Major questioning of Austria's Wunderteam

Great disappointment and great ambition coexist within Ralf Rangnick's Wunderteam: after a hasty qualification for the round of 16 of the last World Cup, the team was crushed 0‑3 by Spain, while the manager is already preparing a new generation.

The Wunderteam did not inspire at the last World Cup, settling for a ric‑rac qualification for the round of 16 before suffering a clear defeat against Spain. This setback highlighted the limits of the current squad.

Aware that they need to step up a gear, the pioneer of gegenpressing wants to launch a new generation. He aims to transform the style of play to regain the expected competitiveness.

First tests in the Nations League

The first tests begin as soon as the September international break, with Nations League matches against Israel, Ireland and Kosovo. These fixtures will provide an opportunity to gauge Austria's new momentum.

When the 26 call‑ups were announced, a small shockwave was felt on the Vienna side. Neither Marko Arnautović, nor David Alaba, nor Marcel Sabitzer were selected, their absences explained respectively by retirement, unemployment and an announced break.

Florian Grillitsch, recently transferred to Frosinone, is also not part of the squad, reinforcing the sense of a major turning point. The national team is thus left without three of the four most‑capped players in its history since 2009.

Potential replacements are already being eyed, starting with Lyon's Felix Bacher and the very young Vasilije Markovic of Austria Vienna. Their integration could mark the start of a new era.

Should Austria's policy be applied? This break between a glorious past and an uncertain future shows that the country must reinvent its footballing identity.