Alaba hits back after Austria FA criticises Rangnick: 'They clearly don’t understand football'

Tensions are escalating within the Austrian national team camp, as captain David Alaba has strongly defended head coach Ralf Rangnick following harsh criticism from the leadership of the Austrian Football Association (ÖFB) in the wake of Austria’s Nations League play-off elimination at the hands of Serbia.

Following the defeat that cost Austria their place in League A of the Nations League, ÖFB president Wolfgang Bartosch and vice-president Johann Gartner expressed dissatisfaction with Rangnick’s tactics and results. Gartner went as far as saying,

“We’re not any better under Rangnick than we were under Foda. His style is predictable. We’re missing goals and results.”

This criticism triggered a swift and pointed response from Real Madrid defender Alaba, who voiced his displeasure in an interview with Austria's APA news agency.

“We stand for solidarity and unity. We don’t understand why our coach is being attacked from within our own ranks,” said Alaba. He confirmed that the players were discussing the leadership's comments and that the situation had caused unrest in the dressing room.

Alaba didn’t shy away from taking a direct swipe at the FA’s narrative:

“Everyone saw we were clearly better than Serbia over two legs. Unfortunately, we didn’t take our chances. But if someone now suggests we should change our playing style, then they clearly don’t understand football,” he said.

He also rejected Bartosch’s claim that Rangnick is “very difficult” to work with:

“The coach isn’t difficult at all. He’s committed to helping Austrian football move forward. It’s not the first time someone from the executive board has spoken publicly in a way that we players find unacceptable,” added the Austrian skipper.

The rift is a worrying sign for Austria ahead of their World Cup qualifiers, with matches against Romania and San Marino in June, followed by Cyprus and Bosnia and Herzegovina in September.