One opponent still missing

Three home games before the World Cup! ÖFB plan for preparation

The ÖFB team will play three home games in Vienna before the World Cup.(Bild: Sepp Pail)

Austria's national soccer team will play three home games in the spring before the World Cup. The first doubleheader will take place on March 27 (6 p.m.) and March 31 (8:45 p.m.) in Vienna against Ghana and South Korea, respectively. In the immediate run-up to the World Cup, the Austrians will also host Tunisia at the Ernst Happel Stadium on June 1 (8:45 p.m.). This was announced by the ÖFB on Tuesday. The opponent for the World Cup dress rehearsal already planned in the USA has not yet been determined.

"The opponents have been agreed with the sporting management and are intended to serve as preparation for the World Cup. We have deliberately said that we do not want to play against any European teams," explained ÖFB managing director Bernhard Neuhold. In the final round in North America, coach Ralf Rangnick's team will face debutants Jordan (June 17, 6:00 a.m. CEST), Argentina (June 22, 7:00 p.m.) and Algeria (June 28, 4:00 a.m.) in the group stage.

World Cup dress rehearsal in California
According to Neuhold, a four-day training camp in Marbella is planned for the end of March. The team will return to Vienna the day before the home game against Ghana. David Alaba and his teammates will then remain in the Austrian capital for a few days and are expected to train at the new ÖFB campus in Aspern until the match against South Korea. According to Neuhold, it is still unclear where Rangnick's squad will meet at the end of May. In any case, the departure for North America will take place on June 4, three days after the Tunisia game.

The fourth test match opponent is still to be decided, as is the venue. The World Cup dress rehearsal is scheduled to take place between June 8 and 10 in the Los Angeles area. "There are a few options in terms of opponents and venue. We are currently in negotiations," explained Neuhold. Hosting an international match with a second foreign association in the US is a special challenge. Stadiums of various sizes are being considered as venues, and teams from Central and South America as well as Africa are currently being considered as opponents.

Marko Arnautovic(Bild: Mario Urbantschitsch)

There will be no home game against Ecuador. A match against the South Americans featuring Chelsea star Moises Caicedo was planned for early June, as Rangnick had already revealed on ServusTV before Christmas. "We were in talks, but it fell through for economic reasons," Neuhold explained. The opponents had demanded sums that the ÖFB was not prepared to pay. Instead, the team will now face Tunisia on June 1—a trial run, above all, for the World Cup match against its big neighbor Algeria.

Accommodation question still open
The neighborhood in which the ÖFB team will reside during the World Cup has not yet been finalized. Neuhold confirmed that negotiations are underway with FIFA, a host city, an accommodation provider, and a training center in California. "We are confident that we will be able to reach an overall agreement that will provide us with ideal conditions," said the ÖFB's chief financial officer. "However, no contracts have been signed yet."

FIFA has postponed the announcement of the base camps for all 48 teams, which was originally scheduled for January 16. The Austrians are not the only ones who want to propose an arrangement that is not included in the catalog offered by the world governing body. "We need 100 percent clarity and legal and economic planning security," Neuhold emphasized. "We will not embark on any adventures." In recent weeks, things have developed in different directions on several occasions. "But I am optimistic that we will hopefully have clarity here in the next one to two weeks."