Austria's football legends deliver mixed World Cup verdict and back Rangnick

Herbert Prohaska offered a sober assessment: "Das Minimalziel mit dem Erreichen der K.o.-Phase haben wir erreicht", said the former team boss after the 0:3 loss to Spain. The tournament had thus not failed, but neither had it been a triumph.

Backing for Rangnick

At the same time, Prohaska remained clear on the matter: "Es wäre vermessen, etwas anderes zu sagen", he declared regarding the early contract extension with Ralf Rangnick, who is to continue leading the ÖFB team until the home Euro 2028. The decision was "der logische und richtige Schritt".

Andreas Herzog, who followed the tournament on site as an ORF expert, classified the defeat against Spain as expected. "Nein, Argentinien war klar besser als wir, Spanien war klar besser als wir", emphasized the 103-time international. The question was not whether Austria had lost, but how it had lost.

His assessment was nevertheless critical: "Bei einer WM, wenn du Sensationen schaffen willst, (...) musst du am obersten Limit spielen, und das ist uns nicht gelungen." The reason lay primarily in one area, which the ÖFB legends emphasized across all generations.

Criticism of the Fitness Level

"Das ist kein Zeichen, wo ich sage, da kann man von einem absoluten Topniveau beim Fitnesslevel sprechen", was how one of the experts put it with regard to the state of the squad. Toni Polster also stated bluntly: "Und natürlich waren wir körperlich nicht im besten Zustand."

Krankl sharpened the diagnosis: "Bei der EM sind wir über den Platz geflogen, da waren wir fit, da sind wir marschiert und waren die fitteste Mannschaft im Turnier." In the current finals, by contrast, players had often had to be substituted by halftime.

Herzog warned against false modesty: "Aber auch bei anderen Nationen sind Spieler ausgefallen, das will ich nicht als Ausrede gelten lassen." A World Cup forgives no shortcomings, especially not in pressing: "Wenn beim intensiven Pressing nicht alle zu 100 Prozent mitziehen (können), findet der Gegner Lösungen."

Prohaska, team boss in 1998, invoked the special character of a World Cup: "Ein Turnier ist etwas anderes als ein Länderspiel oder zwei Länderspiele in fünf Tagen." Anyone wanting to cause upsets must be able to play at the limit over the course of weeks.

Missing Key Players

Alongside the physical issues, individual players came in for criticism. "Bis auf Alexander Schlager und Marcel Sabitzer hat es kein Spieler geschafft, bei der Weltmeisterschaft in Topform zu spielen", judged one of the ÖFB legends. Particularly painful had been the absence of Christoph Baumgartner, whose qualities "der Offensive ganz offensichtlich" had been lacking.

"Spielertypen wie ihn haben wir nicht so viele, er ist schwer zu ersetzen", it was added. So the team had been unable to fully play to its strengths of high pressing and winning the ball, Polster summed up. Polster also pointed to the discrepancy with public expectations: "Sicherlich kann diese Mannschaft besser spielen, als sie es gezeigt hat."

Personnel departures were also addressed. "Der Arnautovic und wohl auch der Alaba hören auf, das ist alles normal", said Polster. The reference was to the winding-down careers of Marko Arnautovic and David Alaba, who will be missing from the team in the future.

Looking Ahead

One concern extending beyond the tournament was voiced by Herzog: "Ein weiterer Punkt, der mir perspektivisch ein bisschen Sorgen bereitet, ist der Umstand, dass wir derzeit auch keine 'Zangler' oder 'Straßenkicker' mehr in unseren Reihen haben." With these terms, he described those unpredictable attacking players who can decide games on their own.

Krankl agreed: "Wir brauchen künftig mehr Zangler". For him, one thing is certain: "Mit dem oft zitierten Pressingstil hebe sich das Nationalteam längst nicht (mehr) von anderen ab." The Austrian team had not been superior to world-class teams – but also not, for example, to Algeria – in terms of play with the ball and in liveliness.

Added to this is a historical context that should temper expectations. "Die 78er-WM-Mannschaft ist als einer der acht Besten der Welt ausgeschieden, unsere Burschen jetzt waren unter den 32 besten Teams der Welt", a former player assessed. The first qualification for the knockout stage "seit Ewigkeiten" should not be belittled, said the 103-time international.

Spain as the Benchmark

Despite the criticism of the fitness level, the legends expressed their backing for team boss Rangnick, although Krankl attached a condition for the coming weeks: "Irgendwann muss man damit anfangen." The continuation of the cooperation is, from today's perspective, without alternative.

Polster put it unequivocally: "Dafür ist immer der Trainer verantwortlich", he said – meaning the overall sporting responsibility, but not making a concrete accusation against Rangnick. Thus, the legends' World Cup verdict was mixed, but clear on the personnel question.

The squad itself maintained its cohesion according to observers: "Wir sind ein Team, der Zusammenhalt innerhalb der Mannschaft scheint sehr gut zu sein", it was said. This unity is seen by the legends as a foundation on which the next tasks – qualifying for the home Euro 2028 – can be built.

Spain as an opponent was unanimously given respectful assessment by the legends. "Wenn man sieht, wie die Spanier pressen, die gehen sofort in den Gegenschlag", noted one ÖFB veteran. "Das war ein Lehrspiel, der Gegner war in allen Belangen eine Klasse besser als uns."

Finally, the ÖFB greats appealed for a measured handling of the assessment. "Bitte auch vorsichtig sein mit Aussagen wie 'historisch gut' oder 'wir haben Geschichte geschrieben'", one of the voices warned. The home Euro 2028 should be the goal and benchmark – not the interim assessment after the round-of-16 exit.

One thing that stands out: at the beginning of Rangnick's tenure, we won games and he still criticized the team. If the fitness level was not right this time, then the analysis must be honest – and that is how Rangnick will be judged, according to the prevailing view.

So the World Cup balance sheet of the legends remains: minimum goal of reaching the knockout stage achieved, but no more. The ÖFB team did not embarrass itself, but also created no sensation. The homework for the next two years is thus clearly assigned.

Krankl finally summed it up: "Für mich war es summa summarum eine ordentliche WM." Decent – no more, but also no less.