The Austrian national team starts the 2025 Germany Cup today in Landshut – and will face Latvia, Slovakia and hosts Germany. For team boss Roger Bader, the traditional four-nation tournament is an important benchmark on the way to the A-World Cup in 2026.
“We want to be one of the top 10 nations in the medium term”
“We have around 64 percent of our World Cup team on board,” explains Bader in an interview with the “Kronen Zeitung”. “With Germany, Latvia and Slovakia, we face opponents who are all in the top 10 of the world rankings – and are represented at the Olympics. We’re not both yet, but that’s exactly where we want to be in the medium term. Games like this help us enormously, they make us better!”
World Cup quarter-finals 2025 as motivation – but focus on the future
The historic quarter-finals of the 2025 World Cup remain a highlight for the Austrians, but Bader is clearly looking ahead: “Of course the World Cup was an issue – we used scenes from Stockholm as an example to show the players how we want to act. But the tournament is history. Now the preparation for the 2026 World Cup counts – everything starts from scratch again.”
Clear competition: “Nobody has a subscription to the national team”
Despite the strong performance at the last World Cup, there is no guarantee of a regular place: “Just because someone was there in 2025 does not mean that they will automatically be there again in 2026,” said Bader. “Of course there is a basic framework, but every player has to confirm his performance.”
16-year-old Sintschnig celebrates his national team debut
Particular attention is paid to Paul Sintschnig, who made his first appearance in the national team at the age of just 16.
“Paul is a talented striker, physically very advanced and someone we have had on our radar for a long time,” praises Bader. “Since I became team boss, I have consciously given young players opportunities – I want to see if they can swim in cold water.”
The goal remains to stay in the league – but with ambition
Despite the success at the World Cup, Bader remains realistic: “In sport, expectations automatically rise with success – that’s normal. But we have to remain humble. Staying in the league is also the first goal in 2026. If more is possible, we will try to achieve it.” Bader points to the relegations of Kazakhstan and France as a warning: “Nobody expected that – and it shows how close everything is. We must never forget where we come from.”
Bader wants sustainable development
Aside from sporting success, the Swiss hopes for long-term effects: “I would like us to be present in the media primarily because of sporting achievements – and that with our successes we will also gain sponsors to further develop our youth programs. This is the only way we can ensure that this success continues.”
Image: fodo.at
