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From OÖN-Sport/APA, October 1st, 2024, 11:12 a.m
Image: APA/Eva Manhart
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Image: APA/Eva Manhart
Austrian footballers can currently be counted on one or two fingers in the teams of Champions League starters Red Bull Salzburg and Sturm Graz.
ÖFB team boss Ralf Rangnick doesn’t want to be alarmed by this. The German emphasized that what is more important to him is that good training for young talent is provided in Austria. There was praise for Rapid in this regard, but Rangnick questioned the developments at Salzburg’s farm team Liefering.
“There was a long time there, which I also helped initiate, when the nomen omen was – Liefering delivered,” Rangnick explained to journalists in Vienna.
Two, three or four players from the second division team would have regularly pushed into Salzburg’s first team. “Those at the top couldn’t use them that quickly, and the next generation below came along.” That is currently not the case.
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Because Salzburg is trying to attract the country’s greatest young talents to its academy, promising Austrians also play in Liefering. According to Rangnick, these are obviously not good enough to be considered by the professionals. “That’s not a criticism, but I’ll allow myself to ask the question: Is the work being done there at exactly the same level? No player is in the first team squad. Is all the commitment you put in worth it?”
Salzburg has never adhered to the requirements of the Austrian pot, with which the Bundesliga financially rewards minutes played by local players. More and more clubs, especially Sturm, are following suit.
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“I’m basically not someone who believes in quotas or special payments,” emphasized Rangnick. Clubs, he knows from his own experience as a sports director, always put together their squads based on performance criteria. “We have to deal with what the reality is.”
Rapid has had the most players of all Bundesliga clubs in the senior national team for months. Hütteldorfer’s presence is also large in the U21 and other ÖFB youth teams. “Rapid has been doing good work with young talent for many years,” said Rangnick. That’s the only way you can go in Austria.
Rangnick, who has a say in many matters within the association, wants to focus more on the substructure. “We have to make sure that the really good players stay in football and have the chance to develop at the age of six to ten,” said the 66-year-old. That stands or falls with trainer training. “It’s very good, but you can still see how you can continue to improve things.”
Rangnick himself is completing two training sessions with ten to 13 year olds this week – on Thursday in Leithaprodersdorf in Burgenland and on Friday in Horn. Former national player Martin Stranzl will support him.
Rangnick: “All forces must be pooled together so that Austria continues to develop really good players in the future who are good enough to help the senior national team.” In the end, it’s not that important whether they would play as professionals at home or abroad.
