Football fans were preparing for the final of the UEFA European Football Championship™ 2008 in Vienna when Austrian supporters received surprising news. Josef Hickersberger announced his resignation as national coach on Monday, six days before the final and eight days after the elimination of Austria. The 60-year-old said it was the “right moment to call it a day”. Hickersberger disclosed that among the reasons for his decision, which was never expected, were comments by persons in the “second and third row” of Austrian football.

The leadership of the Austrian Football Association, ÖFB, reacted “surprised” and noted the decision with a certain tetchiness. When the national team was eliminated after the 1-0 defeat by Germany in the third group match, ÖFB President Friedrich Stickler and Hickersberger had agreed that he should continue as coach. “I want to continue. The players want it, the entire team want it. I see it as an obligation to fulfil my job”, Hickersberger said then. But one week later he decided his work had come to an end. The Lower Austrian had always considered the UEFA European Football Championship™ 2008 to be the highlight of his career. He had set a high aim, the quarter-finals, which was not reached. Austria even finished as the worst host of a UEFA European Football Championship™. However, the team did not totally disappoint. Two 1-0 losses to Croatia and Germany, and a 1-1 draw with Poland, were far from the fiasco feared at the end of last year after bad results in international preparation matches.

Hickersberger admitted he had made a mistake when he said things in the heat of the moment after the tournament, and after careful thought he felt he should correct them. “I should have taken time to deliberate”, he said. “I think there is no better moment than now. You have to realise when you have completed your task and come to the end of the road. My task was finished with the European Championship”, the coach explained at a press conference the day after he had publicly announced his resignation. He had fulfilled his aim to rejuvenate the national team. But “our dream of the Miracle of Vienna did not come true. I am very sorry about that. And I therefore am taking the appropriate measures as a result”, said “Hicke”.

Hickersberger was twice Austria’s national coach. The first time he quit was when the Austrian team lost a qualifier for the UEFA European Football Championship™ 1992 1-0 to the Faeroe Islands. The media speculated the former international had received very lucrative offers from clubs in the Middle East where he had worked before. Hickersberger denied that he had received specific offers from the Gulf States. He felt like a tired old man. “The batteries are empty, I need time-out”, he disclosed.

The ÖFB were caught unaware by his latest announcement. The Association was not prepared for a resignation. On Tuesday a meeting of the Executive Committee was held in Vienna. Afterwards Stickler announced that the search for a successor to Hickersberger could take three to four weeks. Austria’s next international match, against World Cup champions Italy, is scheduled for August 20. In the autumn the qualification for the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ in South Africa will begin against opponents France, Romania, Serbia, Lithuania and Faeroe Island.

It is still unsure whether Andreas Herzog, Hickersberger’s assistant and Austria’s most capped international, will be considered as national coach. “At some point in time I want to be national coach”, he had said immediately after the elimination from UEFA EURO 2008™. But the former midfielder stressed that he has no experience as coach. But he “certainly wouldn’t want to take over the position in 20 years time” either. However, the Austrians should not have great difficulties to find a good coach. The sudden top job vacancy might also be due to the fact that Hickersberger had a contract until December 31, 2008, and not, as is usual, one that ended with the conclusion of the UEFA European Football Championship™. If that had been the case, the ÖFB would have had to negotiate earlier with the coach about future plans.