Austria
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Article summary
Semi-finalists in 2003 and 2006, Austria timed their campaign perfectly on the road to France, squeezing through both the qualifying and elite rounds in dramatic fashion and by a narrow margin.
Article top media content
Article body
Regular participants at the UEFA European Under-19 Championship, Austria started the season slowly but came good at exactly the right moment in both the qualifying and elite rounds. Having squeezed through the first stage as one of the two best third-placed sides thanks to a narrow defeat of Scotland, Andreas Heraf's side recorded fine wins against Serbia and Denmark, the latter a remarkable 4-3 triumph, to snatch a place in France.
Qualifying round: Armenia 5-1, Romania 0-4, Scotland 1-0 (third in Group 6)
Elite round: Switzerland 2-3, Serbia 2-0, Denmark 4-3 (Group 7 winners)
Key players
David Alaba (midfielder, FC Bayern München), Michael Schimpelsberger (defender, FC Twente), Andreas Weimann (forward, Aston Villa FC), Christoph Knasmüllner (midfielder, FC Bayern München)
Coach: Andreas Heraf
Date of Birth: 10 September 1967
Nationality: Austrian
Playing career: Graphia Wien, SK Rapid Wien (twice), First Vienna FC, SV Austria Salzburg, SK Vorwärts Steyr, Hannover 96, FC Kärnten
Coaching career: SC Austria Lustenau, SC Schwanenstadt, FC Pasching, SC-ESV Parndorf, Austria Under-20s, Austria U19s
Part of Austria's squad at the 1998 FIFA World Cup finals, Heraf was a midfielder who won 11 caps for his country during a 16-year playing career. He also appeared in the 1996 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup final as Rapid lost 1-0 to Paris Saint-Germain FC in Brussels. Three times an Austrian champion with Rapid – in 1987, 1988 and 1996 – Heraf also won two Austrian Cups with the club, where he spent seven seasons over two spells, hanging up his boots after helping Kärnten to lift the trophy in 2001.
He returned to Rapid to launch his coaching career in the club's youth set-up, taking over at second-tier side Austria Lustenau in 2003. Short stays at Schwanenstadt and Parndorf followed before Heraf enjoyed a brief stint with FC Pasching, then in the top flight. He joined the Austrian Football Association in 2008, taking charge of both the Under-19 and U20 national sides and also taking responsibility for youth development.
Top scorer in qualification
Christian Klem: 4
UEFA European Under-19 Championship best
Semi-finals 2003, 2006
Honours in UEFA youth competitions
UEFA European Under-16 Championship
Runners-up 1997
International Youth Tournament (U18)
Winners 1950, 1957
Runners-up 1951