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World Cup qualification: Austria's team with mourning ribbon after school drama in Graz
The Austrian national team mourns the fatal attack in Graz at the World Cup qualifier in San Marino.
World Cup qualification: Austria's team with mourning ribbon after school drama in Graz
The Austrian national team competed in the World Cup qualifier against San Marino on June 10, 2025 with mourning ribbon. The reason for this was a tragic, fatal attack at a school in Graz that shocked the nation. A minute's silence was observed at the Serravalle stadium before the start of the game to remember the victims. Loud oe24 It was not possible to cancel the game as this would only have happened at the insistence of a football association.
Team boss Ralf Rangnick expressed his condolences to the relatives on behalf of the entire team. He described what happened as an “incredible tragedy” and admitted that it was difficult for the players to concentrate on football. To express their pain and dismay, around 1,500 fans forgo their planned fan march and cheerful gestures that they usually show in such games. Instead, they held up black banners with no writing and a banner with two white crosses and the word “Graz”. Another banner carried the message: “Thinking of you – Graz is not alone,” reported laola1.
Special moment of grief
The sadness of the moment was also noticeable in the course of the game. After Marko Arnautovic and Michael Gregoritsch scored goals, the celebration was subdued. Instead of exuberant joy, the players simply high-fived, which underlined the respectful handling of the situation. Team captain David Alaba spoke on his social media channels and expressed his condolences to the victims and their families. Even though Alaba couldn't travel to San Marino, his compassion was clearly noticeable vienna.at noted.
Meanwhile, numerous Bundesliga clubs, including Sturm Graz, GAK, Rapid Wien, Red Bull Salzburg, Austria Wien, Blau-Weiß Linz, Hartberg and WSG Tirol, responded with messages of condolence. These clubs expressed their sadness and dismay at the events and wished the families of the victims a lot of strength and solidarity during this difficult time. The echo of the tragic events will probably continue to resonate in the Austrian football community for a long time.