*lach* auf derselben seite findet man diesen artikel:
The Austrian national side has not kicked a ball in anger since October 8th 2005, when they lost 1-0 to England in a World Cup qualifying game. Their last competitive goal was in September that year and the team's friendly form ahead of UEFA EURO 2008TM has been less than convincing.
Considering their recent history it would be easy to conclude that land-locked Austria’s contribution to the beautiful game is on a par with its place in naval warfare. Not so. For the record, let’s recap on a few of the things Austrian football has given the world.
1 Total football. Perfected by Rinus Michels at Ajax in the 1970s, but envisaged by the Austrian football great Hugo Meisl. In the 1930s the visionary Meisl coached an Austrian side that was so brilliant it is still known as the Wunderteam. Encouraged to improvise, such greats as centre-forward Matthias Sindelar baffled their opponents with a free-flowing style of play dubbed The Whirl, one of the inspirations for the Dutch.
2 The first total footballer. A quarter of a century before Johan Cruyff enthralled Europe, Gerhard Hanappi astonished fans with his versatility. He played 96 games for Austria between 1948 and 1962 and was capped in every position apart from goalkeeper and on the left wing. So good that Rapid Vienna named their ground after him.
3 The perfect perm. Toni Polster, Austria’s most prolific international goalscorer with 44 goals in 95 games (between 1982 and 2000), is even more famous for his haircut. A Hasselhoffian masterpiece that distracted defenders, it was even more appropriate when he launched a relatively short career as a rock singer.
4 The ultimate applause. Fifteen minutes before the end of a home game, Rapid Vienna fans start clapping rapidly to encourage the boys in green and white. Even Rapid Vienna officials aren’t quite sure how this tradition started – it’s believed to date back to a game where such applause inspired the team to snatch a point after being 4-1 down – but it makes the end of every match at the Gerhard Hanappi stadium memorable.
5 The last attacking centre-half. Before the sweeper was invented, central defenders often started attacks and few were more effective than Ernst Ocwirk. A player for FK Austria and Sampdoria, he was so instrumental to Austria in the 1950s that, after one impressive performance against England, the British media dubbed him ‘Clockwork’.
6 The first 1000-goal striker. Scoring 1000 goals has become the gold standard for a truly great striker – only six have ever managed it. The first to reach this milestone was Franz Binder, aka Bimbo, who scored 1006 goals in 756 games between 1930 and 1950. His average of 1.33 per game is still a world record.
7 Simultaneous kick-offs in international tournaments. After Austria lost 1-0 to West Germany in the 1982 World Cup, a result that guaranteed they both reached the next round at the expense of Algeria, FIFA changed the rules so that the last round of games in major tournaments were always played at the same time. UEFA followed suit.
8 Hans Krankl. One of the very best centre-forwards in the world in the 1970s, he leads the Classic XI team in EA Sports’ FIFA 06 video game. And that’s before you take into consideration his Austrian No.2 single ‘Lonely Boy’ in 1985. Follow that, young Ronaldinho!