Austria national football team

**Austria national football team** is the national football team of Austria. It is controlled by the Austrian Football Association (German: Österreichischer Fußballbund - ÖFB).
## History before the Second World War
The first official match took place on 12th October 1902 in Vienna when a team from Cisleithanien (Austrian part of the Austrian-Hungary Empire) played versus Hungary. (5:0) The team reached in the 1930s the best time. It was the time of the so-called "Wunderteam" (miracle team) when Austria was one of the leading teams in Europe. The Wunderteam was the first from the continent to defeat Scotland. In 1934 the team was took part in the FIFA world cup for the first time and reached the 4th place. 1936 Austria won the silver medal at the Olympic games in Berlin. Due to the occupation through Germany in 1938 there was no team between 1938 and 1945. The national team was dissolved and the players like Matthias Sindelar became part of the German team.
## 1945 to 1962
Soon after the end of the war the Austrian team played their first matches versus Hungary in Budapest. On December 6th, 1945 the first homematch took place in the renovated Praterstadion (now Ernst-Happel-Stadion). France was beaten by 4:1. Soon Austria was as successful as before the war. In 1951 Scotland was beaten in his own stadium by 1:0. Austria was the first team from the continent to do so. The FIFA World cup 1954 was the most successful ever. A legendary match was the quarterfinal against Switzerland which won Austria 7:5. It is still till  today the Worldcup match with the most goals scored. Austria reached the semifinals and was beaten by the later world champion Germany by 1:6. The match for the 3rd place was won by 3:1 versus Uruguay. Players like Gerhard Hanappi, Walter Zeman and Ernst Ocwirk were playing in the FIFA world team. A 0:6 versus the Czech team marked the end of Austrias golden periode.
## 1962 to present
The next years Austria was an average team but surprised through notable wins. On was on 20 October 1965 when Austria won in England 3:2. Austria was the third team to do so. In the same year however Austria failed to qualify for the 1966 World Cup. Also  the qualification for 1970 was a failure. The qualification for 1974 was missed after a 1:2 versus Sweden in a decider.

After 20 years Austria could qualify for the 1978 FIFA World Cup. The last match versus Turkey was won 1:0 through a goal by the later team coach Herbert Prohaska. In the tournament Austria won the groupstage. But after two lost matches versus Netherlands and Italy they failed to reach the final round. The last match was versus Germany in Cordoba. Austria won 3:2 through two goals by Hans Krankl and an own goal by Bertie Vogts. In Austria this is a legendary match. In the 1982 World Cup Austria also played. After two matches with wins versus Algeria and Chile a narrow loss against Germany was enough. Germany had to win  to promote to the final round. The match ended 1:0 for Germany and especially in Algeria there were manipulation reproaches. After the 1982 Cup a lot of players ended their career, so Austria failed to reach the 1986 FIFA World Cup.

Under coach Josef Hickersberger Austria could qualify for the 1990 World Cup. He called back old players like Herbert Prohaska and mixed them with new players like Andreas Herzog who had only three league matches played before the Championship. After losses versus Italy and  Czechoslovakia and a win versus USA they failed in the first round.

Shortly after the World Cup Hickersberger resigned after a 0:1 versus the Faroe Islands in Landskrona, Sweden. On the islands there was no stadium with grass and all the players were pure amateurs. This match was a great disgrace for Austrians team.

The last appearance of an Austrian team in a World Cup tournament was 1998 in France. Austria failed in the qualifing round versus Italy, Chile and Cameroon. As host Austria was qualified for the UEFA Euro 2008 and played versus Poland, Croatia and Germany. After losses versus Germany and Croatia and a draw versus Poland Austria could not qualify for the quarter finals.

Austria failed to qualify for the World Cup 2006 and 2010 and also for the UEFA Euro 2012.

## Notable team players
*Andreas Herzog:with 103 matches he holds the record of matches for the national team
*Robert Sara:was voted to the All-Star-Team of the FIFA World Cup 1978
*Walter Zeman:World goal keeper 1953
*Herbert Prohaska:played in the 1990 and 1982 team  and was coach of the 1998 squad for the World Cups
*Hans Krankl: he was the star of the 1978 match versus Germany and Europs best scorer
*Matthias Sindelar: player of the "Wunderteam" one of Austrias best players ever
*Marko Arnautovic:with 45 goals best scorer of the Austrian team

## Team of the century
To mark the turn of the century, the Kronen Zeitung called for an election for the national team of the (20th) century in 1999. 

## Statistics
*as 16 October 2023
### Team matches
**825
****Won**:346
****Drawn**:176  	
****Lost**:303
****Goals**1456: 1279 +177
**The highest victory was a 9:0 versus Malta in a qualifing match for the FIFA World Cup 1978.
**Top scorer in single match:Hans Krankl 6 versus Malta
**The highest defeat was a 1:11 versus England on 8th June 1908 in Vienna.
**Most matches:versus Hungary 136
**Best result in Fifa World Cup:1954 3rd 
**Visitors: 30.10.1960 Austria - Spain 3:0 	 91000

### Matches
#Marko Arnautovic 108
#Andreas Herzog 	 103 
# 	David Alaba 101
#Aleksandar Dragovic 100
#  	Anton Polster 	 95 
#Gerhard Hanappi 	 93 
#  	Karl Koller 	 86 
#Julian Baumgartlinger 84
#  	Friedrich 'Friedl' Koncilia 	 84 
#  	Bruno Pezzey 	 84 
#  	Herbert Prohaska 	 83 
# Christian Fuchs 78
#Sebastian Prödl 73
#Marc Janko 70
#  	Johann Krankl 	 69 
#  	Heribert Weber 	 68 
# Martin Harnik 68
# Martin Hinteregger 67
#  	Peter Stöger 	 65

### Top scorer
#  	Anton Polster 	 44 
#  	Johann Krankl 	 34 
#  	Johann Horvath 	 29 
#  	Erich Hof 	 28 
#  	Anton Schall 	 27 
#  	Matthias Sindelar 	 26 
#  	Andreas Herzog 	 26 
#  	Karl Zischek 	 24 
#  	Walter Schachner 	 23 
#  	Theodor Wagner 	 22

## Manager history
## Gallery

File:Hugo Meisl.jpg|Hugo Meisl-coach of the "Wunderteam"
File:Alfred Riedl, Fußballtrainer, Österreich (02).jpg|Alfred Riedl (1990/91)
File:Herbert Prohaska.jpg|Herbert Prohaska
File:2019-03-30 Fußball, Männer, 1. Bundesliga, RB Leipzig - Hertha BSC StP 3875 LR10 by Stepro.jpg|Ralf Rangnick current team coach
File:Andreas Herzog.jpg|Andreas Herzog 103 matches for Austria
File:Toni Polster, ROMY 2009.jpg|Toni Polster-44 goals for Austrias team

## References
## Other websites
* Austrian teammatches (1902 bis present-German)
* Current team players 
*List of Austrian national team players (German Wikipedia)