Team: AUSTRIA

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Kienast wins Hickersberger vote

Striker Roman Kienast has beaten off stiff competition to win a place in Austria's 23-man squad for UEFA EURO 2008™ after Josef Hickersberger revealed his final selection.

The 24-year-old, who plays his club football in Norway with Ham-Kam Fotball, pipped fellow forwards Stefan Maierhofer of SK Rapid Wien, FK Austria Wien's Sanel Kuljic and Marc Janko of FC Salzburg to secure the final available place in the co-hosts' squad, which also includes Ivica Vastic. The 38-year-old ended almost three years in the international wilderness when he returned for Tuesday's 1-1 friendly draw against Nigeria.

Austria squad

Goalkeepers:
Alexander Manninger (AC Siena),
Jürgen Macho (AEK Athens FC),
Ramazan Öczan (TSG 1899 Hoffenheim).

Defenders:
György Garics (SSC Napoli),
Ronald Gercaliu (FK Austria Wien),
Martin Hiden (SK Austria Kärnten),
Markus Katzer (SK Rapid Wien),
Jürgen Patocka (SK Rapid Wien),
Emanuel Pogatetz (Middlesbrough FC),
Sebastian Prödl (SK Sturm Graz),
Martin Stranzl (FC Spartak Moskva).

Midfielders:
René Aufhauser (FC Salzburg),
Christian Fuchs (SV Mattersburg),
Martin Harnik (Werder Bremen),
Andreas Ivanschitz (Panathinaikos FC),
Ümit Korkmaz (SK Rapid Wien),
Christoph Leitgeb (FC Salzburg),
Jürgen Säumel (SK Sturm Graz),
Joachim Standfest (FK Austria Wien),
Ivica Vastic (LASK Linz).

Forwards:
Erwin Hoffer (SK Rapid Wien),
Roman Kienast (Ham-Kam Fotball),
Roland Linz (SC Braga).

euro2008.uefa.com - Kienast wins Hickersberger vote

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Austria
1 Alex Manninger
2 Joachim Standfest
3 Martin Stranzl
4 Emanuel Pogatetz
5 Christian Fuchs
6 René Aufhauser
7 Ivica Vastic
8 Christoph Leitgeb
9 Roland Linz
10 Andreas Ivanschitz
11 Ümit Korkmaz
12 Ronald Gercaliu
13 Markus Katzer
14 György Garics
15 Sebastian Prödl
16 Jürgen Patocka
17 Martin Hiden
18 Roman Kienast
19 Jürgen Säumel
20 Martin Harnik
21 Jürgen Macho
22 Erwin Hoffer
23 Ramazan Özcan
Coach: Josef Hickersberger

euro2008.uefa.com - Final squads announced for EURO

[USBayernMunichFan]

I say no. If Austria does score, it will be late in a blowout.

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Austria have passed their general test ahead of their first Euro match.

Austria 5 - 1 Malta

8' [1 - 0] R. Aufhauser
11' [2 - 0] R. Linz
41' [2 - 1] M. Mifsud
67' [3 - 1] R. Linz (pen.)
77' [4 - 1] I. Vastic
90' [5 - 1] M. Harnik

[kyan]

Austrians fear Euro 2008 humiliation

A group of Austrian football lovers is calling on their national team to withdraw from the European Championship finals in Austria and Switzerland next week. They say Austria is simply not good enough to take part.

There is football fever in Austria as the country gears up for Euro 2008.

Austria will be taking part in the tournament for the first time ever, facing Croatia and Germany in the group stages.

As one of the hosts of the tournament, along with Switzerland, the Austrian team qualified automatically.

But their recent record is dismal.

They have slipped to 102nd place in the Fifa world rankings, between Algeria and Tanzania.

Some football lovers here think Austria don't deserve a place in Euro 2008 - that they are just embarrassing.

An online petition called Oesterreich zeigt Rueckgrat (Austria - show some backbone) demands that Austria withdraw from the tournament.

The petition, in English and German, says Austrian football is an insult to the beautiful game.

It appeals to football fans who "love this great sport for the sheer beauty of it" but who "fall into a dismal state of depression when watching a match featuring the Austrian national football team".

And it urges the Austrian Football Association "to voluntarily resign from participating in the Euro 2008".

'Lowest point'

One of the organisers, Michael Kriess, is the son of a well-known Austrian footballer. He says he is taking action for sheer love of the game.

"As an Austrian fan I am used to defeat and humiliation," he said.

"But now we are at the lowest point we ever were. We are just asking why we are here, who is to blame for that and what has been happening in Austrian football over the last five years?"

Ten thousand people have signed the petition so far. Michael Kriess says they all know there's no chance that their demand will be met - but they want to shake things up in the world of Austrian football.

"Austria is a little country but we were better in the past," he said. "There is no passion any more."

He puts the blame on the managers and the Austrian Football Association.

"The problem is that we have got all our team players playing in the Austrian league, which is internationally not competitive.

"And club teams prevent the young players from leaving the country by paying them simply too well. It can't go on like this.'

Shortly after the petition came out, Austria's football association told the BBC it was not commenting on the matter.

But the authorities have not taken kindly to Mr Kreiss' initiative. He has been fined 1,500 euros (£1,177; $2,334) for bastardising the country's football logo - obscuring the famous eagle's head with a football.

"One cannot accept this. This is the first time this law has been used since the constitution came in after the war. This is not democracy," says Mr Kreiss, who is appealing against the verdict.

National pride

SK Rapid is Austria's most successful football team, with several members in the national squad. Speaking after a training session at the team's Vienna stadium, Helge Payer, a goalkeeper in the national side, said there was all to play for at Euro 2008.

"We are very confident, we are looking forward to Euro 2008 and we want to surprise," he said.

And the team does have the support of many Austrian fans.

In fact one man has even set up a rival petition, called "Pro-National Team for Austria".

It is an appeal to the Austrian Football Association not to withdraw from the tournament.

"We stand fully behind our team in good times and in bad times," it says.

Some fans are hoping Euro 2008 will be the turning point for Austrian football. They think the team, buoyed up by the home crowds, could reach the quarter-finals.

Others are less ambitious. They just don't want to be embarrassed.

BBC NEWS | World | Europe | Austrians fear Euro 2008 humiliation

[Vargas_4]

LOL

Jeez. Are they that nervous?