Ivanschitz to ride Austrian wave

For Austria, UEFA EURO 2008™ cannot come soon enough. A series of friendly fixtures have whetted the appetite for the main event which moves a step closer today when tickets go on sale.

'Big event'
As fans book their place at the tournament, which will be co-hosted by Austria and Switzerland, players are looking forward to next summer too. "For a player, it's a big event in which you absolutely want to participate," midfielder Andreas Ivanschitz told uefa.com. "We're preparing ourselves for it and we're really looking forward to it. Not only the players, but the whole country. I'm convinced this will give us a real boost and a lot of confidence. Austrian supporters will really get behind us and push us on. There will be a big wave of enthusiasm."

Key draw
Ivanschitz, 23, has been capped 27 times by Austria, and knows from personal experience how important his home crowd can be when they get behind their side. He recalls in particular the 2-2 draw against England at the Ernst-Happel-Stadion in Vienna in qualifying for last summer's FIFA World Cup.

'Fantastic atmosphere'
"In that match we really noticed how important the fans were," the Panathinaikos FC man said. "It was a fantastic atmosphere and it will certainly be even better in 2008. Going 2-0 down was very hard, but in the second half we turned the tables and the team suddenly started playing well. We noticed that the crowd were behind us. It was only a draw but it was a great experience for us and an excellent result against England."

Friendly tests
This time round, supporters have had to content themselves with a diet of friendlies as Austria warm up for their first appearance in a major finals since the 1998 World Cup. Ivanschitz, though, insists this does not mean the games are being taken any less seriously as players seek to impress coach Josef Hickersberger. "During the next two years the core of the team will emerge," he said. "That's why it's very important for every player to take these friendlies very seriously and to consider them as qualifying matches to get a regular place in the national team."

High hopes
Whoever earns a place in the squad will be dreaming of glory at the finals, but the competition is sure to be fierce. Ivanschitz has barely begun to size up Austria's potential opponents. "We'll see how sides are performing just before the tournament and what kind of form they are in," he said. "To say now that the Netherlands, Germany or France will be the favourites would be a bit early. The favourites always have a difficult task. We saw that during the World Cup with Brazil. Over the course of a tournament so many things can happen. We just have to wait and see."