All that was missing was the official confirmation, now this has also arrived. Austria’s national soccer team will start qualifying for the 2024 European Soccer Championship on March 24th and 27th in Linz. Both the home game against Azerbaijan on March 24 and that three days later against Estonia will be played in the newly built stadium on the Gugl, which opened a month earlier on February 24 with LASK’s home game against Austria Lustenau.
As early as August, ÖFB team boss Ralf Rangnick indicated in the big OÖN interview that Linz could become an option. “We’re completely open to say once the draw is made: against which opponent in which stadium do we have the best chance and the best possible atmosphere? And it is precisely according to these criteria that we have to allocate the home game locations instead of saying: “We play in the Prater Stadium because we have always played in the Prater Stadium.” It’s no use if we play in the Prater Stadium and only 15,000 spectators come. And the same 15,000 would also come if we played in a sold-out stadium in Linz. That’s a different atmosphere in the stadium. And I can also imagine that people in the newly opened Linz stadium will also be curious and will say: “Great, the national team is playing in the new stadium! Let’s go to the games there!”
The last official competition match in Linz took place in 1981 against Finland, Austria won 5-1. “The new Raiffeisen Arena is a very attractive option for international matches for our national team. The stadium meets the international requirements of the ÖFB for international matches and also fully complies with UEFA category 4. We are pleased to be able to offer the fans a modern infrastructure in the football-loving central region of Upper Austria for the games against Azerbaijan and Estonia,” Bernhard Neuhold, Managing Director of ÖFB Wirtschaftsbetriebe GmbH, was quoted as saying in an ÖFB broadcast. His thanks go to LASK and President Siegmund Gruber, who gave the feeling of being very welcome here, said Neuhold. “We are proud to welcome the national team to the Raiffeisen Arena Linz. We will offer the team the best possible support for these important games on the way to EURO 2024 in Germany,” said Gruber.
Source: Nachrichten
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