The ÖFB team is looking for new leaders

A player from the 26-man squad was not expected at the team camp in Andalusia until Tuesday – for good reason. Bologna legionnaire Stefan Posch became a father for the first time on Friday. His wife Lena only left the hospital with their son Romeo on Sunday. Team boss Ralf Rangnick therefore gave the 26-year-old Styrian an additional day off.

According to the ÖFB, all other squad players joined the team fit and healthy. Muhammed Cham, who scored twice for Clermont Foot against Le Havre (2-1) in France on Sunday, trained individually for the time being, as did full-back Phillipp Mwene. Nine other players who were in action on Sunday completed a joint running program on Monday. The rest dueled in football tennis. After 45 minutes, the first session at the Marbella Football Center was over.

The amount of the EM bonuses is being negotiated

The Austrians are preparing until Friday in southern Spain for the European Championship test matches on Saturday in Bratislava against Slovakia and the following Tuesday in Vienna against Turkey. With captain David Alaba (torn cruciate ligament) and Marko Arnautovic (hamstring injury), two big names are missing due to injury. Both are scheduled to meet the team before the Turkey game.

• also read: Rangnick on Alaba’s chance at the European Championship: “It would be a small miracle”

For this reason, the ÖFB management has also postponed the talks with the team council that were originally planned for Marbella about the amount of the European Championship bonuses for the players by a week. “We have agreed to do this in Vienna next week,” confirmed managing director Bernhard Neuhold. It is hoped that Alaba and Arnautovic could also be there on Monday. The duo forms the team council with Marcel Sabitzer and Konrad Laimer. Only two out of four members of the panel are on site in Spain.

“It’s just different”

“It’s just different when Marko and David aren’t there,” said ÖFB sports director Peter Schöttel, describing the atmosphere in the team camp. “Others are now even more challenged than before.” The substitute captains Sabitzer and Laimer have already taken on leadership roles, but established regulars such as Xaver Schlager and Christoph Baumgartner are also eligible. Schöttel: “The others are in the starting blocks.”

Sabitzer, Laimer and striker Michael Gregoritsch completed a commercial shoot in Marbella before the first training session. “It’s a story of team spirit to come together again after four months,” said Schöttel, outlining the first goal of the camp. “But it’s also about rehearsing tactical elements that will hopefully help us in the summer.”

“This is the most beautiful story ever”

The return of Stefan Lainer after his cancer was particularly good for the team. The 31-year-old from Salzburg completed his first ÖFB team training in a year and a half on Monday – nine months after he was diagnosed with lymph node cancer. “This is the most beautiful story ever for all of us,” said Schöttel. “He came to the team so positive, so optimistic, so happy – I never knew him so happy from three or four years ago. He’s doing really well.”

You can also tell from the play of the Borussia Mönchengladbach right-back that he is liberated. “That’s clear when you’ve had something like that behind you,” said the sports director. “He will also be good for everyone in terms of sport.” Especially since the ÖFB team is not overstaffed in the full-back positions.

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