, Philipp Lienhart became the absolute leader of the defense.
• Even stronger with the bow - Marcel Sabitzer took on the leading role as captain and took on a lot of responsibility.
• And, of course, Christoph Baumgartner with seven goals and seven assists in team year 2024 alone - the 25-year-old has long been Austria's most dangerous attacking weapon.

Danso and one-man question
There was no real "loser" - apart from all the protagonists in the ÖFB power struggle.

• But at least for Kevin Danso, 2025 can only get better. The Lens professional made an outstanding start to the EUROs against Mbappé and co - and yet (for whatever reason?) ended up on the bench for the next few players. And then came the failed Roma transfer, lengthy heart examinations, an enforced break - and so he "lost" ground in the defender hierarchy.
• And the "one-man question" between the fit-again Alex Schlager, whose knee cost him the EURO, and Patrick Pentz will also accompany the team into the new year. Rangnick has recently rotated the squad.

But there is no real sporting construction site in the ÖFB squad (anymore) - Alaba, Xaver Schlager and Sasa Kalajdzic will return in 2025!