ÖFB stars before changing clubs: Who stays, who goes? Exciting times!

ÖFB stars before changing clubs: Who stays, who goes? Exciting times!

Seefeld, Österreich - The Austrian national football team is preparing for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers, but the uncertainty about the future of several players causes a sensation. There are significant changes among the ÖFB stars that have both sporty and contractual implications. ÖFB team pursues the goal of a successful qualification for the 2026 World Cup, but captain David Alaba (Real Madrid) is not in the squad due to his injury. He continues to fight with a cruciate ligament rupture and a meniscal tear, which initially excludes him from the upcoming games against Romania and San Marino, as Kleine Zeitung reports)

David Alaba, whose contract in Madrid runs until June 2026, could leave the club in summer, since neo-coach Xabi Alonso is obviously not planning with him. This raises questions about his future role, since Marko Arnautovic (Inter Milan) is also unsure. His contract expires at the end of June, and the last game he played was the Champions League final against PSG, where Inter went 0: 5. However, Arnautovic will soon join the squad after completing his CL game.

Contract situation of the ÖFB players

Some other ÖFB stars are also faced with important decisions. Stefan Posch's loan contract at Atalanta Bergamo expires and there are ambiguities about a possible return to Bologna. Patrick Wimmer (VfL Wolfsburg) remains open to a change of club, but has not yet signed a new contract. Michael Gregoritsch (SC Freiburg) also looks around for alternatives after he has hardly received a season.

preparations for the World Cup qualification

Team boss Ralf Rangnick nominated a total of 27 players for the upcoming games, including Xaver Schlager, who returns after an injury, and six possible debutants. The team meets on Friday evening in Seefeld to train until June 5. The players are intensively prepared for the two games, whereby Rangnick emphasizes that Xaver Schlager and other key players have top priority.

Rangnick plans to compete against Romania with the best possible starting formation. While Romania started qualifications with a home defeat against Bosnia-Herzegovina and an away win against San Marino, the Romanian team is described as technically strong and playful. With these challenges, exciting weeks are imminent for the ÖFB stars, such as Ö24 reports.