Just over two months to go and then the time has come: the 2024 European Championship in Germany. The group divisions have now been announced, the schedule has been completed and so it is now up to the national coaches to make decisions. Which 23 players will they take with them to the final tournament, and who will they leave at home? This will be announced no later than June 7, but zoom will take place in the coming period Football zone in advance about the options that the national coaches of the most important countries have. In this edition: Austria.

Austria lost 2-0 to the Dutch national team in the group stage of EURO 2020. Nevertheless, the Alpine country reached the eighth finals at that tournament, where they only lost 2-1 to the later European champions Italy after extra time. Nevertheless, a great performance by tough Austria, which will once again try to survive the group stage at the upcoming European Championship. Reaching the quarter-finals is the ultimate goal.

The formation of national coach Ralf Rangnick qualified for three of the last four European Championships and is therefore also there in Germany after a strong qualifying series. Remarkably, Austria last played at a World Cup in 1998. Since then, the upcoming opponent of the Dutch team has consistently failed to reach the world stage.

In a group with the Dutch national team and losing World Cup finalist France, Austria is not exactly the big favorite. But that does not detract from the boundless ambitions of Rangnick, who does not rule out that his team can reach the final of the European Championship. The sometimes idiosyncratic selector refers to the recent victories over Germany (2-0) and Turkey (6-1). Austria also held France to a 1-1 draw in 2022, a match that should have been won according to Rangnick, and managed to beat Italy 2-0.

Today's Austria has three established names: David Alaba, Marko Arnautovic and Marcel Sabitzer. The European Championship participant also has a mix of experienced players and emerging talents who are increasingly making a name for themselves in Austria and beyond. Who will ultimately take Rangnick to Germany? Football zone looks ahead.

Goalkeepers

Rangnick will almost certainly choose Alexander Schlager under the bar at EURO 2024. The 28-year-old and 1.84 meter tall goalkeeper from Red Bull Salzburg only has 15 international matches to his name, but currently has the best credentials to serve his country at the European Championship. Schlager was first choice in eight of Austria's last nine matches.

Patrick Pentz also belongs to the goalkeeper guild of the Austrian selection. The goalkeeper (27), who has been active for the Danish Bröndby IF since last year, kept a clean sheet in March in the 0-2 friendly win against Slovakia. Rangnick could also possibly call on the only 22-year-old Niklas Hedl, who earns his living in his own country at Rapid Wien, and LASK Linz goalkeeper Tobias Lawal.

Options: Alexander Schlager (Red Bull Salzburg), Patrick Pentz (Bröndby IF), Niklas Hedl (Rapid Wien), Tobias Lawal (LASK Linz), Daniel Bachmann (Watford)

Alexander Schlager seems to be Austria's first choice at the European Championship.

Defenders

Rangnick no longer seems to have any doubts about the heart of the Austrian defense for the upcoming final round, especially given the serious cruciate ligament injury that David Alaba suffered. Real Madrid's star player still has a chance of being selected, but the chance of playing time seems small. Kevin Danso, who played with RC Lens twice this season against PSV in the group stage of the Champions League, has partly become a certainty at the back. The forward (25) with Ghanaian roots will almost certainly be assisted at the European Championship by Philipp Lienhart, who has been with SC Freiburg since 2018.

The multifunctional Maximilian Wöber, active for Ajax between 2017 and 2019, can prepare for the left back position. On the right flank, Stefan Posch, teammate of Joshua Zirkzee and Sam Beukema at Bologna, is the most prominent candidate. It appears that Rangnick will opt for a four-man defense in the group stage of the European Championship, as was always the case in the qualifying cycle.

Wöber feels the hot breath of Philipp Mwene on his neck when it comes to the left back position. The Austrian-Kenyan footballer exchanged PSV for FSV Mainz in August 2023 and regularly receives playing time under Rangnick. Leopold Querfeld, only 20, knocks on the door in the center of the back. He made his international debut last month. Stefan Lainer, eleven years his senior, is an option for the right side of the Austrian defense.

Options: David Alaba (Real Madrid), Stefan Posch (Bologna), Kevin Danso (RC Lens), Philipp Lienhart (SC Freiburg), Maximilian Wöber (Borussia Mönchengladbach), Philipp Mwene (FSV Mainz), Leopold Querfeld (Rapid Wien), Flavius ​​Daniliuc (Red Bull Salzburg), Nicolas Seiwald (RB Leipzig), Alexander Prass (Sturm Graz), David Schnegg (Sturm Graz), Dejan Ljubicic (1.FC Köln), Andreas Ulmer (Red Bull Salzburg), Jonas Auer (Rapid Wien) , Samson Baidoo (Red Bull Salzburg).

It is very doubtful whether David Alaba will be fit in time for the European Championship.

Midfielders

Austria's midfield has a high RB Leipzig content. In Austrian football circles it is expected that Nicolas Seiwald, who can also be deployed as a right back, and Xaver Schlager will act as controllers against the Dutch, Poland and France. The attacking impulses must come from Konrad Laimer, who is in his first season at Bayern Munich, and Marcel Sabitzer. The latter was responsible for the elimination of PSV in the eighth finals of the Champions League with Borussia Dortmund.

Austria has a lot of running ability in midfield with Seiwald, Schlager and Laimer. They are also players who know what it is like to constantly put pressure on the opponent, which can be difficult for technically strong teams such as the Dutch and France. Sabitzer is seen by followers of the national team as the playmaker in the middle, someone who, like Andrea Pirlo in his best days, distributes the play and provides the supply to the strikers.

Rangnick can also choose Florian Grillitsch for his ideal midfield, who did not make too much of an impression at Ajax last season. The national coach also has young and eager midfielders such as Patrick Wimmer (22), Matthias Seid (23) and Romano Schmid (24) at his disposal. However, the former coach of RB Leipzig and Manchester United, among others, initially seems to opt for experience.

Options: Nicolas Seiwald (RB Leipzig), Schmid (Werder Bremen), Muhammed-Cham Saracevic (Clermont Foot), Florian Kainz (1.FC Köln).

Marcel Sabitzer is the conductor of the Austrian midfield.

Attackers

Freiburg striker Michael Gregoritsch is normally Austria's deepest striker at the approaching European Championship. The 1.93 meter tall attacker has scored 11 times for his German employer in 36 matches in all competitions this season. However, Gregoritsch is not the ultimate poster child for this team and can sometimes be unpredictable in the way he plays. The lack of a pure finisher could cause Austria problems in Germany.

The expectation in the Alpine country is that Christoph Baumgartner (RB Leipzig) will play shortly behind Gregoritsch at the European Championship. According to experts, the 24-year-old attacking midfielder has grown enormously and could be of great value for Austria in Germany. The widely praised Baumgartner has 13 goals in 36 international matches and could easily make a top transfer if he makes a successful final round.

The almost 35-year-old Marko Arnautovic is the most famous Austrian because of his 111 international matches. But due to his sensitivity to injuries, it is questionable whether Rangnick will include him in the final European Championship selection. Arnautovic missed the European Championship match with the Dutch team in 2021 due to a suspension. The Inter striker is said to have made insulting and racist statements against Ezgjan Alioski in the match against North Macedonia. Arnautovic has Serbian roots, while the roots from Alioski in Albania.

Options: Michael Gregoritsch (SC Freiburg), Christoph Baumgartner (RB Leipzig), Marko Arnautovic (Inter), Andreas Weimann (West Bromwich Albion), Maximilian Entrup (TSV Hartberg), Christoph Lang (Rapid Wien), Sasa Kalajdzic (Eintracht Frankfurt), Manprit Sarkaria (Sturm Graz), Guido Burgstaller (Rapid Wien), Marco Grüll (Rapid Wien), Karim Onisiwo (FSV Mainz 05), Junior Adamu (SC Freiburg).

It is not yet certain whether Marko Arnautovic will be included in Austria's European Championship selection.

Probable setup

Schlager will start, provided he stays fit, as the first choice under the bar in EURO 2024. As central defenders, Danso and Lienhart have to eliminate the deepest striker in the Netherlands, France and Poland. Posch and Wöber normally complete Austria's four-man defense.

Seiwald and Xaver Schlager must ensure control shortly before the Austrian defense. Laimer and Sabitzer are expected to take offensive actions again. Baumgartner is given the freedom by Rangnick to explore the spaces around Gregoritsch.

Austria's probable European Championship line-up: Alexander Schlager; Posch, Danso, Lienhart, Wöber; Seiwald, Xavier Schlager; Laimer, Sabitzer; Baumgartner, Gregoritsch.

Important absentees

There are therefore a number of question marks surrounding Alaba, who tore his cruciate ligament injury in December and has to recuperate for at least six months. Arnautovic is not seriously injured, but is a major doubt for Austria due to his many minor aches and pains. Sasa Kalajdzic suffered a serious cruciate ligament injury for the third time in his career in February, which has jeopardized his participation in the European Championship.

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