Austria national football team
Encyclopedia
The Austria national football team is the association football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...

 team that represents the country
Country
A country is a region legally identified as a distinct entity in political geography. A country may be an independent sovereign state or one that is occupied by another state, as a non-sovereign or formerly sovereign political division, or a geographic region associated with a previously...

 of Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...

 in international competition and is controlled by the Austrian Football Association
Austrian Football Association
The Austrian Football Association is the governing body of football in Austria. It organizes the football league, Austrian Bundesliga, the Austrian Cup and the Austrian national team, as well as its female equivalent. It is based in Vienna....

 (German: Österreichischer Fußballbund).

Austria has qualified for seven World Cups
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...

, most recently in 1998
1998 FIFA World Cup
The 1998 FIFA World Cup, the 16th FIFA World Cup, was held in France from 10 June to 12 July 1998. France was chosen as host nation by FIFA on 2 July 1992. The tournament was won by France, who beat Brazil 3-0 in the final...

. The country played in the European Championship
UEFA European Football Championship
The UEFA European Football Championship is the main football competition of the men's national football teams governed by UEFA . Held every four years since 1960, in the even-numbered year between World Cup tournaments, it was originally called the UEFA European Nations Cup, changing to the current...

 for the first time in 2008 when it co-hosted the event with Switzerland
Switzerland national football team
The Swiss national football team is the national football team of Switzerland...

.

Pre-war

The Austrian Football Association
Austrian Football Association
The Austrian Football Association is the governing body of football in Austria. It organizes the football league, Austrian Bundesliga, the Austrian Cup and the Austrian national team, as well as its female equivalent. It is based in Vienna....

 was founded on 18 March 1904 in the Empire of Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary , more formally known as the Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Imperial Council and the Lands of the Holy Hungarian Crown of Saint Stephen, was a constitutional monarchic union between the crowns of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary in...

. The team enjoyed success in the 1930s under coach Hugo Meisl
Hugo Meisl
Hugo Meisl , brother of the journalist Willy Meisl, was the multi-lingual football coach of the famous Austrian 'Wunderteam' of the early 1930s, as well as a referee.-Background:...

 becoming a dominant side in Europe and earning the nickname "Wunderteam
Wunderteam
Wunderteam was the name given to the Austria national football team of the 1930s. Led by manager Hugo Meisl, the team had an unbeaten streak of 14 games between April 1931 and December 1932. The style of the team was based on the Scottish school of football that focused on quick passing introduced...

". On 16 May 1931, they were the first European side to defeat Scotland
Scotland national football team
The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...

. In the 1934 FIFA World Cup
1934 FIFA World Cup
The 1934 FIFA World Cup was the second FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in Italy from 27 May to 10 June 1934....

, they finished 4th after losing 1–0 to Italy
Italy national football team
The Italy National Football Team , represents Italy in association football and is controlled by the Italian Football Federation , the governing body for football in Italy. Italy is the second most successful national team in the history of the World Cup having won four titles , just one fewer than...

 in the semifinals, and 3–2 to Germany
Germany national football team
The Germany national football team is the football team that has represented Germany in international competition since 1908. It is governed by the German Football Association , which was founded in 1900....

 for Third place. They were runners-up in the Football at the Summer Olympics
Football at the Summer Olympics
Association football, usually known simply as football or soccer, has been included in every Olympiad except 1896 and 1932 as a men's competition sport. Women's football was added to the official programme in 1996.-Early history:...

 1936, again losing to Italy, 2–1. (They had actually lost in the quarterfinals to Peru, but were re-instated after Peru withdrew after a re-match was ordered.)Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...

 had qualified for the 1938
1938 FIFA World Cup
The 1938 FIFA World Cup was the third staging of the World Cup, and was held in France from 4 June to 19 June. Italy retained the championship, beating Hungary 4–2 in the final.-Host selection:...

 finals, but due to the Anschluss
Anschluss
The Anschluss , also known as the ', was the occupation and annexation of Austria into Nazi Germany in 1938....

 on 12 March of that year, Austria was annexed to Germany. Already on 28 March, FIFA was notified that the Austrian FA had been abolished, meaning also withdrawal from the World Cup, with the German team
Germany national football team
The Germany national football team is the football team that has represented Germany in international competition since 1908. It is governed by the German Football Association , which was founded in 1900....

 representing also Austria. Theoretically, a united team could have been an even stronger force than each of the separate ones, but German coach Sepp Herberger
Sepp Herberger
Josef "Sepp" Herberger was a German football player and manager...

 had little time and very few games to prepare and merge the very different styles of play and attitude. The former Austrian professionals outplayed the rather athletic yet amateur player of the "Old Empire" in a "reunification" derby that was supposed to finish as a draw, yet in the waning minutes, the Austrians scored twice, with Matthias Sindelar
Matthias Sindelar
Matthias Sindelar was an Austrian footballer.He played centre-forward for the celebrated Austria national team of the early 1930s known as the Wunderteam, which he captained at the 1934 World Cup....

 also demonstratively missing the German goal, and subsequently declining to be capped for Germany. In a later rematch, the Germans took revenge, winning 9–1. In early April, Herberger inquired whether two separate teams could enter anyway, but "Reichssportführer" Hans von Tschammer und Osten
Hans von Tschammer und Osten
Hans von Tschammer und Osten was a German sport official, SA leader and a member of the Reichstag...

 made clear that he expected to see a 5:6 or 6:5 mixture of players from the two hitherto teams. As a result, five players from Austria Wien, Rapid Wien and Vienna Wien were part of the team that only managed a 1–1 draw in Round 1 against Switzerland
Switzerland national football team
The Swiss national football team is the national football team of Switzerland...

, which required a rematch. With Rapid Wien's forward Pesser having been sent off, and not satisfied with two others, Herberger had to alter the line-up on six positions to fulfill the 6:5 quota again. The all-German team led the Swiss 2–0 after 15 minutes, but eventually lost 4–2 in Paris, in front of a rather anti-German French and Swiss crowd, as few German supporters were able to travel to France due to German restrictions on foreign currency exchange. After World War II, Austria was again separated from Germany. Austria's best result came in 1954
1954 FIFA World Cup
The 1954 FIFA World Cup, the fifth staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in Switzerland from 16 June to 4 July. Switzerland was chosen as hosts in July 1946. The tournament set a number of all-time records for goal-scoring, including the highest average goals scored per game...

, when they lost the semifinal 6–1 to eventual champion Germany, but finished third after beating defending champion Uruguay 3–1. This remains their best result ever, and unfortunately the last time for decades that Austria reached the end round of a major tournament. Over the years, a strong yet mainly lopsided rivalry with Germany developed.

1970s and 1980s

Anchored by Austria's player of the century Herbert Prohaska
Herbert Prohaska
Herbert Prohaska is a retired Austrian football player. He ranks among Austria's greatest football players of all time. Prohaska is currently working as a football pundit for the Austrian Broadcasting Corporation . His nickname "Schneckerl", Viennese dialect for curly hair, derives from his curly...

 and legendary striker Hans Krankl
Hans Krankl
Johann "Hans" Krankl is a retired Austrian footballer. He was last manager of LASK Linz.-Club career:A prolific striker, Krankl is regarded by many as the greatest ever Austrian player. He started his professional career at Rapid Wien and stayed there for 8 years, apart from a year at Wiener AC...

, backed up by Bruno Pezzey
Bruno Pezzey
Bruno Edmund Pezzey was an Austrian footballer.-Club career:Regarded as one of Austria's greatest defenders of all time, Pezzey started his professional career at local side FC Vorarlberg and moved to FC Wacker Innsbruck after only one season, winning two league titles and a domestic cup...

, Austria reached the World Cup in 1978 and 1982 and both times reached the Second Round, held in team group games that replaced the knock-out Quarterfinals. This Austria team, coached by Helmut Senekowitsch
Helmut Senekowitsch
Helmut Senekowitsch was an Austrian football player and later a football manager.-Club career:He played for several clubs, including SK Sturm Graz, Real Betis and FC Wacker Innsbruck.-International career:...

, is widely regarded as the best post-WWII Austrian football team ever. In the 1978 FIFA World Cup
1978 FIFA World Cup
The 1978 FIFA World Cup, the 11th staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in Argentina between 1 June and 25 June. The 1978 World Cup was won by Argentina who beat the Netherlands 3–1 after extra time in the final. This win was the first World Cup title for Argentina, who became the fifth...

 in Argentina, they had lost two games and would almost surely finish last in their Second Round group of four teams, but they put in a special effort for their last game in Córdoba against West Germany, which had still chances of qualifying for the Final. The Austrians also denied the defending world champion a trip to the Third Place match, beating them 3–2 by two goals of Hans Krankl
Hans Krankl
Johann "Hans" Krankl is a retired Austrian footballer. He was last manager of LASK Linz.-Club career:A prolific striker, Krankl is regarded by many as the greatest ever Austrian player. He started his professional career at Rapid Wien and stayed there for 8 years, apart from a year at Wiener AC...

, plus an own goal. The celebrating report of the radio commentator Edi Finger ("I werd narrisch!") became famous in Austria, where it is considered the miracle of Cordoba
Miracle of cordoba
The Miracle of Cordoba describes the game of football between defending World Champions Germany and Austria that occurred on 21 June 1978 at the conclusion of the second round of the 1978 FIFA World Cup, in Córdoba, Argentina...

, while the Germans regard the game and the Austrian behavior as a disgrace. During the 1982 FIFA World Cup
1982 FIFA World Cup
The 1982 FIFA World Cup, the 12th FIFA World Cup, was held in Spain from 13 June to 11 July. The tournament was won by Italy, after defeating West Germany 3–1 in the final.-Host selection:...

 in Spain, Austria and West Germany met again, in the last game of Round 1. Because the other two teams in the group had played their last game the previous day, both teams knew that a West German win by one goal would see both through, while all other results would eliminate one team or the other. After ten minutes of furious attack, Horst Hrubesch
Horst Hrubesch
Horst Hrubesch is a retired German football player employed as a youth trainer at the German Football Association. His nickname was Das Kopfball-Ungeheuer for his heading skills.-Career:...

 scored for West Germany, and the two teams mainly kicked the ball around for eighty minutes with few attempts to attack. The game became known as the non-aggression pact of Gijon
West Germany v Austria (1982)
-Aftermath:With West Germany's 1–0 victory, they joined Austria and Algeria with four points in three matches. The teams were separated by goal difference, with West Germany and Austria progressing to the next round of the tournament at the expense of Algeria....

. Algeria
Algeria national football team
The Algeria national football team , nicknamed الأفنــاك, Les Fennecs , represents Algeria in association football and is controlled by the Fédération Algérienne de Football. Algeria's home ground is the Stade 5 Juillet 1962 in Algiers and their head coach is Vahid Halilhodžić.Algeria has qualified...

 had also won two games, including a shocking surprise over Germany in the opener, but among the three teams that had won two games, was eliminated based on goal difference, having conceded two late goals in their 3–2 win over Chile. The Algerian supporters were understandably furious, and even the Austrian and West German fans showed themselves to be extremely unhappy with the nature of their progression. As a result of this game, all future tournaments would see the last group games played simultaneously. Austria and Northern Ireland were eliminated by losing to France in the Second round group stage of three teams.

1990s

Led by striker Toni Polster, Austria qualified for the 1990 World Cup, but were eliminated in the first round. Much worse was the stunning 1–0 loss against the Faroe Islands
Faroe Islands national football team
The Faroe Islands national football team represents the Faroe Islands in association football and is controlled by the Faroe Islands Football Association, the governing body for football in the Faroe Islands. The Faroe Islands became a member of FIFA in 1988 and UEFA in 1990 and are the third...

 in the qualifying campaign for the European Championship 1992, considered the worst embarrassment in any Austrian team sport ever, and one of the biggest upsets in footballing history. The game was played in Landskrona, Sweden because there were no grass fields on the Faroe Islands. It was a sign for things to come. Austria suffered another couple of years of botched qualifying campaigns, despite playing some entertaining football in the closing stages of Euro 96 qualification. In the World Cup 1998, Austria were drawn in Group B along with Italy
Italy national football team
The Italy National Football Team , represents Italy in association football and is controlled by the Italian Football Federation , the governing body for football in Italy. Italy is the second most successful national team in the history of the World Cup having won four titles , just one fewer than...

, Cameroon
Cameroon national football team
The Cameroon national football team, nicknamed Les Lions Indomptables , is controlled by the Fédération Camerounaise de Football and is Africa's most successful side in FIFA world cup; having qualified for the FIFA World Cup six times – in 1982, 1990, 1994, 1998, 2002 and 2010– more than any...

 and Chile
Chile national football team
The Chilean national football team represents Chile in all major international football competitions. The team is controlled by the Federación de Fútbol de Chile which was established in 1895. They have appeared in eight World Cup tournaments and were hosts of the 1962 FIFA World Cup finishing in...

. Their appearance was brief but eventful, as they managed the curious feat of only scoring in stoppage time in each of their matches. Against Cameroon, Pierre Njanka
Pierre Njanka
Pierre Djaka Njanka-Beyaka is a Cameroonian football player. He is now playing in Indonesia for Mitra Kukar. Njanka played for Cameroon at the 1998 and 2002 World Cups, as well as the 2004 African Nations Cup. He has been capped 47 times for his country...

's superb goal was cancelled out by Toni Polster's late strike. In their second game, it was Ivica Vastic
Ivica Vastic
Ivica Vastić is a retired Croatian-born Austrian football midfielder, formerly a striker, who last played for LASK Linz and the Austria national football team and works now as Head Coach of FK Austria Wien Amateure.- Club career :Born in Split, Vastić started to play for local clubs Jugovinil and...

 who curled a last minute equalizer, cancelling out Marcelo Salas
Marcelo Salas
José Marcelo Salas Melinao , better known as El Matador, Shileno or simply Marcelo Salas, is a former football player from Chile. He, along with world cup veterans, 3 time Best Player of America Elías Figueroa and former Real Madrid and Inter Milan forward Iván Zamorano, has been one of Chile's...

's disputed opener. Austria weren't so fortunate in their crucial, final match at the Stade de France
Stade de France
The Stade de France is the national stadium of France, situated just north of Paris in the commune of Saint-Denis. It has an all-seater capacity of 80,000, making it the fifth largest stadium in Europe, and is used by both the France national football team and French rugby union team for...

. Italy scored twice after half-time: a header from Christian Vieri
Christian Vieri
Christian Vieri is a retired Italian footballer who played as a centre forward.Vieri was named in the FIFA 100, a list of the 125 greatest living footballers selected by Pelé as a part of FIFA's centenary celebrations...

 and a tap-in from Roberto Baggio
Roberto Baggio
Roberto Baggio is a retired Italian footballer. Widely regarded as one of the finest footballers of his generation, Baggio won both the Ballon d'Or and the FIFA World Player of the Year in 1993. He is the only Italian player ever to score in three World Cups. He is also one of the top 5 all-time...

. Andreas Herzog
Andreas Herzog
Andreas Herzog, also Andy Herzog, is a former Austrian football player.-Club career:Born in Vienna, Herzog started his career at local giants Rapid Vienna, but was sent out on loan to city rivals First Vienna FC during 1987–88. That move proved to be successful and he was soon recalled to Rapid to...

's stoppage time penalty kept up Austria's unusual scoring pattern, but was not enough to prevent Austria finishing third in the group, behind the Italians and Chileans.

21st Century

In recent years mainly due to many of the 1997–98 team retiring from the international arena or the sport altogether, Austria's form has declined. They failed to qualify for the next World Cup and European Championships, and suffered extreme embarrassment (similar to the Faroe Islands loss) when they lost 9–0 to Spain
Spain national football team
The Spain national football team represents Spain in international association football and is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Spain. The current head coach is Vicente del Bosque...

 and 5–0 to Israel
Israel national football team
The Israel national football team is the national football team of Israel, controlled by the Israel Football Association .Israel National Football is the direct successor of the Eretz Yisrael National Team during British Mandate...

 in 1999. In 2006, Josef Hickersberger became coach of the Austrian national team, with a notable win against Switzerland in late 2006 bringing to an end a series of bad results. Austria qualified automatically for the European Championships of 2008 as co-hosts. Their first major tournament in a decade, most commentators regarded them as rank outsiders and whipping-boys for Germany, Croatia and Poland in the group stage. Many of their home supporters were in agreement and 10,000 Austrians signed a petition demanding that Austria withdraw from the tournament to spare the nation's embarrassment However, Austria performed better than expected. They managed a 1–1 draw with Poland, gave the Croatians a hard time before losing 1–0 to a Luka Modrić
Luka Modric
Luka Modrić is a Croatian footballer who plays for Tottenham Hotspur and for the Croatia national football team.Modrić's childhood coincided with the Croatian War of Independence. After showing promise in hometown club Zadar's youth team, he was signed by Dinamo Zagreb as a teenager in 2002. His...

 penalty and defended valiantly against the Germans but Michael Ballack
Michael Ballack
Michael Ballack is a German professional footballer, who is currently playing for Bundesliga club Bayer Leverkusen. He is among the top goal scorers in the history of his international team. Ballack has worn the number 13 shirt for every team he has played for except for Kaiserslautern...

's free kick sealed the game in a 1–0 defeat. Shortly after Austria's first-round exit from the tournament, Josef Hickersberger resigned as the national team coach. Karel Brückner
Karel Brückner
Karel Brückner is a Czech retired football coach.- Coaching career :Brückner began his coaching career in 1973 in the Czech League and was the coach of his home club SK Sigma Olomouc. He later went on to coach Inter Bratislava with which he won the Slovakia Cup in 1985...

, who had resigned as head coach of the Czech Republic
Czech Republic national football team
The Czech Republic national football team represents the Czech Republic in association football and is controlled by the Football Association of the Czech Republic, the governing body for football in the Czech Republic. Their current head coach is Michal Bílek...

 after that country's first-round exit from Euro 2008, was soon named as his replacement. After only eight months Karel Brückner
Karel Brückner
Karel Brückner is a Czech retired football coach.- Coaching career :Brückner began his coaching career in 1973 in the Czech League and was the coach of his home club SK Sigma Olomouc. He later went on to coach Inter Bratislava with which he won the Slovakia Cup in 1985...

 was released in March 2009 and the position was subsequently taken by Didi Constantini. Even though Austria did not manage to secure automatic qualification or a play-off spot for the World Cup 2010, under Brückner they still managed a memorable 3–1 win over France during qualifying, which was also France's only defeat in qualifying. Other memorable matches was a 1–1 tie against Romania on the road and a 2–1 win against Romania at home. Since then, the Austrian team has played a friendly match against Denmark
Denmark national football team
The Denmark national football team represents Denmark in association football and is controlled by the Danish Football Association , the governing body for the football clubs which are organized under DBU...

 with Arsenal FC's superstar Nicklas Bendtner
Nicklas Bendtner
Nicklas Bendtner , is a Danish international footballer who plays for Sunderland on loan from Arsenal as a striker...

 which was won 2–1. Three more friendlys were fixed. On the 19th of May, 2010 against Croatia
Croatia national football team
The Croatia national football team represents Croatia in international football. The team is controlled by the Croatian Football Federation, the governing body for football in the country, and has been managed since 2006 by former player Slaven Bilić...

, on the 11th of August 2010 against neighbor Switzerland
Switzerland national football team
The Swiss national football team is the national football team of Switzerland...

 and on the 9th of February 2011 against the Netherlands
Netherlands national football team
The Netherlands National Football Team represents the Netherlands in association football and is controlled by the Royal Dutch Football Association , the governing body for football in the Netherlands...

. In the qualifying
UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying
The qualifying competition for UEFA Euro 2012 is a series of parallel association football competitions held over 2010 and 2011 to decide the qualifiers for UEFA Euro 2012, to be held in Poland and Ukraine...

 for the UEFA EURO 2012 the Austrians will play against Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan national football team
The Kazakhstan national football team represents Kazakhstan in international men's association football and is directed by Football Federation of Kazakhstan. They split from the Soviet Union national football team after independence in 1991 and joined the Asian Football Confederation's Central and...

, Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan national football team
The Azerbaijan national football team is the national football team of Azerbaijan and is controlled by Association of Football Federations of Azerbaijan...

, Belgium, Turkey
Turkey national football team
The Turkey national football team represents Turkey in association football and is controlled by the Turkish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Turkey. They are affiliated with UEFA...

 and Germany
Germany national football team
The Germany national football team is the football team that has represented Germany in international competition since 1908. It is governed by the German Football Association , which was founded in 1900....

.

World Cup record

Year Round Position GP W D L GS GA
  1930
1930 FIFA World Cup
The 1930 FIFA World Cup was the inaugural FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in Uruguay from 13 July to 30 July 1930...

Did not enter
  1934
1934 FIFA World Cup
The 1934 FIFA World Cup was the second FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in Italy from 27 May to 10 June 1934....

Fourth place 4 4 2 0 2 7 7
  1938
1938 FIFA World Cup
The 1938 FIFA World Cup was the third staging of the World Cup, and was held in France from 4 June to 19 June. Italy retained the championship, beating Hungary 4–2 in the final.-Host selection:...

Qualified but withdrew to play in a united German team
  1950
1950 FIFA World Cup
The 1950 FIFA World Cup, held in Brazil from 24 June to 16 July, was the fourth FIFA World Cup. It was the first World Cup since 1938, the planned 1942 and 1946 competitions having been canceled owing to World War II...

Withdrew
  1954
1954 FIFA World Cup
The 1954 FIFA World Cup, the fifth staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in Switzerland from 16 June to 4 July. Switzerland was chosen as hosts in July 1946. The tournament set a number of all-time records for goal-scoring, including the highest average goals scored per game...

Third place 3 5 4 0 1 17 12
  1958
1958 FIFA World Cup
The 1958 FIFA World Cup, the sixth staging of the World Cup, was hosted by Sweden from 8 June to 29 June. The tournament was won by Brazil, who beat Sweden 5–2 in the final for their first title. To date, this marks the only occasion that a World Cup staged in Europe was not won by a European...

Round 1 15 3 0 1 2 2 7
  1962
1962 FIFA World Cup
The 1962 FIFA World Cup, the seventh staging of the World Cup, was held in Chile from 30 May to 17 June. It was won by Brazil, who retained the championship by beating Czechoslovakia 3–1 in the final...

Withdrew
  1966
1966 FIFA World Cup
The 1966 FIFA World Cup, the eighth staging of the World Cup, was held in England from 11 July to 30 July. England beat West Germany 4–2 in the final, winning the World Cup for the first time, so becoming the first host to win the tournament since Italy in 1934.-Host selection:England was chosen as...

Did not qualify
  1970
1970 FIFA World Cup
The 1970 FIFA World Cup, the ninth staging of the World Cup, was held in Mexico, from 31 May to 21 June. The 1970 tournament was the first World Cup hosted in North America, and the first held outside South America and Europe. In a match-up of two-time World Cup champions, the final was won by...

Did not qualify
  1974
1974 FIFA World Cup
The 1974 FIFA World Cup, the tenth staging of the World Cup, was held in West Germany from 13 June to 7 July. The tournament marked the first time that the current trophy, the FIFA World Cup Trophy, created by the Italian sculptor Silvio Gazzaniga, was awarded...

Did not qualify
  1978
1978 FIFA World Cup
The 1978 FIFA World Cup, the 11th staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in Argentina between 1 June and 25 June. The 1978 World Cup was won by Argentina who beat the Netherlands 3–1 after extra time in the final. This win was the first World Cup title for Argentina, who became the fifth...

Second group stage 7 6 3 0 3 7 10
  1982
1982 FIFA World Cup
The 1982 FIFA World Cup, the 12th FIFA World Cup, was held in Spain from 13 June to 11 July. The tournament was won by Italy, after defeating West Germany 3–1 in the final.-Host selection:...

Second group stage 8 5 2 1 2 5 4
  1986
1986 FIFA World Cup
The 1986 FIFA World Cup, the 13th FIFA World Cup, was held in Mexico from 31 May to 29 June. The tournament was the second to feature a 24-team format. Colombia had been originally chosen to host the competition by FIFA but, largely due to economic reasons, was not able to do so and officially...

Did not qualify
  1990
1990 FIFA World Cup
The 1990 FIFA World Cup was the 14th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 8 June to 8 July 1990 in Italy, the second country to host the event twice. Teams representing 116 national football associations from all six populated...

Round 1 18 3 1 0 2 2 3
  1994
1994 FIFA World Cup
The 1994 FIFA World Cup, the 15th staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in nine cities across the United States from June 17 to July 17, 1994. The United States was chosen as the host by FIFA on July 4, 1988...

Did not qualify
  1998
1998 FIFA World Cup
The 1998 FIFA World Cup, the 16th FIFA World Cup, was held in France from 10 June to 12 July 1998. France was chosen as host nation by FIFA on 2 July 1992. The tournament was won by France, who beat Brazil 3-0 in the final...

Round 1 23 3 0 2 1 3 4
   2002
2002 FIFA World Cup
The 2002 FIFA World Cup was the 17th staging of the FIFA World Cup, held in South Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia, and the last in which the golden goal rule was implemented. Brazil won the tournament for a record fifth time, beating Germany 2–0...

Did not qualify
  2006
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...

Did not qualify
  2010
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...

Did not qualify
Total 7/18 29 12 4 13 43 47

European Championship record

UEFA European Championship record
UEFA European Football Championship
The UEFA European Football Championship is the main football competition of the men's national football teams governed by UEFA . Held every four years since 1960, in the even-numbered year between World Cup tournaments, it was originally called the UEFA European Nations Cup, changing to the current...

Year Round Position GP W D* L GS GA
  1960 Did Not Qualify
  1964
  1968
  1972
  1976
  1980
  1984
  1988
  1992
  1996
    2000
  2004
    2008 Group Stage 13th 3 0 1 2 1 3
    2012 Did Not Qualify
  2016
UEFA Euro 2016
The 2016 UEFA European Football Championship, commonly referred to as Euro 2016, will be the 15th European Championship for national football teams sanctioned by UEFA. It will be held in the summer of 2016. The host nation was announced to be France on 28 May 2010...

To Be Determined
Total Group Stage 1/13 3 0 1 2 1 3

Current squad

Players called up for the friendly match against Ukraine
Ukraine national football team
The Ukraine national football team is the national football team of Ukraine and is controlled by the Football Federation of Ukraine. After Ukrainian Independence and breakaway from the Soviet Union, they played their first match against Hungary on 29 April 1992...

 on 15 November 2011.

Caps and goals as of 15 November 2011.

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Recent call-ups

The following players aren't in the current squad, but were called up in the last 12 months:
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Staff

  • President: Dr. Leo Windtner
  • Director of Sport: Willi Ruttensteiner
  • Head Coach: Marcel Koller
    Marcel Koller
    Marcel Koller is a former Swiss football player and current head coach of the Austria national team.-As player:...

  • Assistant Coach: Manfred Zsak
    Manfred Zsak
    Manfred Zsak is a retired Austrian footballer who is currently the Assistant Coach for Austria.-Club career:...

  • Goalkeeper Coach: Franz Wohlfahrt
  • Conditions Coach: Roger Thomas Spry
  • Advisor: Thomas Janeschitz
    Thomas Janeschitz
    Thomas Janeschitz is a retired Austrian football player and a football coach who is currently with the Austria national football team in a coach development program.-External links:...


2010 FIFA World Cup qualification

Euro 2012 qualifications

Austria is competing in Group A
UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying Group A
This page shows the standings and results for Group A of the UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying tournament.-Standings:- Results and fixtures :...

 in qualification
UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying
The qualifying competition for UEFA Euro 2012 is a series of parallel association football competitions held over 2010 and 2011 to decide the qualifiers for UEFA Euro 2012, to be held in Poland and Ukraine...

 for UEFA Euro 2012, together with Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan national football team
The Kazakhstan national football team represents Kazakhstan in international men's association football and is directed by Football Federation of Kazakhstan. They split from the Soviet Union national football team after independence in 1991 and joined the Asian Football Confederation's Central and...

, Turkey
Turkey national football team
The Turkey national football team represents Turkey in association football and is controlled by the Turkish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Turkey. They are affiliated with UEFA...

, Germany
Germany national football team
The Germany national football team is the football team that has represented Germany in international competition since 1908. It is governed by the German Football Association , which was founded in 1900....

, Belgium and Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan national football team
The Azerbaijan national football team is the national football team of Azerbaijan and is controlled by Association of Football Federations of Azerbaijan...

, where they have already managed a 2–0 win against Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan national football team
The Kazakhstan national football team represents Kazakhstan in international men's association football and is directed by Football Federation of Kazakhstan. They split from the Soviet Union national football team after independence in 1991 and joined the Asian Football Confederation's Central and...

, a 3–0 win against Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan national football team
The Azerbaijan national football team is the national football team of Azerbaijan and is controlled by Association of Football Federations of Azerbaijan...

 and a 4–4 draw against Belgium, but then lost 0–2 against Belgium, 0–2 against Turkey
Turkey national football team
The Turkey national football team represents Turkey in association football and is controlled by the Turkish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Turkey. They are affiliated with UEFA...

 and 1–2 against Germany
Germany national football team
The Germany national football team is the football team that has represented Germany in international competition since 1908. It is governed by the German Football Association , which was founded in 1900....

.

Manager history

NameHugo Meisl
Hugo Meisl
Hugo Meisl , brother of the journalist Willy Meisl, was the multi-lingual football coach of the famous Austrian 'Wunderteam' of the early 1930s, as well as a referee.-Background:...

22 December 1912 3 October 1914 6 3 1 2 11 9 50.00
Heinrich Retschury 4 October 1914 1 August 1919 22 8 3 11 45 47
Hugo Meisl
Hugo Meisl
Hugo Meisl , brother of the journalist Willy Meisl, was the multi-lingual football coach of the famous Austrian 'Wunderteam' of the early 1930s, as well as a referee.-Background:...

 Austria 1 August 1919 17 February 1937 127 68 29 30 326 206 Created the Wunderteam
Wunderteam
Wunderteam was the name given to the Austria national football team of the 1930s. Led by manager Hugo Meisl, the team had an unbeaten streak of 14 games between April 1931 and December 1932. The style of the team was based on the Scottish school of football that focused on quick passing introduced...

.
4th place at the 1934 World Cup
1934 FIFA World Cup
The 1934 FIFA World Cup was the second FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in Italy from 27 May to 10 June 1934....

.
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
1938 FIFA World Cup
The 1938 FIFA World Cup was the third staging of the World Cup, and was held in France from 4 June to 19 June. Italy retained the championship, beating Hungary 4–2 in the final.-Host selection:...

.
From 1938 to 1945 there was no national team due to Anschluss
Anschluss
The Anschluss , also known as the ', was the occupation and annexation of Austria into Nazi Germany in 1938....

.
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
Eduard Frühwirth  Austria 4 March 1948 1 September 1948 5 3 0 2 9 9 60.00
Walter Nausch
Walter Nausch
Walter Nausch was an Austrian footballer, who later became a football manager.-Club career:Nausch played for FK Austria Wien between 1923-25 and 1929-38, interspersed with a spell at Wiener AC....

 Austria 1 September 1948 15 November 1954 47 21 10 16 119 87 3rd place at the 1954 World Cup
1954 FIFA World Cup
The 1954 FIFA World Cup, the fifth staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in Switzerland from 16 June to 4 July. Switzerland was chosen as hosts in July 1946. The tournament set a number of all-time records for goal-scoring, including the highest average goals scored per game...

.
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
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 Qualified for the 1958 World Cup
1958 FIFA World Cup
The 1958 FIFA World Cup, the sixth staging of the World Cup, was hosted by Sweden from 8 June to 29 June. The tournament was won by Brazil, who beat Sweden 5–2 in the final for their first title. To date, this marks the only occasion that a World Cup staged in Europe was not won by a European...

.
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
Karl Decker (footballer)
Karl Decker was an Austrian footballer and manager.-International career:As a player Decker played for both Germany and Austria national football team, scoring 27 goals in 33 matches.-Honours:...

 Austria 16 October 1958 28 February 1964 36 16 3 17 60 67
Josef Walter
Béla Guttmann
Béla Guttmann
Béla Guttmann was a Jewish Hungarian footballer and coach. He played as a midfielder for MTK Hungária FC, SC Hakoah Wien, Hungary and several clubs in the United States. However he is perhaps best remembered as a coach and manager of some the world’s leading football teams, including AC Milan, São...


 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
Erwin Alge
Hans Pesser
Hans Pesser
Johann "Hans" Erik Pesser was an Austrian football striker and coach.-Career:He earned 8 caps and scored 3 goals for the Austria national football team. After the annexation of Austria by Germany, he earned 12 caps and scored 2 goals for the Germany national football team, and participated in the...


 Austria
13 January 1967 24 June 1968 10 3 2 5 18 19 30.00
Leopold Šťastný
Leopold Štastný
Leopold "Jim" Šťastný was a Slovak football coach. He coached mostly ŠK Slovan Bratislava.-External links:*...

 Czechoslovakia 1 July 1968 30 September 1975 49 15 16 18 58 62
Branko Elsner
Branko Elsner
Branko Elsner is a Slovenian football trainer and former Yugoslavian football player, most famous for being twice the trainer of the Austrian national football team....


(caretaker
Caretaker manager
In association football, a caretaker manager is someone who takes temporary charge of the management of a football club, usually when the regular manager is dismissed or leaves for a different club. However, a caretaker may also be appointed if the regular manager is ill or unable to attend to his...

)
 Kingdom of Yugoslavia 6 October 1975 19 November 1975 2 1 0 1 6 3 50.00
Helmut Senekowitsch
Helmut Senekowitsch
Helmut Senekowitsch was an Austrian football player and later a football manager.-Club career:He played for several clubs, including SK Sturm Graz, Real Betis and FC Wacker Innsbruck.-International career:...

 Austria 1 March 1976 30 June 1978 26 14 4 8 40 26 Qualified for the 1978 World Cup
1978 FIFA World Cup
The 1978 FIFA World Cup, the 11th staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in Argentina between 1 June and 25 June. The 1978 World Cup was won by Argentina who beat the Netherlands 3–1 after extra time in the final. This win was the first World Cup title for Argentina, who became the fifth...

.
Karl Stotz
Karl Stotz
Karl Stotz is a former Austrian football player from Vienna.As a young soldier, he fought in the Battle of Stalingrad, was captured in 1944 and only returned home in 1948.-Club career:...

 Austria 1 August 1978 14 December 1981 24 13 6 5 43 25 Qualified for the 1982 World Cup
1982 FIFA World Cup
The 1982 FIFA World Cup, the 12th FIFA World Cup, was held in Spain from 13 June to 11 July. The tournament was won by Italy, after defeating West Germany 3–1 in the final.-Host selection:...

.
Georg Schmidt
Georg Schmidt (football coach)
Georg Schmidt is an Austrian football former manager.Most notably he was co-manager of the Austria national football team in the 1982 FIFA World Cup, with Felix Latzke, and was thus credited with infamy for the Shame of Gijón, a somewhat dubious 0-1 loss to West Germany.-External links:*...


Felix Latzke
Felix Latzke
Felix Latzke is an Austrian football former player and manager.Most notably he was co-manager of the Austria national football team in the 1982 FIFA World Cup, with Georg Schmidt, and was thus credited with infamy for the Shame of Gijón, a somewhat dubious 0-1 loss to West Germany.-External links:*...

 Austria
 Austria
5 February 1982 2 July 1982 8 5 1 2 11 7
Erich Hof  Austria 7 September 1982 21 November 1984 15 6 3 6 22 20
Branko Elsner
Branko Elsner
Branko Elsner is a Slovenian football trainer and former Yugoslavian football player, most famous for being twice the trainer of the Austrian national football team....

 Kingdom of Yugoslavia 15 January 1985 18 November 1987 18 5 5 8 20 28
Josef Hickersberger
Josef Hickersberger
Josef Hickersberger is a former professional football player and former coach of the Austria national football team and Austrian club side Rapid Wien.-Club career:...

 Austria 1 January 1988 14 September 1990 29 10 7 12 36 39 Qualified for the 1990 World Cup
1990 FIFA World Cup
The 1990 FIFA World Cup was the 14th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 8 June to 8 July 1990 in Italy, the second country to host the event twice. Teams representing 116 national football associations from all six populated...

.
Alfred Riedl
Alfred Riedl
Alfred Riedl is an Austrian football manager and a former striker. He is the former manager of Laos national football team.-Club career:...

 Austria 15 September 1990 10 October 1991 8 1 3 4 6 16
Dietmar Constantini
Dietmar Constantini
Dietmar "Didi" Constantini is a former Austrian association football player and now head coach.He was appointed as head coach of Austria in March 2009. He is assisted by Heinz Peischl....


(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
Dietmar Constantini
Dietmar Constantini
Dietmar "Didi" Constantini is a former Austrian association football player and now head coach.He was appointed as head coach of Austria in March 2009. He is assisted by Heinz Peischl....

 (caretaker)
 Austria 15 November 1992 18 November 1992 1 0 1 0 0 0
Herbert Prohaska
Herbert Prohaska
Herbert Prohaska is a retired Austrian football player. He ranks among Austria's greatest football players of all time. Prohaska is currently working as a football pundit for the Austrian Broadcasting Corporation . His nickname "Schneckerl", Viennese dialect for curly hair, derives from his curly...

 Austria 8 January 1993 29 March 1999 51 25 9 17 96 73 Qualified for the 1998 World Cup
1998 FIFA World Cup
The 1998 FIFA World Cup, the 16th FIFA World Cup, was held in France from 10 June to 12 July 1998. France was chosen as host nation by FIFA on 2 July 1992. The tournament was won by France, who beat Brazil 3-0 in the final...

.
Otto Barić
Otto Baric
Otto Barić is a Croatian-Austrian football manager.-1970s to 1980s:Barić started his coaching career in 1969 at West German club Germania Wiesbaden and moved after one season to Austrian club Wacker Innsbruck, where he spent next two seasons and won two consecutive league champions titles before...

 Austria 13 April 1999 21 November 2001 22 7 6 9 31 35
Hans Krankl
Hans Krankl
Johann "Hans" Krankl is a retired Austrian footballer. He was last manager of LASK Linz.-Club career:A prolific striker, Krankl is regarded by many as the greatest ever Austrian player. He started his professional career at Rapid Wien and stayed there for 8 years, apart from a year at Wiener AC...

 Austria 21 January 2002 28 September 2005 31 10 10 11 47 46
Willibald Ruttensteiner
Andreas Herzog
Andreas Herzog
Andreas Herzog, also Andy Herzog, is a former Austrian football player.-Club career:Born in Vienna, Herzog started his career at local giants Rapid Vienna, but was sent out on loan to city rivals First Vienna FC during 1987–88. That move proved to be successful and he was soon recalled to Rapid to...


Slavko Kovacic
(caretakers)
 Austria
 Austria
 Austria
30 September 2005 December 2005 2 1 0 1 2 1 50.00
Josef Hickersberger
Josef Hickersberger
Josef Hickersberger is a former professional football player and former coach of the Austria national football team and Austrian club side Rapid Wien.-Club career:...

 Austria 1 January 2006 23 June 2008 24 5 8 11 29 40
Karel Brückner
Karel Brückner
Karel Brückner is a Czech retired football coach.- Coaching career :Brückner began his coaching career in 1973 in the Czech League and was the coach of his home club SK Sigma Olomouc. He later went on to coach Inter Bratislava with which he won the Slovakia Cup in 1985...

 Czech Republic 25 July 2008 2 March 2009 6 1 2 3 9 13
Dietmar Constantini
Dietmar Constantini
Dietmar "Didi" Constantini is a former Austrian association football player and now head coach.He was appointed as head coach of Austria in March 2009. He is assisted by Heinz Peischl....

 Austria 4 March 2009 13 September 2011 23 7 3 13 30 42
Willibald Ruttensteiner
(caretaker)
 Austria 13 September 2011 11 October 2011 2 1 1 0 4 1 50.00
Marcel Koller
Marcel Koller
Marcel Koller is a former Swiss football player and current head coach of the Austria national team.-As player:...

 Switzerland 1 November 2011 1 0 0 1 1 2 0.00


Legacy



Austria used to play in similar colours to those of the German team; white jerseys, black shorts, black socks (the Germans wear white ones). In order to distinguish themselves, in 2004 coach Hans Krankl switched to their former away shirts, which have the same colour scheme as Austria's flag, red-white-red. To further distinguish themselves from Germany, the Austrians had used an all-black away kit, but as of 2010, the white shirt and black shorts is used as the away kit.

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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