David Alaba speaks to Zoff in the Austrian Association. He defends Ralf Rangnick and sharply criticizes the ÖFB bosses.
The Austrian Football Association (ÖFB) does not come to rest. David Alaba rejected the criticism of team boss Ralf Rangnick with clear words and sharply attacked the ÖFB leadership team.
“We stand for cohesion and unity. And we have no understanding if our team boss is attacked from our own ranks. This is not good for our team and our entire association,” Alaba told the APA news agency.
David Alaba is captain of the Austrian national team
Alaba counters: “No idea of football”
Above all, the criticism of Vice President Johann Gartner came up with the captain of the Austrian national team. If someone says that “we should put ourselves in the back and change our way of playing, then he has no idea about football. We want and have to play football exactly as our team boss lets us, so that we can be successful. I am absolutely certain that we are on the right track together,” emphasized Real Madrid’s defender.
Gartner attacked Rangnick last week. “Viewed soberly, we are no further with Rangnick than under Foda. His way of playing can be calculated. I lack the goals and the results. I expect new ideas from the team manager,” Gartner told the magazine profile . In the report, ÖFB President Wolfgang Bartosch attacked the coach: “Rangnick is very difficult.”
Alaba defends Rangnick
Alaba also countered this criticism: “The coach is not difficult at all. He tries to do everything to make Austrian football developing positively.” And the former Bayern star pushed after: “If that is difficult, I hope that the new president will also be difficult.” Bartosch is currently acting as Interim President of the ÖFB.
The 67-year-old had previously rowed back. “Rangnick is out of the question,” said Bartosch on Friday on ORF .
The profile report had hit high waves. In addition to criticism of the ÖFB team boss, it was also about speculation about a change of Rangnick to the management of FC Bayern Munich. Last week, Rangnick was also brought into play in a report by Sport Bild at BVB.
Rangnick had missed the promotion to League A with Austria in the Nations League. The ÖFB selection failed in the playoffs on Serbia.