Austria daring to dream at EURO 2024 as Ralf Rangnick weaves his spell

From Geheimfavoriten (secret favourites, or dark horses) to the worst-kept secret at UEFA EURO 2024, Ralf Rangnick's Austria have history in their sights as they prepare to face Türkiye hoping to reach the quarter-finals for the first time.

For those who have followed Rangnick's career, that will hardly come as a surprise. A godfather of the gegenpress (counter-press), the 66-year-old is arguably one of the most influential coaches of the modern age, and he is currently reaping the rewards of the seeds he sowed in Austria at club level.

Notably, in his role as sporting director, Salzburg's success was built on the vision of a football club he'd crafted during his time coaching in Germany. The tactical trickle-down effect led to Austrian football following suit in shaping its identity on a high-intensity, high-pressing style.

The shared footballing education that has Rangnick's handprint all over it is one of the many reasons that this inexperienced squad, boasting no fewer than 19 EURO debutants, has proven greater than the sum of its parts.

"It just fits," midfielder Konrad Laimer told EURO2024.com of the relationship. "On the one hand, he gives us room to make mistakes. And, on the other, his ambition and idea of football fit perfectly with our team. Over the years, you can see we've continually got better because we have a clear plan and a lot of mutual trust. We'll see where the journey takes us."

Rangnick has instilled a belief that Austria can match Europe's elite, and he can even get the best out of players who might not have seemed a natural fit, like record appearance-maker Marko Arnautović.

"In the beginning, I thought it would be a bit difficult for me because I had never played this pressing game in my career," the captain admitted. "But, in the first meeting, he made it clear to me that I was still important for the team, and since then we've had an excellent relationship."

Most impressive, though, is Austria's ability to keep the machine well oiled despite losing key cogs such as first-choice goalkeeper Alexander Schlager or influential captain David Alaba, who is "getting stronger with every passing week" as he rehabilitates torn knee ligaments.

With a trophy cabinet no Austrian player in history can match, Alaba's knockout stage experience is invaluable, which is why Rangnick brought him along as a non-playing captain. "Not much has changed," Alaba told EURO2024.com. "I'm still with the team more and I try to support them, to be of help with my experience, and to maybe just make a difference somewhere with my presence."

So, with Türkiye next up in Leipzig on Tuesday, how far can this Austria side can go? "Very far, very far," claims Alaba. "We have the potential; we have the quality within the squad. We know how strong we can be if we play as a unit. We'll take it game by game and focus on delivering what we came here to do."