No World Cup for ÖFB star Trauner: “It was a race against time”

DELIVERY MAN: At what moment did you realize that the World Cup wasn’t going to happen?

Gernot Trauner: It was always a race against time. But because the last few weeks have been positive, the decisive moment was when the team manager called and explained to me why there was no place for me in the squad.

How was the communication with Rangnick?

Very, very positive. He just explained it like it is and the same way he explained it to the media. That with me and Maxi Wöber there could be two players who had certain problems last year and were not 100 percent fit. The same applies to David Alaba, where there is a small question mark. He just didn’t want to have too many players like that in the squad.

Does it help when a trainer communicates so clearly?

In any case. And especially in advance. We had the conversation four or five days before the squad was announced – that’s different than waiting for the squad and then simply not being there. There is clear communication in this national team, and every player appreciates that.

How did you deal with this setback?

It has already hit me. I was down for a few days because I knew how close it was. I had two big goals recently: to play for Feyenoord again because my contract was expiring – I achieved that. And being there at the World Cup. It was difficult to motivate myself for a few days. But the football world moves on quickly.

How can we imagine the past year for you? Due to knee problems, they mostly only trained individually.

That was the hardest time in my career, with a lot of setbacks. You invest weeks, months, think you’ve already moved on – and as soon as you’re back, you have the same old problems. It took a very long time until we found the right way to build up my body so that it could bear the strain again. I didn’t always believe it would happen again. But I had a great team around me that gave me the feeling that we could do it.

You are on the call list for the World Cup. How do you behave in this situation?

I’ve been keeping myself fit for the last two weeks so that I’m ready if I’m called up. But I said to myself: I’ll do it like this until June 1st, then I’ll go on vacation. You can’t be on standby all the time and then suddenly you’ve missed your vacation time. A professional footballer’s vacation isn’t just doing nothing anyway – it involves personal hygiene and training, just to a different extent.

You played at Feyenoord for five years. What did you learn in the Netherlands that you didn’t learn in Austria?

I’ve made a real step forward in building up the game and playing possession of the ball – especially under Arne Slot. That was also the reason why I found my way back into the national team. At LASK we played a lot of counter-pressing, moving forward very quickly. At Feyenoord everything was more controlled. There were a lot of considerations in the construction – almost like chess on the grass. I learned a lot there. That’s what Dutch football stands for: playing out, no high balls.

Your contract with Feyenoord expires on June 30th. What should happen next?

My first option is to play another year. We have a new technical director and a general manager at Feyenoord – there will be discussions. If we don’t agree, I’m open to other options.

Is there another special goal for you?

I don’t have a specific league or team in mind. It’s about: Which club can imagine this? What would life there be like for me and my family? Is there a school for my three children? I have no pressure and have already started training as a trainer. I’ll let it come to me, I’ll sort out my thoughts on vacation.

Have you already decided to become a coach one day?

Yes. I led a few sessions with the U15s at Feyenoord and I enjoyed it. I want to immerse myself in this world and see if I have talent for it. In any case, I see my future in football. I saw a lot and had very good trainers from whom I was able to learn a lot.

Even if your career isn’t over yet, what are you most proud of when you look back?

That I always fought back. And that I’ve always been well received by fans – with the way I simply am. I’m really grateful.