In the 100th match led by team manager Werner Gregoritsch, Austria’s U21 national team beat Croatia 1-1 (0-0) on Monday in Pula. Substitute Christoph Lang equalized in the third minute of added time against the Croatians, who also played with players from the previous U21 squad, including Austria legionnaires Roko Simic and Marin Ljubicic. The lead for the hosts was achieved by Roko Jureskin (57th).
“It was a learning game for us”
Due to the test game draw, the ÖFB youth selection remained undefeated in the fourth match after the reorganization in September. “It was a learning game for us. You could see that the Croatians had older players because they were smarter and more mature in the duels. But we can take a lot from games like this, we never gave up and in the end, the equalizer not only rewarded us for a good game, but for the whole week,” explained Gregoritsch.
The team boss, who has been in office since 2012, was happy about a “nice anniversary”, which is to be followed by many more games. “Regardless of whether it was my first match or my hundredth, it’s important for me to feel that the fire is still burning inside me.” Last week they also played 1-1 against Turkey in Medulin. In the new year, the Gregoritsch squad will start qualifying for the 2025 finals.