Austria national football team

Austria
Nickname(s)	Das Team; Burschen; Unsere Burschen
Association	Österreichischer Fußball-Bund (ÖFB)
Confederation	UEFA (Europe)
Head coach	Franco Foda
Captain	Julian Baumgartlinger
Most caps	Andreas Herzog (103)
Top scorer	Anton Polster (44)
Home stadium	Ernst-Happel-Stadion
FIFA code	AUT
First colours	Second colours
FIFA ranking
Current	34 (22 December 2022)
Highest	10 (March–June 2016)
Lowest	105 (July 2008)
First international
	Austria 5–0 Hungary ; (Vienna, Austria; October 12, 1902)
Biggest win
	Austria 9–0 Malta ; (Salzburg, Austria; April 30, 1977)
Biggest defeat
	Austria 1–11 England ; (Vienna, Austria; June 8, 1908)
World Cup
Appearances	7 (first in 1934)
Best result	Third place, 1954
European Championship
Appearances	2 (first in 2008)
Best result	Group stage, 2008 and 2016
Medal record
Men's football

Austria national football team is the national football team of Austria. It is controlled by the Austrian Football Association (German: Österreichischer Fußballbund - ÖFB).

History before the Second World War

The first official match took place on 12th October 1902 in Vienna when a team from Cisleithanien (Austrian part of the Austrian-Hungary Empire) played versus Hungary. (5:0) The team reached in the 1930s the best time. It was the time of the so-called "Wunderteam" (miracle team) when Austria was one of the leading teams in Europe. The Wunderteam was the first from the continent to defeat Scotland. In 1934 the team was took part in the FIFA world cup for the first time and reached the 4th place. 1936 Austria won the silver medal at the Olympic games in Berlin. Due to the occupation through Germany in 1938 there was no team between 1938 and 1945. The national team was dissolved and the players like Matthias Sindelar became part of the German team.

1945 to 1962

Soon after the end of the war the Austrian team played their first matches versus Hungary in Budapest. On December 6th, 1945 the first homematch took place in the renovated Praterstadion (now Ernst-Happel-Stadion). France was beaten by 4:1. Soon Austria was as successful as before the war. In 1951 Scotland was beaten in his own stadium by 1:0. Austria was the first team from the continent to do so. The FIFA World cup 1954 was the most successful ever. A legendary match was the quarterfinal against Switzerland which won Austria 7:5. It is still till today the Worldcup match with the most goals scored. Austria reached the semifinals and was beaten by the later world champion Germany by 1:6. The match for the 3rd place was won by 3:1 versus Uruguay. Players like Gerhard Hanappi, Walter Zeman and Ernst Ocwirk were playing in the FIFA world team. A 0:6 versus the Czech team marked the end of Austrias golden periode.

1962 to present

The next years Austria was an average team but surprised through notable wins. On was on 20 October 1965 when Austria won in England 3:2. Austria was the third team to do so. In the same year however Austria failed to qualify for the 1966 World Cup. Also the qualification for 1970 was a failure. The qualification for 1974 was missed after a 1:2 versus Sweden in a decider.

After 20 years Austria could qualify for the 1978 FIFA World Cup. The last match versus Turkey was won 1:0 through a goal by the later team coach Herbert Prohaska. In the tournament Austria won the groupstage. But after two lost matches versus Netherlands and Italy they failed to reach the final round. The last match was versus Germany in Cordoba. Austria won 3:2 through two goals by Hans Krankl and an own goal by Bertie Vogts. In Austria this is a legendary match. In the 1982 World Cup Austria also played. After two matches with wins versus Algeria and Chile a narrow loss against Germany was enough. Germany had to win to promote to the final round. The match ended 1:0 for Germany and especially in Algeria there were manipulation reproaches. After the 1982 Cup a lot of players ended their career, so Austria failed to reach the 1986 FIFA World Cup.

Under coach Josef Hickersberger Austria could qualify for the 1990 World Cup. He called back old players like Herbert Prohaska and mixed them with new players like Andreas Herzog who had only three league matches played before the Championship. After losses versus Italy and Czechoslovakia and a win versus USA they failed in the first round.

Shortly after the World Cup Hickersberger resigned after a 0:1 versus the Faroe Islands in Landskrona, Sweden. On the islands there was no stadium with grass and all the players were pure amateurs. This match was a great disgrace for Austrians team.

The last appearance of an Austrian team in a World Cup tournament was 1998 in France. Austria failed in the qualifing round versus Italy, Chile and Cameroon. As host Austria was qualified for the UEFA Euro 2008 and played versus Poland, Croatia and Germany. After losses versus Germany and Croatia and a draw versus Poland Austria could not qualify for the quarter finals.

Austria failed to qualify for the World Cup 2006 and 2010 and also for the UEFA Euro 2012.

Notable team players

Andreas Herzog:with 103 matches he holds the record of matches for the national team
Robert Sara:was voted to the All-Star-Team of the FIFA World Cup 1978
Walter Zeman:World goal keeper 1953
Herbert Prohaska:played in the 1990 and 1982 team and was coach of the 1998 squad for the World Cups
Hans Krankl: he was the star of the 1978 match versus Germany and Europs best scorer
Matthias Sindelar: player of the "Wunderteam" one of Austrias best players ever
Toni Polster:with 44 goals best scorer of the Austrian team

Team of the century

To mark the turn of the century, the Kronen Zeitung called for an election for the national team of the (20th) century in 1999.

Walter Zeman

Robert Sara – Ernst Happel – Bruno Pezzey

Gerhard Hanappi – Herbert Prohaska – Ernst Ocwirk – Andreas Herzog

Hans Krankl – Matthias Sindelar – Toni Polster

Statistics

as 16 October 2023^[5]

Team matches

- 825
- Won:346
- Drawn:176
- Lost:303
- Goals1456: 1279 +177
- The highest victory was a 9:0 versus Malta in a qualifing match for the FIFA World Cup 1978.
- Top scorer in single match:Hans Krankl 6 versus Malta
- The highest defeat was a 1:11 versus England on 8th June 1908 in Vienna.
- Most matches:versus Hungary 136
- Best result in Fifa World Cup:1954 3rd
- Visitors: 30.10.1960 Austria - Spain 3:0 91000^[6]

Matches

Marko Arnautovic 108
Andreas Herzog 103
David Alaba 101
Aleksandar Dragovic 100
Anton Polster 95
Gerhard Hanappi 93
Karl Koller 86
Julian Baumgartlinger 84
Friedrich 'Friedl' Koncilia 84
Bruno Pezzey 84
Herbert Prohaska 83
Christian Fuchs 78
Sebastian Prödl 73
Marc Janko 70
Johann Krankl 69
Heribert Weber 68
Martin Harnik 68
Martin Hinteregger 67
Peter Stöger 65^[7]

Top scorer

Manager history

Name	Nationality	From	To	P	W	D	L	GF	GA	Win%^[8]	Notes
Hugo Meisl	Austria-Hungary	22 December 1912	3 October 1914	6	3	1	2	11	9	50.00
Heinrich Retschury	Austria-Hungary	4 October 1914	1 August 1919	22	8	3	11	45	47	36.36
Hugo Meisl	Austria	1 August 1919	17 February 1937	127	68	29	30	326	206	53.54	Created the Wunderteam. 4th place at the 1934 World Cup. Winners of the 1932 Central European International Cup. Runners-up of the 1930 and 1935 Central European International Cup.
Heinrich Retschury	Austria	22 May 1937	24 October 1937	5	2	1	2	10	10	40.00	Qualified for the 1938 World Cup.
From 1938 to 1945 there was no national team due to Anschluss.
Karl Zankl	Austria	19 August 1945	3 October 1945	2	0	0	2	2	7	0.00	Died while in the position of national coach.
Edi Bauer	Austria	3 October 1945	4 March 1948	11	4	0	7	26	28	36.36
Eduard Frühwirth	Austria	4 March 1948	1 September 1948	5	3	0	2	9	9	60.00
Walter Nausch	Austria	1 September 1948	15 November 1954	47	21	10	16	119	87	44.68	3rd place at the 1954 World Cup.
Hans Kaulich	Austria	15 November 1954	28 March 1955	1	0	0	1	2	3	0.00
Josef Molzer	Austria	29 March 1955	3 September 1955	3	1	1	1	6	8	33.33
Karl Geyer	Austria	3 September 1955	21 April 1956	5	2	0	3	8	14	40.00
Josef Argauer Josef Molzer	Austria Austria	21 April 1956	9 August 1958	18	7	6	5	37	27	38.89	Qualified for the 1958 World Cup.
Alfred Frey Franz Putzendopler Egon Selzer Josef Molzer	Austria	9 August 1958	15 October 1958	2	0	0	2	4	6	0.00
Karl Decker	Austria	16 October 1958	28 February 1964	36	16	3	17	60	67	44.44
Josef Walter Béla Guttmann	Austria	7 March 1964	11 October 1964	5	3	1	1	6	5	60.00
Eduard Frühwirth	Austria	20 November 1964	13 January 1967	15	4	3	8	12	23	26.67
Erwin Alge Hans Pesser	Austria	13 January 1967	24 June 1968	10	3	2	5	18	19	30.00
Leopold Šťastný	Czechoslovakia	1 July 1968	30 September 1975	49	15	16	18	58	62	30.61
Branko Elsner (caretaker)	Yugoslavia	6 October 1975	19 November 1975	2	1	0	1	6	3	50.00
Helmut Senekowitsch	Austria	1 March 1976	30 June 1978	26	14	4	8	40	26	53.85	Qualified for the 1978 World Cup.
Karl Stotz	Austria	1 August 1978	14 December 1981	24	13	6	5	43	25	30.61	Qualified for the 1982 World Cup.
Georg Schmidt Felix Latzke	Austria Austria	5 February 1982	2 July 1982	8	5	1	2	11	7	30.61
Erich Hof	Austria	7 September 1982	21 November 1984	15	6	3	6	22	20	30.61
Branko Elsner	Yugoslavia	15 January 1985	18 November 1987	18	5	5	8	20	28	27.78
Josef Hickersberger	Austria	1 January 1988	14 September 1990	29	10	7	12	36	39	34.48	Qualified for the 1990 World Cup.
Alfred Riedl	Austria	15 September 1990	10 October 1991	8	1	3	4	6	16	12.5
Dietmar Constantini (caretaker)	Austria	10 October 1991	13 November 1991	2	0	0	2	1	4	0.00
Ernst Happel	Austria	1 Januar 1992	14 November 1992	9	2	3	4	18	17	30.61
Dietmar Constantini (caretaker)	Austria	15 November 1992	18 November 1992	1	0	1	0	0	0	30.61
Herbert Prohaska	Austria	8 January 1993	29 March 1999	51	25	9	17	96	73	49.02	Qualified for the 1998 World Cup.
Otto Barić	Austria	13 April 1999	21 November 2001	22	7	6	9	31	35	31.82
Hans Krankl	Austria	21 January 2002	28 September 2005	31	10	10	11	47	46	32.26
Willibald Ruttensteiner Andreas Herzog Slavko Kovacic (caretakers)	Austria Austria Austria	30 September 2005	December 2005	2	1	0	1	2	1	50.00
Josef Hickersberger	Austria	1 January 2006	23 June 2008	24	5	8	11	29	40	20.83
Karel Brückner	Czech Republic	25 July 2008	2 March 2009	6	1	2	3	9	13	16.67
Dietmar Constantini	Austria	4 March 2009	1 November 2009	20	7	2	11	?	?	35
Marcel Koller	Switzerland	1 November 2009	9 October 2017	54	25	13	16	?	?	46.3	Qualified for the Euro 2016.
Franco Foda	Germany	14 November 2017	30 March 2022	46	27	5	14	?	?	58.7	Qualified for the Euro 2020.
Ralf Rangnick	Germany	29 April 2022		8	3	1	4	?	?	37.5