There are certain fundamental laws in football that cannot be overridden. International matches in November, for example, which also take place amicably, do not have a charisma that is worth storming the stadiums for. This is best demonstrated by the “rush of spectators” for the friendly game between Austria’s national team on Sunday (8.45 p.m., Ernst Happel Stadium Vienna) once morest Italy. For the game scheduled for the opening of the World Cup, which is only being played anyway because the central marketing, which brings in a lot of money, demands it, a half-full stadium would be a great success. Not even the European champion pulls as a crowd puller.
In the past, empty stadiums were often attributed to the former team bosses, but the ÖFB has to recognize the reality that temperatures around freezing point are expected in Vienna on Sunday and that even Ralf Rangnick, with the most attractive playing style, cannot provide that much warmth to own a home to leave.
Around 20 degrees Celsius are announced in Malaga today when Austria tests Andorra for the first time at 6 p.m. The number 151 in the world rankings should not be a stumbling block, even though the principality is holding two wins, two draws and just one loss in the last five games. “We know roughly what’s coming, how the team is playing,” says team boss Rangnick regarding the tiny state from the Pyrenees, which only has two professionals at its disposal.
The application of the Austrians, who have been preparing for a training camp in Marbella since Monday and until Saturday, to be allowed to make more than six substitutions once morest Andorra, has been rejected by UEFA. “We definitely want to prevent players from getting injured,” says Rangnick, who is likely to try a few things today. “We want to see that things have developed and how individual players show up in their positions.”
The ÖFB team wants to avoid embarrassment. “Everyone would hit us there,” says Leipzig professional Xaver Schlager, who notes that it is never easy to play friendly games following this long autumn, but “everyone has to prove themselves. The last impression is often what counts.” And the games once morest Andorra and Italy are the last ones before qualifying for the European Championship.