Austria coach stepping down after failing to reach World Cup

Posted March 28, 2022 7:00 am

The Associated Press

VIENNA, Austria (AP) - Austria coach Franco Foda will leave his position after the friendly match against Scotland on Tuesday after failing to lead his team to the World Cup.

Foda used a news conference on Monday to suddenly announce his imminent departure, saying the time was right because 'œwe couldn't fulfill our big dream.'ť

Austria lost 2-1 to Wales in the semifinals of the World Cup playoffs on Thursday.

'œI've had a lot of thoughts over the past few days," Foda said, 'œand I take full responsibility for the fact that we didn't qualify for the World Cup. So my job as team manager ends after the Scotland game.'ť

The 55-year-old Foda was hired as Austria coach at the end of 2017. The team played at Euro 2020.

'œMy successor can look forward to a team with impeccable character that has a lot of potential for development," he said. "I am convinced that we will have a lot of fun with the national team in the years to come.'ť

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More AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Austria head coach Franco Foda talks to his players during a training session ahead of Thursday's World Cup 2022 play-off soccer match between Wales and Austria, at the Cardiff City Stadium, Wales, Wednesday, March 23, 2022. (Nick Potts/PA via AP) The Associated Press

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