Ralf Rangnick warns: “We shouldn’t have Germany in the back of our minds”

Caution is advised today for the players of the Austrian national football team. The conclusion of the European Championship qualification in Estonia (6 p.m., Servus TV, live) also marks the starting signal for Austria’s national team to prepare for the 2024 European Championship in Germany. And nobody should afford to slow down even in one game. That’s why ÖFB team boss Ralf Rangnick issued a warning before the flight to Tallinn. “It’s important that we in Estonia don’t have the Germany game next Tuesday in the back of our minds right from the start.” So far, however, the team hasn’t given him much cause for concern. Since I’ve been coach here, there’s never been anything to criticize about the mentality of the players, and that will be the case this time too. The players know that it’s still about first place in the group and about getting into pot two in the European Championship draw.”

The team boss leads by example. There will be no experiments. Before the 2021 European Championship, the then team boss Franco Foda sent a B team into the race in the 0-1 defeat in Latvia. His successor doesn’t think so. Rangnick has already revealed that David Alaba, who was recently missing from the team due to injury, will be in the starting line-up. “I will also start with the best possible formation against Estonia and Germany. We will only rest if we feel that a player needs more regeneration.” The only thing that is certain is that Alexander Schlager will start in goal. In the storm, it is unclear which of the trio Marko Arnautovic, Michael Gregoritsch and Sasa Kalajdzic will get the place in the starting eleven.

In terms of sport, at least theoretically there is still a chance of winning the group. However, in addition to a victory for the ÖFB selection, there would also have to be a defeat for Belgium against Azerbaijan. We already saw that you have to be careful against Estonia with the 2-1 win in the first leg in Linz.

“Full throttle with Rangnick”

“With Ralf Rangnick it will only be full throttle today,” ex-LASK player Florian Klein is also convinced. The football expert at Servus TV talks about his own European Championship experiences in the national team in the current edition of the OÖN TV program “Matchplan”.