Austria are the penultimate, and therefore the fifteenth team to announce their 23-player squad for UEFA Women’s Euro 2022. The deadline for the competition is at the very latest on June 27th, with Die Rot-Weiss-Roten confirming theirs on the same day. However, Irene Fuhrmann is able to make changes if there is a serious injury or illness, so this squad may still change, but the likelihood of that is low.
Austria are in a group with the hosts England, Northern Ireland and Norway. Norway and England are two very strong teams, and so Austria will be the underdogs for qualification and will need to be at the top of their game or require lots of luck to get through. However, Austria have a good crop of players, but who have they picked this time around?
THE SQUAD
Goalkeepers: Isabella Kresche, Jasmin Pal, Manuela Zinsberger.
Defenders: Celina Degen, Marina Georgieva, Verena Hanshaw, Katharina Naschenweng, Katharina Schiechtl, Viktoria Schnaderbeck, Carina Wenninger, Laura Wienroither.
Midfielders: Barbara Dunst, Jasmin Eder, Laura Feiersinger, Julia Hickelsberger-Fuller, Marie-Therese Hobinger, Maria Plattner, Sarah Puntigam, Sarah Zadrazil.
Forwards: Nicole Billa, Stefanie Enzinger, Lisa Kolb, Lisa Makas.
WHO TO LOOK OUT FOR?
Arsenal goalkeeper Manuela Zinsberger will hope to keep the likes of Ada Hegerberg, Beth Mead, Caroline Graham Hansen and Lauren Hemp away from scoring as she’s the one who’ll be playing for Austria between the sticks. Zinsberger is a brilliant shot-stopper and the other facets of her game have dramatically improved as the season has gone on, so much so that people were surprised when she didn’t get into the 21/22 WSL Team of the Season. Manu has been a solid goalie at the club level, but it’s time for her to take it to the international level again as she has 74 times before for Austria.
Zinsberger’s (fairly) new Arsenal teammate Laura Wienroither will also be with Austria at this summer’s Euros. Wienroither joined the Gunners in January, and the 23-year-old has played 8 games. Austria’s defence will certainly be tested during the Euros, and Laura is going to have to be one of many players to step up if Austria wants any chance of progressing. She has 19 caps for Austria so far but will surely have more than that when this tournament ends.
Staying with the Arsenal theme, Viktoria Schnaderbeck is another top-quality defensive option for Austria. The former Arsenal player played at Tottenham Hotspur on loan last season and despite not playing much, the 31-year-old is still a player who Austria can rely on, as she has played for the national team since 2007 and has gotten 78 caps.
