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Forget Cordoba, remember Vienna - Hickersberger

Society Materials 16 June 2008 00:33 (UTC +04:00)

Austrian coach Josef Hickersberger on Sunday said that his team was looking forward to taking on Germany in their Group B decider in Vienna on Monday.

Germany needs just a point to join Croatia in the second round, while Austria is likely to advance if they manage to beat the three- time champions, the dpa reported.

Speaking at the pre-match press conference Hickersberger said he was not interested in Cordoba, referring to the 3-2 defeat in the Argentine city that Austria inflicted on the then world champions during the 1978 World Cup, knocking the Germans out of the competition.

"I am much more interested in the match we played against East Germany in 1989 in Vienna. We needed a win to advance to the 1990 World Cup finals and we won 3-0. So that is what I am interested in, not in Cordoba.

"We are in very good spirit and if Germany play as they did against Croatia they can lose against us. We have our chances, even if Germany are the favourites."

He said that the game against Germany was the most important game of his career. "We know that we do not have to be scared of the Germans.

"It could well be that there are some changes in the team, but it could also be that we begin with the same side as we did against Poland and hopefully also with the same form."

He said that he was very happy that his team still had a chance to go through to the next round. "The chance is alive and if somebody had said that a year ago I would have taken it gladly.

"It will not be easy though as the German team will and has to rehabilitate themselves for the game against Croatia. They will try to decide the game as soon as possible. However, if against expectation they sit back and let us come forward we will accept that too."

He said that in a way the game against Germany was the easiest for a coach. "The team knows what is at stake, I do not need to motivate them."

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