An Uncertain Future

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David Alaba(Bild: APA/GEORG HOCHMUTH)

Austria’s national soccer team will have to make do without its usual key players in the Nations League. Following Marko Arnautovic’s retirement and Marcel Sabitzer’s break from the ÖFB, head coach Ralf Rangnick will also be without David Alaba for the opener. The captain is still looking for a club. “It makes more sense for him to continue working on his fitness,” Rangnick said after consulting with the 34-year-old. Alaba might also skip the November training camp...

Rangnick emphasized that he hopes Alaba will find a club soon after his contract with Real Madrid expires. “Because one thing is clear: With every week he doesn’t play, with every month, it will take even longer afterward for him to really get back into the swing of things.” Alaba played his last match to date in the Euro Round of 32 against Spain (0–3) in early July; the day before, he had completed his last team training session. He hasn’t signed with a new club since then.

No Risk in ÖFB Training
Rangnick explained on Monday during an ÖFB press conference in Vienna that he had most recently spoken with his captain on the phone every two weeks. The decision was made on Saturday. “We discussed together whether it might still make sense to include him. But my gut feeling then told me it didn’t make much sense.” Not least because the 117-time international could have sustained a new injury during a training session that’s “high-intensity”—as has recently become a greater emphasis within the ÖFB team again.

Alaba may “sit out” not only the four international matches in late September and early October, but also the two in November—and thus the entire group stage of the Nations League—as Rangnick put it. “Then we’ll reassess the situation when it comes to the European Championship qualifiers. That will depend to some extent on how often, how regularly, when, and where he plays.”

New Leadership Players Sought
Sabitzer, too, has not ruled out a return for the 2028 European Championship qualifiers in Great Britain and Ireland. “It’s clear that he’s a huge loss, just like a match-fit David Alaba,” said Rangnick. Sabitzer had been in absolutely top form at the World Cup. “For us, he was certainly the standout individual player,” said the head coach. However, he has two sons of his own and therefore understands Sabitzer’s family situation. Sabitzer’s wife and daughter live in Vienna, while the 32-year-old plays for Borussia Dortmund week in and week out.

“We’ll miss him, of course, but at the same time, it’s an opportunity for those who haven’t been called up yet or haven’t played as much,” Rangnick explained ahead of the Nations League opener in one week on Thursday (September 24, 8:45 p.m.) in Linz against Israel. Alaba, Arnautovic, and Sabitzer are the regular captains. When the trio was unavailable, Bayern Munich’s Konrad Laimer has most recently worn the armband. “Something needs to develop there as well,” Rangnick said regarding the leadership structure within the team.