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Almost exactly eight years after his first appearance for the ÖFB team, Karim Onisiwo has declared his career in the local national football team over for “sporting and private reasons”.
The ÖFB announced this in a broadcast on Friday. “This step is not easy for me,” explained the 31-year-old Viennese, who has been a striker for German Bundesliga club Mainz 05 since 2016 and scored one goal in 24 games for the senior team.
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“There are sporting and private reasons for my resignation, which I have discussed with the team boss in recent weeks,” said Onisiwo, who is currently bottom of the table with Mainz. “Ultimately, I made the decision to concentrate fully on my club Mainz 05 and my family. I will continue to follow the ÖFB team’s games as a fan and hope for a successful European Championship.”
Most of the time, the former Mattersburg kicker had to be content with a substitute role in the national team. This was also the case at the 2021 European Championships, where he played six minutes.
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“Karim told me some time ago that he was thinking about ending his career in the national team. I had open and honest communication with him at all times,” ÖFB team boss Ralf Rangnick was quoted as saying. Sports director Peter Schöttel found it “a shame that he will no longer play for Austria in the future. Karim was a valuable part of our national team for eight years. He deserves thanks and recognition for that.”
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I am Pierce Boyd, a driven and ambitious professional working in the news industry. I have been writing for 24 Hours Worlds for over five years, specializing in sports section coverage. During my tenure at the publication, I have built an impressive portfolio of articles that has earned me a reputation as an experienced journalist and content creator.
