Austrian battle after World Cup qualification: Baumgartner vs. Friedl | OneFootball

There are few moments in a footballer’s career as significant as this. When the referee blew the final whistle on the 1-1 draw between Austria and Bosnia-Herzegovina just before 23:00 CET on Tuesday night, celebrations erupted across the stadium. In that moment, Austria had officially qualified for the World Cup, and for the first time since 1998 at that.

On the pitch for the historic moment was Christoph Baumgartner. Our midfielder, currently our top scorer this season with seven competitive goals, celebrated alongside RBL teammates Xaver Schlager and Nicolas Seiwald, former Leipzig coach Ralf Rangnick, and also Marco Friedl, who will be tasked with containing him this Sunday at 15:30 CET.

Friends & rivals

Ahead of RB Leipzig vs. Werder Bremen, Baumgartner and Friedl gave a cheerful joint interview to Austrian outlet ‘Kronen-Zeitung’. The joy from World Cup qualification was still written across both of their faces.

“You couldn’t have written it any better. Experiencing this in front of a home crowd is indescribable,” said Baumgartner. Werder’s captain echoed the sentiment: “The emotions are unbelievable. I was practically shaking for 90 minutes. Mentally, it was the hardest match of my career, and I wasn’t even on the pitch.”

Motivation with Marko Arnautović

Baumgartner also revealed a special motivational tactic from Austria coach Ralf Rangnick ahead of the decisive match against Bosnia-Herzegovina: players were paired up to deliver personal motivational messages to each other. Baumgartner was matched with former Bundesliga striker Marko Arnautović, who played for Werder from 2010 to 2013.

Both managed to find the right words for the occasion. “Marko has been a role model for me since I was 14 or 15. He spoke with such emotion and finished by telling me to give it everything like I always do. That really hit me,” said Baumgartner. “Personally, I reminded him of the huge impact he has on the team with the energy that he brings, both on and off the pitch.”

Christoph Baumgartner and Marco Friedl were also full of warm words for each other. Speaking about the Bremen centre-half, Baumgartner said: “I’ve known Marco for a while now, he’s just an incredible guy and he’s developed unbelievably well. The way he’s dealt with setbacks in his career is also an example to us all. It’s great to see him back in the national set-up. He’s very present, very positive and always wants the best for the team.”

Friedl heaped praise on our number 14 in return: “Baumi’s performances have been outstanding. The way he's established himself at Leipzig is really impressive. His quality is unbelievable. At a big club like Leipzig, the pressure to perform is huge. He handles it in a really admirable way.”

Focus shifts to Sunday

Despite the mutual praise, however, both players will be fighting for three points with their respective clubs this weekend. Switching from national teammates to club rivals comes easily for the pair. “We’re professionals. Switching gears and playing against friends is just a part of the job. We’re always happy to see each other, but once the match starts, it’s about doing everything to win with your side,” emphasised Baumgartner.

After celebrating together on Tuesday, fingers crossed that on Sunday, Baumi will be the only one with further cause for celebration.

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