Marcel Sabitzer Steps Away from Austria National Team
Marcel Sabitzer, the heartbeat of Austria’s midfield for the best part of a decade, is pressing pause.
The Borussia Dortmund midfielder has told the Austrian Football Association he will step back from international duty and skip this year’s UEFA Nations League group-stage campaign, Channel NewsAsia reports. At 32, with 102 caps and 27 goals, this is no minor figure quietly fading from the scene. This is a pillar asking for a breather.
Break Until Euro 2028 Qualifying
Sabitzer’s plan is clear. He will sit out until at least the start of qualifying for Euro 2028, which begins next March. Only then will he decide whether to pull on the red shirt again.
The reasoning is blunt and rooted in the calendar. Sabitzer pointed to a punishing stretch over the last two years. After Euro 2024, his schedule effectively mirrored three seasons rolled into two, squeezed by commitments that included the Club World Cup and the World Cup. Now comes another slog: Bundesliga, German Cup, Champions League. The tank, for now, needs protecting.
He revealed that he and the national team coach had agreed on this temporary break. At the start of next year, both sides will sit down and discuss whether he returns for the Euro 2028 qualifying campaign.
Rangnick Understands but Loses a Leader
Austria head coach Ralf Rangnick did not try to disguise his disappointment. He regrets losing such an experienced figure for the Nations League, but he accepts the logic. The workload, he admitted, makes Sabitzer’s arguments hard to ignore.
A final call on Sabitzer’s long-term role will come before Euro 2028 qualifying kicks off. Until then, Rangnick must redraw his plans without his senior midfielder.
The timing is significant. Rangnick is about to name his squad for the upcoming Nations League fixtures: Israel in Linz on September 24, then Kosovo in Vienna on September 29. October brings more travel and more tests, with away games against Ireland in Dublin and Kosovo in Pristina.
Those matches will offer a glimpse of Austria without one of its most influential modern players. The real question now: when Euro 2028 qualifying begins, will Sabitzer be back at the heart of it, or will this pause quietly become a full stop?
