Before the international double: Hinteregger claims compensation

Looks like the next hit away Martin Hinterger Despite the many failures, the opportunity to return the mood around the Austrian national football team to positive territory. Against the Faroe Islands and Denmark, it is about “compensation” and the last chance to get second place in the World Cup qualifiers. Austria’s defense chief emphasized that the team leader’s discussion could only be stopped by the results.

“It’s the job of us players in the two matches to restore calm to the issue of coaches,” Hinterger said Thursday afternoon, before leaving for the Faroe Islands. “It’s of course a must there, and it’s not going to be easy. But we have to make it happen.” As for the image and the atmosphere, the 29-year-old doesn’t consider Saturday’s guest appearance in Torshavn, but Fouda’s squad appearance three days later in Copenhagen is the highlight.

The Austrian Football Association has lost three of its last four qualifying matches. In September, after a difficult 2-0 win in the Republic of Moldova, he made 2:5 in Israel and 0:1 against Scotland. “The results haven’t been correct lately. It wasn’t exactly our behavior that we played blue from the sky,” Hinteregger said. “We know that, we have to change that.”

Sometimes there was not much missing. Against Scotland, Carinthian caused a match-winning penalty. In Israel, possession of the ball resulted in “a lot of needless stupid fouls”. “It passes like a thread,” said the Frankfurt Legion. “But often it doesn’t take much to turn it all over.” “Often that’s a great victory, maybe against the Danes. And then you think we beat the great Denmark. And suddenly you have something completely different.”

An away victory over the European semi-finalists, who have so far been flawless in the World Cup qualifiers, who lost 4-0 in Vienna in March, also appears to be essential. Because this is the only way to keep the chance of getting second place in the group alive. Hinterger: “Of course it will be very difficult. But if we want to finish second, which is our goal, we must also get three points in this difficult match.” The current second Scotland has yet to leave the counters.

For now, the focus is on getting ready for the Faroe Islands anyway. On Thursday afternoon, we practiced in Vienna in the rain and on artificial turf. Hinteregger sees no flaw in the synthetic route that runs in Torshavn. “When the court is really wet, the play is great. The game is fast, which benefits us. We play better on artificial turf than on a 1,000-hole track.”

The Faroe Islands are a very good tactical team, as they proved in their 0-1 victory over Denmark in September. “We’ve already come up with a plan on how to get behind the streak and score goals. It has to be implemented that way,” Hinteregger student. Not least because of their tactical discipline, the Faroe Islands rated better than the previous group Moldova. “It’s a forced assignment, which makes sense. But it’s also clear that it won’t be a sure success.”

“Everyone knows how much I appreciate Drago, and how well we ran on the pitch. Of course, it hurts me that he’s not there,” Hinterger said. But it is an opportunity for new players to prove themselves and play in the spotlight. “It would be good if new, good guys would join us,” the 62-time international said. “A lot of people at the club have already proven that they can do it. It would be good for them to show that now.” (APA/red.)