ÖFB women: Team boss Schriebl has to leave, an acquaintance takes over

The ÖFB women can look back on a recent, challenging phase in terms of sport. They have suffered nine defeats in their last 14 games. The World Cup qualification started with three defeats against Norway, Slovenia and Germany, before a 0-0 draw against Germany in Ried brought a relief.

However, a personnel change was also initiated under Schriebl. Ten young players celebrated her Team debutthe team also had to compensate for the injury-related loss of several top performers, including goalkeeper Manuela Zinsberger and midfielder Sarah Zadrazil.

The 67-year-old takes over Lars Sondergaard. The Dane is well known in Austrian football. In his coaching career he was, among other things, at Austria Salzburg as well as at Austria Vienna employed. In Denmark he served, among other things, as head coach of Viborg and Aalborg.

Most recently, Söndergaard was in charge of this for a period of six years Danish women’s national team and led this to both the European and World Championships. The name Söndergaard had already been mentioned as a successor to the long-standing ÖFB team boss Irene Fuhrmann was sought.

“With Lars Söndergaard we were able to gain a recognized personality in European football,” says ÖFB sports director Peter Schöttel. The Dane will initially represent the women’s national team until the end of the campaign World Cup 2027 in Brazil look after.

Austria is currently only fourth and last in Group A4 of the qualification behind Germany, Norway and Slovenia. But in the remaining games against Slovenia and Norway they can still secure third place. This would mean a better starting position for the play-offs in the fall, in which Austria can still qualify for the World Cup.