“If you conceded five goals, you didn’t do anything right” – Football International

(dpa/gg). Franco Foda already suspected that the day after bankruptcy would not be a pleasant one. “If you conceded five goals, you didn’t do anything right,” said the German coach of the Austrian national team after a low 2:5 blow in Israel. The Austria-Medians also did not accept the fact that the Austrian Football Association (OFB) selection still had a chance at the World Cup in Qatar, despite qualifying humiliations against the hosts under the supervision of former OFB sporting director Willi Rattensteiner.

Saturday evening’s experience was nothing new for Foda and his players. There was a similar defeat in EM qualification in March 2019 with 2:4 – also in Haifa, against Israel, Andreas Herzog also had a compatriot on the opposing coaching bench and the demonstration was also underground. And then there is Eran Jahvi. The PSV Eindhoven attacker scored six goals in the last three matches against Austria.

On Sunday, the comments were the same as two and a half years ago: “What a smack! The Austrian national team lost 5-2 in the World Cup qualifiers in Israel on Saturday,” wrote Kronen Zeitung. And the press found “Austria’s painful incompetence.” Courier said “a collective failure that includes the team boss”. Former Bundesliga professional (Kaiserslautern, Leverkusen, Stuttgart) and two-time German national player Foda has not been controversial in his four years in the OFB. More recently, however, he had led them to the European Championship round of 16 for the first time and unfortunately lost against eventual European champions Italy with only 1:2 after extra time.

In social media, some ironic Twitterers suspected a high political sentiment behind the team’s presentation around captain David Alaba (formerly Bayern Munich, now Real Madrid). One wrote, “In terms of human rights, it is very commendable that the Austrian team is boycotting the World Cup in Qatar.” Another said: “Others are talking about boycotting #Qatar2022. Austria does it unannounced.” But it’s not far away yet. Austria’s end for the World Cup is still a while away. As of now, Austria’s kickers will be in the World Cup playoffs in March 2022 – regardless of the course of other group games. As group winners in the B-League of the Nations League last year, they must play in the playoffs if four of the five teams from France, Belgium, Italy, Spain and Wales finish first or second in the table from their qualifying groups. . It’s so complicated in 2021.

Five out of ten days after the qualifying match, it is only clear that first place in Group F is almost unattainable to Austria (7 points). Denmark is eight points ahead of fourth-placed Austria with 15 points. So it’s about the fight for second place. And here Israel (10) and Scotland (8) have an advantage. It’s against the Scots in Vienna on Tuesday. However, the sick players of Marcel Sabitzer, Stefan Lenner, Sasa Kalajczyk, Javar Schlager and Julian Baumgartlinger are missing.

With a performance like Israel, it will be difficult anyway. After 33 minutes it was 0:3. The connecting gates of Hoffenheim’s Christoph Baumgartner (42nd) and former Bremer Marko Arnatovic (55th) were also useless. Shaun Weisman (58th) and Eran Jahavi (90th) scored with their second goals to complete Austria’s bankruptcy.

Austrians take it with gallows humor

“We couldn’t score five goals against Israel. We missed a lot,” said goalkeeper Daniel Bachchan in frustration. And he added: “We deserve negative coverage today after this performance.”

If you play against Scotland on Tuesday, you have to win. Eventually, there would be no Austrians in Steve Clarke on the opposing coaching bench, no Ennes Jahvi – and the game would be played at Vienna’s Ernst Happel Stadium.