Xavers Grant criticises Platz, Foda's reality defends ÖFB appearance

At the Fadil‑Vokrri Stadium in Prishtina, the Nations League duel between Austria and Kosovo ended in a 1‑1 draw, which Xaver Schlager described as “grumpy”. The Austrian Football Association midfield engine immediately expressed his dissatisfaction with the pitch, the VAR and the tight schedule. His comment “Football has had little to do with it” summed up the mood.

Pitch, VAR and Schedule in Focus

Schlager complained that the field was hardly suitable for “letting the ball run” and that he had to run himself instead. “If I have such an international window with four games in two weeks, I could also stay at home and do something smarter,” he said. The critical look at the shy VAR followed immediately, while he emphasized that the result was ultimately irrelevant.

Rangnick Blames the Greenkeeper

After the match, team boss Ralf Rangnick added another criticism: “Anyone who says the pitch wasn’t that bad has no idea about football.” He questioned whether there was even a greenkeeper, and called the field a “Nations League unworthy pitch”. Despite his harsh words, he praised the hospitality in the hotel and the city.

Foda Defends the Situation

Kosovo coach Franco Foda told a journalist that so far no opposing team had ever complained about the pitch. “Both teams still tried to play football and combine,” he emphasized. When asked whether he would approach the game more Italian‑style, he responded with an ironic “We live in a democracy”.

Edon Zhegrova, who has been playing for Juventus Turin since last year, showed his class despite the poor pitch. The Juventus Edelzangler, who grew up at KF Flamurtari and FC Prishtina, brought the Austrian defence to the brink of despair several times and scored the opening goal for Kosovo.

Schlager added that an intensive schedule robbed him of the chance to let the ball flow. “The main thing is, we have games, games. But how we feel about it is ultimately irrelevant,” he added. His words reflect the frustration with the conditions.

The expression “first glance” from the original report remains appropriate, as both players and coaches had to look at the pitch with a critical eye. The two teams showed fighting spirit despite adverse conditions and delivered a tight duel.

At the end of the evening the conclusion remained that neither the criticism of the pitch quality nor the defence of the field changed the result. Both teams left the stadium aware that more games will follow, and the discussion about the pitch will likely continue.