Ex-Man United manager hoping his side can 'surprise' fans at FIFA World Cup
· Yahoo Sports
For the first time since 1998, Austria is heading to a FIFA World Cup, led this time by former Manchester United boss Ralf Rangnick.
Visit catcrossgame.com for more information.
Ranked 23rd in the world by FIFA, Austria, if nothing else, will be hoping to make it out of the group stage - something they have not achieved since 1982.
Drawn into Group J, Austria is set to take on Jordan, Algeria, and none other than reigning champions Argentina, led once again by the legend that is Lionel Messi in what will be his record-breaking sixth World Cup.
- FIFA allegedly using third-party resale platforms to sell World Cup tickets
- UK enforces travel bans on over 2,300 British soccer fans ahead of FIFA World Cup
Entering the tournament, Rangnick highlighted their game against Messi and Co. when asked about the challenges ahead of them, telling FIFA.com, “Opposition doesn't come much tougher, even from Pot 1.
“So, of course, we're all looking forward to that game, but we also know that the first game, against Jordan, could be decisive. We're really determined to qualify [for the Round of 32].”
Reaching the first knockout round would mark a major accomplishment in and of itself for Austria, although their impressive performances under Rangnick at UEFA Euro 2024 could lead some to suggest they should be looking at least one round further.
Since taking charge in 2022, after a somewhat disastrous stint as United’s caretaker manager, Rangnick has led Austria to 27 wins, eight draws, and 10 defeats. Reflecting on how he believes the team has changed under his stewardship, the 67-year-old said, “Above all, I think, we have won people's hearts with the way we play.
“We are very proactive, in possession and out of possession, and I think you can sense the team spirit. When you see the team play, you sense they're not playing by-the-numbers football to win games any old way. We're not just a group with the same objective; we have really become a kind of family. The players talk about that themselves, too, and I think that's what makes us stand out.”
To listen to the latest episode of 'All Out Soccer' - CLICK HERE
Looking ahead to the World Cup, which will see his side travel at the very least to California, Missouri, and Texas, he hoped his team would prove ‘surprising.’
“It's about introducing surprise. We want to surprise people,” Rangnick said. “I think a lot of countries still don't have us on their radar.
“We did that at the Euro’s, in the group phase, in the toughest group, against France, the Netherlands, and Poland. We want to do that again and, above all, learn the right lessons from the game against Türkiye [their Euro 2024 Round of 16 defeat], so that we get as far as possible in the knockout rounds.”
But it’s not just fans Stateside Rangnick is hoping to leave a lasting impression on, explaining his belief that their qualification for the World Cup has given Austria and its people “a boost.”
He added, “It's good for the country, good for the people who live in Austria, and we were aware of that responsibility, which was why the pressure was actually far higher against Bosnia and Herzegovina [in the final qualification match] than anything that might happen at the World Cup.”