Prohaska draws comparison with Hollywood after ÖFB triumph

Herbert Prohaska finds the comparisons with his legendary "Spitz von Izmir" in 1977 appropriate. "That's exactly right. If someone scores a goal that ultimately takes you to the World Cup, it's worth just as much," said Austria's football legend to the APA about Michael Gregoritsch's decisive goal on Tuesday against Bosnia (1:1). During Austria's last World Cup participation in 1998, Prohaska was still the team coach. "But I'm not proud of that at all."

Comparison with Hollywood

28 years is an incredibly long time. "It was about time," emphasized Prohaska after the end of the longest World Cup drought in ÖFB history. "As far as football is concerned, there is great euphoria in the country, which is fantastic." However, the World Cup ticket was a long time coming in the showdown against Bosnia. "To advance and qualify like this, there is nothing more exciting and dramatic. A Hollywood director couldn't have written the game any differently," said Prohaska. "Thank God it ended like in Hollywood." He himself suffered in front of the TV with his wife.

"A World Cup is the ultimate for a player," said Prohaska, who shot Austria to the World Cup in Argentina in 1978 and was also there in Spain in 1982. David Alaba and Marko Arnautovic had yet to experience this feeling in their careers. "Alaba has won everything there is to win at club level. He is not 100 percent fit, but he always comes to the national team, is enthusiastic, and jumps in. That shows an incredibly good attitude," praised Prohaska the ÖFB captain. "With that, he is a huge role model for everyone else. A pseudo-star could also say, why should I go to Vienna for two international matches if I'm not fit?" It is similar with Arnautovic. "He never gave up and has now been rewarded. It was probably his last chance to play in a major event," said Prohaska.

What Awaits Austria?

What can be expected of the ÖFB team at the tournament also depends on the draw on December 5. "When you have so many teams, it can happen that there is a feasible group that takes us further," said Prohaska. Such difficult groups as in a European Championship - in 2024 Austria faced France, Poland, and the Netherlands - a World Cup does not generally bring. "With our style of play and attitude, we definitely want to advance there. The claim that we must advance there would be a mistake," said the 70-year-old. One can assume a well-rehearsed team. "If everyone is fit, it will be difficult for newcomers to make it into the squad."

Gold scorer Gregoritsch is likely to have his place in the World Cup squad secured. Together with his father Werner Gregoritsch, Prohaska once completed the coaching training. "He is a good friend of mine, so I am all the more pleased for his boy," emphasized the Viennese. "He is going through a tough time at Bröndby and plays little. You can see that it is important that Ralf Rangnick still relies on him."

Prohaska on Rangnick

The team coach, like all other members of the support staff, has his share in the successful qualification. "With Rangnick, you could see that he wants this World Cup qualification. He didn't turn down Bayern Munich (in spring 2024) for nothing if he didn't absolutely want to achieve this goal. That is also a sign," said Prohaska. The coaching job is results-oriented. "If in the end, the World Cup qualification comes out, you have a very good coach - which he is anyway. If we hadn't managed the qualification, we wouldn't have had a good coach. That's how it is in this business, which is why I don't miss it."

(APA/Red)

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