Austria's football team: 4-0 victory in the shadow of mourning in Graz

Austria's football team: 4-0 victory in the shadow of mourning in Graz

Austria's national soccer team celebrated a clear 4-0 win in the World Cup qualification against San Marino today. However, after the final whistle, the players sneaked up to the stands with depressed faces, where around 1,500 Austrian fans were cared for. A killing spree in Graz, which took place a few hours earlier, had massively clouded the mood and put the players into a shock state. Marko Arnautović, who scored two goals, explained that his thoughts were only in the tragic events in Graz and he did not want to talk about the game. "I didn't want to come here at all," said Arnautović, which impressively reflects his emotions.

The game was held in the shade of this terrible act of violence. Team boss Ralf Rangnick, who reacted emotionally to the events, had applied for a minute of fun and the players wore the funeral flor. In a message, the ÖFB also expressed its condolences for the relatives and those affected by the killing spree, in which a total of eleven people were killed. The team set a sign of solidarity by hardly cheering after Michael Gregoritsch's goal (11th minute) and the second goal of Arnautović (15th minute).

reactions of the players and fans

The players, especially Marcel Sabitzer, Michael Gregoritsch and Romano Schmid, who grew up in Graz, were sincerely affected. Sabitzer emphasized the importance of cohesion and expression of compassion in such difficult times. Mathias Honsak, who played his first international match, spoke of a "giant shock for all Austrians". The traveling fans also solidarize with the victims; They waived their originally planned choreography and brought a banner with two white crosses and the word "Graz".

The players decidedly rejected the game because they wanted to underline that they were on the pitch for Austria. After the game, Gregoritsch expressed that it was important in these difficult times to bring joy, even if cheering at that moment. This shows that the cohesion is present not only within the team, but also throughout Austrian football.

gaming and upcoming challenges

In the course of the game, which took place in front of almost 3,000 spectators, Arnautović scored 1-0 in the third minute, followed by his second goal and the goal of Baumgartner in the 27th minute. Despite the clear dominance and the early goals, the Austrians had to overcome some passion problems against the last place in the FIFA world rankings. In addition, Arnautović awarded a penalty in the 85th minute.

The next challenges for the Austrian national team are already pending, with upcoming games against Cyprus and Bosnia and Herzegovina. While the majority of the ÖFB team go on a well-deserved vacation, Sabitzer and Laimer travel to the USA to the USA. The "real" World Cup will be opened in one year, on June 11, 2026.

The influences of the killing spree in Graz will stay in the team's thoughts for a long time, while at the same time they embody the spirit of cohesion and hope that is more important than ever in difficult times.