Scotland v Austria

SCOTLAND v AUSTRIA / EUROPEAN QUALIFIERS / FIFA 2022 WORLD CUP
OPPOSITION FOCUS
HISTORY BOYS
Tonight’s visitors are looking to achieve
unprecedented qualifying success
ranco Foda goes into tonight’s
opening World Cup qualifier
Fagainst Scotland looking to make
history with Austria.
The last time Unsere Burschen (Our
Boys) qualified for the finals of the
greatest football show on earth was
France 1998, just like Scotland. In fact,
both countries were respective winners
and runners-up in the same qualifying
group.
And just like Steve Clarke’s side, Austria
have made it through to this summer’s
delayed 2020 European Championship
finals, although they also featured in the
2008 and 2016 finals, unlike their hosts.
Head coach Foda, who took charge in
January 2018 after being named Marcel
Koller’s successor months earlier, is
hoping to qualify Austria for consecutive
tournaments for the first time.
However, with only one automatic
qualifying place up for grabs this time,
he knows it will not be easy to emerge
triumphant from a six-team group that
also contains Denmark, currently ranked
12th in the world, Israel, Faroe Islands
and Moldova.
The 54-year-old former defender, who
won two caps with then West Germany
in 1987 and who is the first German to
boss Austria, said: “The expectations
of the fans in Austria are very high. It
is, of course, our declared objective to
represent Austria at the World Cup for
the first time since 1998.
“I’ve also told my players that they have
a chance to make history. It would be
the first time that an Austrian national
team would be able to qualify for the
Euros and the World Cup in succession.
“It’s a very interesting and balanced
group. Denmark are the slight favourites
but anything is possible. I am always
optimistic. In any case, we have the
necessary quality.
“But it is not an easy undertaking, we
must not underestimate anyone in this
group.
“Under coach Steve Clarke, Scotland
show a well-structured style of play.
The team attaches great importance to
a compact defence and concede few
goals.
“Scotland have top players like Andy
Robertson, Scott McTominay and Kieran
Tierney. Their qualification for the Euros
- my congratulations on that - gave the
team a lot of self-confidence.”
Foda, who played for Kaiserslautern,
Bayer Leverkusen, VfB Stuttgart
and Sturm Graz, among others, is no
stranger to Scottish football and was a
fan of former Scotland midfielder and
manager Gordon Strachan.
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HAMPDEN PARK / THURSDAY, 25 MARCH 2021