Dragovic returns to Wiener Austria

As the “Violets” announced on Tuesday, the 100-time Austrian national football team player has received a contract until 2027. The 33-year-old central defender will remain with the club beyond that, the statement said. However, no details were given. Dragovic is joining the Violets on a free transfer; he was most recently employed at Red Star Belgrade.

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The young father was delighted about his comeback at his favorite club, which he joined when he was six years old. “I am a true Austrian, Vienna is the most beautiful city for me – that’s why it was always my goal to hang up my football boots here one day, but I don’t want to think that far ahead yet, right now I want to help Austria,” Dragovic was quoted as saying in the press release. “I try to be a role model every day – at home for my son and from now on here at the club for our young players.”

“Child of Austria”

Austria sports director Manuel Ortlechner described Dragovic as “a child of Austria and to this day a figurehead of our academy. As an Austrian, he has made the leap into the big football world and can “bring all young players back home”.

Dragovic left Austria at the beginning of 2011 and has won the championship abroad nine times. David Alaba is the only Austrian to have achieved this more often. Dragovic played his last international match under Franco Foda against Scotland in March 2022. Under ÖFB team boss Ralf Rangnick, the defender was no longer given a chance and openly criticized this. Before the friendly against Serbia at the beginning of June, however, he was honored for his 100 international matches.

After winning three doubles in three years, Dragovic let his contract with Red Star Belgrade expire at the end of the season and has since then been aiming to return to Vienna. At Austria, Dragovic is expected to stabilize the defense, which has not always been rock-solid recently, and to lead the way as a leader.

In the 1:2 defeat last week in the second round of the Conference League qualification, the Viennese slipped up before conceding both goals. The return match is scheduled for Wednesday (8.30 p.m./live ORF 1), but Dragovic is not yet eligible to play in this one. Austria will start the Bundesliga season on Sunday (5 p.m./live Sky) with an away match at Blau-Weiß Linz.

Dragovic made his debut for the Austria professionals in 2008 under Karl Daxbacher at the age of 17. In 2011 he went abroad to FC Basel, after which he played for Dynamo Kiev, Bayer Leverkusen, Leicester City and most recently Red Star.