Rangnick criticises Austria's World Cup showing as ÖFB finances fall short
More than ten weeks after the World Cup in the United States ended for Austria, the Austrian Football Association (ÖFB) released a financial summary on Monday, and national team manager Ralf Rangnick openly criticised the squad’s performance.
Revenue versus Euro 2024
The ÖFB received US$10 million as start‑up money, a cost‑reimbursement of US$2.5 million and a US$1 million prize for reaching the round of 16, totalling €11.5 million in revenue. By comparison, the Euro 2024 tournament generated €12.75 million for the federation.
Board’s profit outlook
Board member Josef Pröll said the ÖFB will be able to distribute roughly €2 million to the Bundesliga and regional associations while still finishing the year with a low seven‑figure profit. He also highlighted that the ÖFB‑Campus in Vienna‑Aspern is already generating more income than expected, projecting a first‑year surplus of about €1 million.
Upcoming Nations‑League fixture
The A‑national team will next host Kosovo in a Nations‑League match in Vienna on 27 September, giving Rangnick a chance to showcase the football he wants to see.
Rangnick’s disappointment
Rangnick admitted the World Cup results were as expected – a draw against Argentina and a loss to Spain – but stressed he judges beyond results, focusing on the team’s display. He said the squad’s physical condition placed them between 25th and 30th in key parameters such as sprints and ball recoveries, far below the top‑three rankings achieved at Euro 2024.
Eight players were listed as healthy, yet none were “match‑fit”. Rangnick noted extra training sessions were required and questioned why the Austrian side did not adopt the French approach of two days of intensive testing before the tournament.
He suggested that prominent players such as David Alaba, Marko Arnautović or Xaver Schlager might have been affected, and recalled asking for a substitution of the “dauerläufer” during the Algeria half‑time break.
Rangnick also criticised the players’ off‑field freedoms, mentioning frequent afternoon golf sessions, and vowed to curb such activities to prioritise fitness and intense training.