Austrian coach Josef Hickersberger is under no illusions as to the task the co-hosts of Euro 2008 face in reaching the last eight as he takes into battle possibly the weakest team ever to participate in European soccer's showpiece event.
The 60-year-old — in his second spell as national coach — has been part of the country’s finest victory as well as their lowest moment to date in their history, which he admits has turned him into a realist.
As a player he was part of the Austrian side that beat the then reigning world champions West Germany 3-2 in Cordoba in the 1978 World Cup — however the sublime in terms of his career slipped to the ridiculous when in his first term as coach minnows the Faroe Islands defeated Austria 1-0 in a Euro 1992 qualifier.
PHOTO: EPA
Needless to say after a performance like that there was only one option and Hickersberger — who had at least taken the Austrians to the 1990 World Cup finals — resigned.
How then has he managed to regain the national post — replacing another of the Cordoba heroes Hans Krankl — after such a humiliation?
By showing resilience in rebuilding his reputation following the Faroes debacle by taking Rapid Vienna to the domestic title and a Champions League place and also nostalgic memories of his taking Austria to the 1990 World Cup finals.
It could also point to a genuine dearth of home grown rivals and the lack of attraction of the job to foreigners given the weakness of the team as they prepare for their first major tournament since the 1998 World Cup finals, where they went out in the first round.
However, things have not gone at all smoothly with Hickersberger accused by two of his better players Paul Scharner and Emanuel Pogatetz, who both play in the Premiership for Wigan Athletic and Middlesbrough respectively, of deploying 1980’s style tactics.
Hickersberger, capped 39 times, has since forgiven Pogatetz, but Scharner remains out in the cold.
Certainly based on results under his regime they look to have a point as Hickersberger totally cleared out the old squad and replaced them with younger less experienced players which he said was necessary so he could rebuild a side that was capable of making the last eight.
Despite this honorable intention, Austria have slipped out of the top 100 ranked teams in the FIFA list, going from 70th to 101st.
“It is certainly the worst set of results that the Austrian Federation have known in their long history,” said Hickersberger, who is known for his dry sense of humor.
Hickersberger certainly does not appear to have anything to lose going into a group that consists of Germany, Poland and Croatia and who knows, 30 years after the famous victory at Cordoba history could repeat itself and once again put his name up in lights and just maybe banish the Faroe Islands result to the backburner.
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