Rangnick launches Austria’s Nations League squad without Alaba

In the quiet of the Austrian Football Association headquarters on Monday, Ralf Rangnick unveiled the ÖFB‑Kader for the upcoming Nations League B Länderspiele, confirming four duels – Israel on 24 September, Kosovo on 27 September, Ireland on 1 October and a return against Kosovo on 4 September.

Nations League schedule

Austria will compete in Nations League B, where Rangnick’s Auswahl faces four duelle. The first match is at home against Israel on 24 September, followed by Kosovo on 27 September. An away fixture in Ireland on 1 October precedes the Rückspiel against Kosovo on 4 September. Für Österreich geht es nach der WM, bei der man im Sechzehntelfinale gegen den späteren Weltmeister Spanien ausschied, in einen neuen Zyklus.

Key absences

Star Marcel Sabitzer announced a pause, confirming he will not feature in the squad. The 32‑year‑old cited the high workload from multiple competitions as the reason for his decision. Marko Arnautovic also opted out after retiring from international duty following the WM loss to Spanien. Ohne David Alaba, the 34‑year‑old former Real Madrid defender remains club‑less, training alone, and his place in the ÖFB‑Kader is therefore uncertain, with a possible absence in November as well. Seine Zukunft at club level also remains unclear.

Financial backdrop and staff changes

Im Vorfeld the ÖFB chairman Josef Pröll thanked former sport director Peter Schöttel and withdrew support for FIFA president Gianni Infantino. He also disclosed that the ÖFB generated €11.5 million in revenue from the WM. Rangnick expressed dissatisfaction with Austria’s performance at the tournament and introduced LASK assistant Maximilian Ritscher as a new member of his coaching staff, expanding Rangnicks Auswahl.

Squad composition

The goalkeeping department features Alexander Schlager (Werder Bremen), Christian Zawieschitzky (Red Bull Salzburg) and Lukas Jungwirth (LASK), both regarded as top finishers in the Austrian Bundesliga. In defence, David Affengruber (Fulham), Felix Bacher (Olympique Lyon), Kevin Danso (Sunderland), Marco Friedl (Werder Bremen), Philipp Lienhart (SC Freiburg), Philipp Mwene (Mainz 05), Stefan Posch (Mainz 05), Alexander Prass (TSG 1899 Hoffenheim), Nikolas Veratschnig (Red Bull Salzburg) and Maximilian Wöber (Schalke 04) earned call‑ups. The midfield includes Carney Chukwuemeka (Borussia Dortmund), Konrad Laimer (Bayern Munich), Christoph Lang (LASK), Vasilije Markovic (Austria Wien), Xaver Schlager (Nottingham Forest), Romano Schmid (Frosinone), Nicolas Seiwald (RB Leipzig), Paul Wanner (PSV Eindhoven) and Patrick Wimmer (Hoffenheim). Up front, Junior Adamu (Schalke 04), Michael Gregoritsch (Augsburg), Marco Grüll (Werder Bremen) and Sasa Kalajdzic (LASK) complete the attack.

Future fixtures and pause

After the September and October games, Rangnick’s side faces two November Rückspiele away at Ireland on 14 November and Israel on 17 November. Vor den Novemberspielen the squad will focus on training camps. Consequently, the national team will not play again until the March international break, providing a lengthy pause after the September‑October fixtures. Nach den Länderspielen im September und Oktober warten weitere Spiele im November, bevor die nächste Pause im März einsetzt.