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Viva la Espana! Champions of Europe!

Re-live the Euro 2008 Championship by selecting a match below or visiting the dedicated site Euro2008TV.com for articles, photos, and video highlights of your favorite team.

 

Austria Euro 2008 Online Streams and TV Schedules

#Date	Time (US/Eastern)	Match	Result	Stage	Venue
Jun-08	11:50am	Austria - Croatia	0:1	Group B	Vienna
Jun-12	02:30pm	Austria - Poland	1:1	Group B	Basel
Jun-16	02:30pm	Austria - Germany	0:1	Group B	Vienna

Austria at Euro 2008

	Group B Austria Croatia Germany Poland View all group B details

Heading for disaster

Austria have been relatively anonymous on the world stage for some time now, but many expected that a tournament at home would galvanize their cause. All evidence thus far has pointed to the contrary. During 2007, Austria had won only one of their twelve friendly games. Coach Josef Hickersberger has to reinvigorate a side that seems timid in front of goal, and only recently found its feet in defence.   With no competitive games in the last year under their belt, Austria will have to treat their remaining friendly games with much more urgency than they have. If they do not vastly improve, Group B opponents Germany, Croatia, and even Poland will be ready to dismantle them at the tournament proper. The Austrian federation has set up some useful friendly games against Germany (which is on despite the fact that the two teams have been grouped together this summer) and Netherlands before Euro2008. Austria will most probably fail to beat the two nations, but they will be able to gauge their progress after the two games.

How Austria qualified

As co-hosts with Switzerland.

How Austria play

Hickersberger used both a 4-5-1 and a 4-4-2 in a recent friendly against England. The coach’s indecision gestures towards the tentative nature of his current team. Even amongst the uncertainty, some names seem indispensable. Central defender Martin Hiden, defensive midfielder René Aufhauser, and attacking midfielder Andreas Ivanschitz, who is also the captain, are names Hickersberger relies on frequently.

About the coach

Hickersberger was coach of the Austrian side that competed in the 1990 World Cup in Italy. His popularity amongst the fans has dramatically declined after an abysmal run of results this past year. Notwithstanding all the negative energy, Hickersberger has remained phlegmatic. He will need to find the right balance in attack before the tournament.

Key players

Alex Manninger - Siena’s talented goalkeeper has been vying for a starting spot with Jurgen Macho, but he should get the nod at the tournament. Manninger is an agile goalkeeper with quick reflexes. Still only 30, he has many years ahead of him as Austria’s goalkeeper. René Aufhauser - The Red Bull Salzburg’s defensive midfielder has won over fourty caps for his country. Hickersberger has been one of the few coaches who has given Aufhauser a consistent spot in the starting eleven. Aufhauser is a no-nonsense midfielder and has notched nine goals for Austria during his career.

Star player

Andreas Ivanschitz - The 24-year-old is the captain of his side and is hugely popular with the fans. He plays as an attacking midfielder, providing the creativity for an attack bereft of ideas.

Verdict

If Austria do not dramatically improve in the next few months, they may be the poorest side at this summer’s tournament. Their preparations have been inauspicious so far, and Hickersberger is running out of time to get things right. They could have been placed in a tougher group, but even Group B will provide a stern test for Austria. As hosts, there will be enormous pressure on the team to perform. First-round exit.

Article by Hasan Saiyid

Austria Euro 2008 News

• Bulgaria Seeded Third for Euro 2012 Draw (Novinite.com)
  Bulgaria's national football team, headed by Dimitar Berbatov (pictured), failed to make it to the 18th spot in UEFA ranking and will be among the third seeds when the draw for Euro 2012 qualifying is made.
• Bulgaria Seeded Third for Euro 2012 Draw (Novinite.com)
  Bulgaria's national football team will be among the third seeds when the draw for Euro 2012 qualifying is made in February. The Bulgarians failed to make it to the second pot after a dismal showing in the race to reach next year's World Cup and are now rated the 21st best side in Europe.
• Austria 1 Spain 5 (Sporting Life)
  Villa - first-half double. Superb Spain bounced back from an early deficit to put 10-man Austria to the sword in a one-sided international friendly at the Ernst-Happel Stadion in Vienna tonight.
• Euro match-fixing probe targets 200 matches (Gulf Daily News)
  BOCHUM, Germany: In what one Uefa official called Europe's worst ever match-fixing scandal, investigators said yesterday criminals may have netted over 10 million euros manipulating 200 games in nine countries.
• Football: Super Spanish maul Austrians (sportal.com.au)
  Superb Spain bounced back from an early deficit to put 10-man Austria to the sword 5-1 in a one-sided international friendly at the Ernst-Happel Stadion in Vienna.
• England named top seeds for Euro qualifiers (Belfast Telegraph)
  England have been named among the top seeds for February's European Championship qualifying draw — but Scotland are in the third band after falling down the rankings. Related Stories Henry's name is now tarnished: St Ledger Where is your class Thierry? Await the insincere apology In Pictures: Republic of Ireland footballers' World Cup heartbreak FIFA reject Republic replay Trapattoni wants ...
• England named top seeds for Euro qualifiers (Belfast Telegraph)
  England have been named among the top seeds for February's European Championship qualifying draw — but Scotland are in the third band after falling down the rankings. Related Stories Replay with Republic of Ireland is 'fairest solution', says Henry Roy Keane tells Republic of Ireland to get over it French should offer replay, says Wenger Roy Keane's history of cutting comments Brian Viner: Sorry ...