Sport
The greatest Austrian players of all-time
Often eclipsed by surrounding nations, Austria is not always considered to be a particularly famous footballing nation. However, the Alpine country has got a rich history in the game. Not only have some of their top stars played for European giants such as Bayern Munich and Juventus, the Austrian national side has even finished third at the World Cup – achieving this at the 1954 tournament. Die Buschen have been ranked as high as 10 in the FIFA World Rankings too and enjoy a rich history stretching back to the 1930s. With that in mind, let’s take a look at who could be considered the greatest Austrian players of all time.
Josef Bican
Whilst records during the pre-War eras may be sketchy, there’s no denying that Josef Bican was a pure goalscoring machine. The Vienna-born striker had all the attributes needed to be a top striker – pace, strength and height. He was also surprisingly gifted as he was comfortably scoring with both of his feet. All these skills attributed into a deadly concoction of scoring against opponents no matter who he played for. This was underlined by averaging almost 2 goals a game for whoever he played for – whether it be Rapid Vienna or Slavia Prague. For the Czech side, he scored a staggering 427 goals in just 221 games – a record that was virtually unheard of at the time. Upon retirement in 1957, Bican scored a total of 821 goals in 950 games. This is the second best total of all time and a record few will ever match.
Anton Schall
Very few players can shine as both a defender and a striker yet Anton Schall did this with ease. Playing throughout the 1920s and 1930s, Schall was a key part of an Austrian side known as “The Wunderteam” during the between-war eras. Schall’s game was underlined by his quick pace and ability to score from anywhere on the pitch. It was why he was a deadly striker for Admira Vienna for 16 years averaging over a goal a game each season. His best return was 36 goals in 23 games during the 1927-28 season at a time where Austria had one of the strongest leagues in Europe. He transferred this form to the international stage being part of the Austria team that finished fourth at the 1934 World Cup and also finished second at the 1936 Olympics. An unheralded star of yesteryear.
Ernst Happel
Ernst Happel is perhaps best known for his managerial exploits but he was also an excellent player in his own right too. Primarily playing as a centre-back, Happel was known for his strong challenging and excellent knowledge of the game. He developed these skills with Rapid Vienna who he won 6 Austrian Bundesliga titles with over two spells. Furthermore, he was also a key part of the 1954 World Cup squad who finished third in neighbouring Switzerland. After hanging up the boots in 1959, Happel turned to management where he would have a glittering career such as with Netherlands during the 1978 World Cup. Happel’s legacy is still felt to this day having been named in Rapid’s All-Time Greatest squad and having a stadium named in his honour in Vienna.
Gerhard Hanappi
The star of Austrian football’s heyday, Gerhard Hanappi could carve open any squad with a flick of his boot. Playing at the heart of midfield, Hanappi was able to make passes with pinpoint accuracy and split defences on the biggest stage of them all. He could also score aswell when the opportunity presented itself as proven by his 114 goals in 333 appearances for Rapid Vienna in the 1950s and 1960s. He was also the star of the Austria squad that reached third at the 1954 World Cup before captaining his country at the 1958 tournament. It was this legacy that Hanappi continues to leave behind to this day particularly in Vienna where Rapid had named their home ground after him until it was rebuilt in 2016.
Hans Krankl
A player who was unafraid to break boundaries, Hans Krankl was the biggest name in Austrian football throughout the 1970s and 1980s. The lively striker showcased his skillset by breaking through defences and lashing the ball home on a consistent basis. He dd this across Europe enjoying starring roles in Austria with Rapid Vienna as well as European giants such as Barcelona. It was a career best 41 goals in 36 games during the 1977-78 season with Rapid that secured a move to Spain where he left a notable impressing scoring 29 goals in 30 games for Barcelona during the 1978-79 season. This made Krankl the only Austrian to win the famous Pichichi Trophy as well as the European Golden Shoe in 1978. Krankl’s success is still noted to this day as he is a 5x Austrian Player of the Year winner – a feat very few have managed to achieve since.
Toni Polster
Few Austrian players have showcased a dogged determination to score in all arenas quite like Toni Polster. Polster was one of the posterboys of Austrian football throughout the 1980s and 1990s enjoying huge success both at home and overseas. In domestic football, Polster was a huge star for Austria Vienna winning 3 Austrian Bundesliga titles in the 1980s. This saw Polster then move to Spain where he enjoyed several successful seasons with Sevilla including a 33-goal campaign in the 1989-1990 season. This regular goalscoring form saw Polster named Austrian Player of the Year twice as well as claim the European Golden Shoe in 1987. This formed also carried across to the national team where he played in both the 1990 and 1998 World Cup tournaments with Austria. Over 96 caps across three decades, Polster scored 44 goals which is a record for the national side. These records highlight why Polster is considered a legend to this very day.
Andreas Herzog
A second generation superstar, Andreas Herzog was always destined to become a footballing sensation for Austria. A technically gifted player, Herzog was best known for driving runs and creating chances out of nothing. Herzog spent most of his career in Germany spending multiple seasons with both Werder Bremen and Bayern Munich. It was with Werder that Herzog won the German Bundesliga in 1993 as well as Austrian Footballer of the Year that season. He was also a prolonged star of the Austria national side too where he became the first player to win 100 caps for his country earning his 103rd cap in 2003. All this underlined a glittering career that brought Herzog plenty of trophies in two different centuries.
David Alaba
There are few players in the modern game as versatile as David Alaba. Despite being best known as a left-back, Alaba is a player who can also shine as a winger, centre back or even a central midfielder. Alaba’s rapid pace alongside his excellent technique on the ball means he has virtually no weaknesses in his game. It is why Alaba was a star in a Bayern Munich squad that dominated the Bundesliga for much of the 2010s where he would win 10 league titles in 11 seaons. Alaba’s personal success was highlighted in this run where he was named Austrian Footballer of the Year a record 8 times – a feat no one has been able to match. A big-money move in 2021 to Real Madrid has seen Alaba continue to add more trophies to his personal collection after winning the 2021/22 La Liga title making him one of the most decorated Austrian footballers of all time.
Matthias Sindelar
When the Austrian “Wunderteam” of the 1930s had any success, a lot of it came down to the play of star man Matthia Sindelar. Sindelar wowed teammates and fans with mesmerising dribbles and the ability to play passes that no-one saw coming. Dubbed “the Mozart” of football, Sindelar was the talisman for a highly successful Austria Vienna side in the 1920s and 1930s. He would win 5 Austrian Cups with his club side and was also the breakout star of the Austria team at the 1934 World Cup. It was here where he won the Silver Ball for Best Player in 1934 and showcased his importance to the team. His career and life would be cut short by an untimely death in 1939 from carbon monoxide poisoning yet his prowess is still something that is remembered to this very day.
Herbert Prohaska
The role of a box-to-box midfielder was unheard of during the 1970s yet it seemed Herbert Prohaska was the definition of such a role. Prohaska broke ground thanks to his ability to pick out long passes from within his own half and always seemingly make the right pass. Rarely missing the target, Prohaska could also stand firm and make key defensive tackles to cover the backline when needed. After displaying this skillset with Austria Vienna for much of the 1970s, he would go onto to enjoy more success sin Italy with Inter Milan and Roma before another stint with Austria Vienna in the 1980s. During his career, Prohaska not only won both the Austrian Bundesliga and the Serie A but he was also named Austrian Player of the Year on no less than 5 occasions. All these accolades saw Prohaska become Austria’s nomination for the UEFA Jubilee Award and dubbed perhaps the best Austrian player of all time.
