One-two from Austria’s football kings and the nobility

From Tuesday, Austria’s football clubs and the Legionnaires’ teams will be back in action in the European Cup. And Herbert Prohaska has a special appointment coming up.

“If I watched all the games, my wife would get a divorce,” says the footballer of the century Herbert Prohaska,69, alluding to the bloated international games program. From Tuesday, Europe’s inflationary club show will continue at 48 venues.

In the Conference League, Rapid is fourth in the table after three wins. With a good chance of securing the top position at home against Shamrock Rovers (Thursday), while LASK is only in 30th place.

In the higher quality Champions League, after the surprise win against Feyenoord, Salzburg can still speculate a bit with the play-off (= place in the best 24) in contrast to the pointless SK Sturm, provided there is no major setback against the German champions on Tuesday in Leverkusen.

Both Salzburg and Sturm suffered defeats against Brest. Against the supposed French outsider who had just lost 3-2 to AS Monaco in the often underestimated Ligue 1.

In the Champions League, Monaco, coached by Adi Hütter, the most surprised of all the clubs with an Austrian connection so far, even inflicting the only defeat on Barcelona. And this despite the fact that the home advantage in the small Monegasque stadium with its wide track is zero.

Hütter took AS Monaco from a medium-sized team in Ligue 1 to an unbeaten third-place finisher in Europe’s premier league. What also prince Albert appreciate. His Highness went to training in February, when Hütter’s successes became apparent, to congratulate the Austrian on his 54th birthday.

Albert’s interest in football is not just fake. In the 90s he played in a Monegasque hobby group on a training pitch at the Hanappi Stadium, far away from the flashbulbs. And accidentally in the center circle Franz Results brought down. Whereupon the ex-Rapidler stood up indignantly with the words “Are you stupid, Prince?”

Also the respect of Ernst Happel towards nobles was limited. What is guaranteed is how Happel honored the Dutch national team, which had become runner-up in the world championships under his direction, to the then eleven-year-old (today’s king) in 1978. Willem-Alexander to the address of Queen Juliana directed said: “Tell your grandma if it doesn’t come soon, then I’ll go.”

Eight years earlier, coaches Happel and Hasil had achieved legendary status with Feyenoord’s win of the European and World Cups in Holland.

Happel’s former favorite player has become a busy, fit 80-something who swings the racket every Monday in Herbert Prohaska’s tennis club. Unless Hasil is treating himself to a cruise (like the one off the coast of Argentina at the moment).

Only on the first Monday of December will organizer Prohaska not use a racket. Because he died on December 2nd. with his Elisabeth Celebrating a golden wedding anniversary.