Christmas with ÖFB Player Michael Gregoritsch

Some football professionals appreciate the time around Christmas Eve mainly because they can catch their breath for at least a few days in the midst of a hectic season. For Michael Gregoritsch, however, the significance of Christmas is much more than that - Austria's World Cup qualifying hero enjoys spending the holidays with his family and friends and not forgetting cherished traditions.

"It's About Peace and Time with Family"

Christmas Eve has followed a certain ritual in the Gregoritsch household for years. "At 5:00 PM the presents come, and at 6:00 PM 'Silent Night' is played on Ö3. This is very important to my mom," Gregoritsch told the APA.

Afterwards, the feast awaits the family - chestnut cream soup, pork loin with red cabbage and bread dumplings, and for dessert, cinnamon ice cream with hot cherries, all prepared by mother Susanne, even though son Michael is actually a passionate hobby cook. "But mom wants it that way, and we don't take it away from her," said the striker.

Gregoritsch likes Christmas not only because of the exquisite food. "It's about peace and time with the family. Games are played, good wine is drunk, and anyone who wants to can come by." When Michael was still a child, his father Werner Gregoritsch, former ÖFB U21 team coach, regularly invited a war veteran to their home on Christmas Eve. "Because Christmas is a celebration where everyone is welcome with us," said Michael Gregoritsch.

Charity Project as a "Christmas Gift"

Christmas was also the birth of his charity project "TOR.CHANCE", which has been running successfully for years. "It was a Christmas gift from my brother Matthias, he came up with the idea. We had been looking for a donation purpose for a while and then decided that we wanted to offer socially disadvantaged children in Graz and the surrounding area a football training session once a week."

The donation association was founded in 2018, and the weekly training sessions are regularly fully booked. The project is named "Kick it like Gregerl" and "Kick it like Carina" (also former ÖFB team player and Austria captain Carina Wenninger acts as a patron) and is primarily aimed at children with a migration background. Additionally, as part of "TOR.CHANCE," a one-week camp for children with Down syndrome takes place three times every summer.

The operational management of these projects is the responsibility of Michael Gregoritsch's brother. "Without him, none of this would work. He is the main protagonist, and I try to support him as best as I can." "TOR.CHANCE" is funded through donations, with significant revenue coming from a charity golf tournament last summer at the Thalersee Golf Club. Whether this event will take place again in the summer of 2026 is uncertain - partly because it is not yet clear how long Gregoritsch will be in North America.

What Can Austria Achieve at the World Cup?

The goal scorer did not dare to predict how far the ÖFB team could go at the World Cup. "Anything can happen. I'm not the last one to talk about the title, but I'm not presumptuous either. If we reach our 100 percent, we can take great inspiration from our U17 (Note: Vice World Champion), showing that a lot is possible."

The group with Argentina, Algeria, and Jordan holds a special appeal for NFL fan Gregoritsch not only because of the opponents but also because of the venues San Francisco, Dallas, and Kansas City. "I always wanted to be in Group J before the draw. The Dallas Cowboys were the first NFL team I supported," explained Gregoritsch. At the AT&T Stadium there, they will face defending champion Argentina and likely Lionel Messi, whom Gregoritsch calls the "best footballer of all time," on June 22.

Christmas with Gregoritsch's Golden Goal?

Before that, Gregoritsch will recharge his batteries at Christmas with his loved ones. On Christmas Eve, it is rather unlikely, but not impossible, that the 31-year-old will watch the video of the decisive 1:1 against Bosnia and Herzegovina again. "Maybe the moment will come at some point. But I don't think we'll turn it on. It will be more about talking about how beautiful it was, but it won't be glorified." Gregoritsch has already watched the "most beautiful moment of my career" about 400 times.

(APA/Red)

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