How are their preparations going for UEFA EURO 2008™?
• With only friendly games to prepare themselves for co-hosting the finals, Austria have endured some tough times.
• Charged with the task of building a new Austria side for 2008, coach Josef Hickersberger knew the process was likely to be a painful one, saying: "It goes without saying that this process means facing and overcoming obstacles and setbacks."
• Hickersberger lost his first three games in charge before a 2-2 draw against Costa Rica in September 2006 helped ease the pressure. He finally earned a first win at the fifth attempt, 2-1 against Liechtenstein thanks to a late Thomas Prager goal, and followed that up with a 2-1 victory against fellow hosts Switzerland.
• René Aufhauser struck a hat-trick in a 4-1 success against Trinidad & Tobago in October 2006, but it was to be another year – and another ten games – before Austria won again, beating Ivory Coast 3-2 in Innsbruck.
• Further defeats to group rivals, Germany (0-3), and also the Netherlands (3-4) followed during the main international friendly dates in 2008 prior to the finals proper.
• Hickersberger continues to blood young talent, and said: "I'm convinced we will see a very different national team at the European Championship. Both Austria and Switzerland will be excellent hosts. They will put on a sensational tournament and I am convinced that both teams will reach the quarter-finals."
How did they perform in 2006 FIFA World Cup qualifying?
• A third-placed finish in Group 6 meant Austria missed out on their second successive FIFA World Cup finals, having last appeared at the 1998 event in France.
• Hans Krankl's Austria made a bright start, holding section favourites England to a 2-2 draw in Vienna, after two goals in four minutes from Roland Kollman and Andreas Ivanschitz cancelled out efforts from Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard.
• However, a 3-1 home defeat by Poland in their fourth game was a disappointment from which they never quite recovered.
• A second defeat against Poland ended any realistic hopes of qualification, and Krankl resigned with two qualifiers still to play, angry at the news that he was to be replaced by Hickersberger - then coach of SK Rapid Wien.
• Austria subsequently lost 1-0 in England and beat Northern Ireland 2-0 at home.
How did they perform in UEFA EURO 2004™ qualifying?
• The Czech Republic and the Netherlands proved too strong for Austria as they finished third in Group 3, well out of the qualifying picture.
• Successive 2-0 wins in their opening qualifiers against Moldova and Belarus augured well, but a 3-0 home defeat against the Dutch followed by a 4-0 mauling in the Czech Republic represented the writing on the wall.
• Both the section's big names would inflict further defeats on Krankl's side before the end of the campaign, and to add insult to injury, Austria also lost 1-0 in Moldova.
What is their best performance in the UEFA European Championship?
• Austria have never qualified for a UEFA European Championship final tournament, and so will be playing in the finals for the first time when they co-host UEFA EURO 2008™. They came within one round of the four-team final tournament of the inaugural 1960 competition, but lost 9-4 on aggregate to France in the quarter-finals.
Key facts
• Austria will be one of two first-time contenders at the UEFA European Championship finals along with Poland. However, they have played at seven FIFA World Cup final tournaments.
All-time record
• Going into the finals of UEFA EURO 2008™, their record in the tournament was 80 matches played, with 33 wins, 13 draws and 34 defeats, and 146 goals scored and 125 conceded.
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