Famous Austrian Football Players

David Alaba is an Austrian football player who currently plays for the Real Madrid Club de Fútbol and the Austria national football team. Best known for his versatility, Alaba can play as a midfielder and defender. Counted among the greatest defenders of his generation, David Alaba is a two-time Austrian Sports Personality of the Year recipient.  

Josef Bican was an Austrian-Czech footballer who played as a forward. According to Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation, Bican scored more than 950 goals in 624 official matches, which makes him the second-most prolific goalscorer of all time in recorded history. In 2000, Josef Bican was honored with the Golden Ball by the IFFHS. 

The son of an amateur goalkeeper, Christian Fuchs grew up to lead the Austrian football team as its captain. Currently a left back Charlotte FC, he has also won a Premier League and an FA Cup with Leicester City and a DFL-Supercup with Schalke 04. He also owns a football academy in Manhattan.

Austrian footballer Marko Arnautović is best known as a forward for the Italian club Bologna. He began his senior career with the Dutch club Twente and later went on to play for teams such as Inter Milan, Stoke City, and West Ham United. His achievements include a UEFA Champions League win.

Marcel Sabitzer is an Austrian football player who currently plays for Bayern Munich and the Austria national football team. In 2017, he was named Austrian Footballer of the Year. Marcel Sabitzer has been an important player for Bayern Munich since 2021, helping them win the Bundesliga and DFL-Supercup in 2022.

Marc Janko is an Austrian retired football player who played for the Austria national football team as a striker from 2006 to 2019. He also played for popular clubs like Red Bull Salzburg, for which he scored 75 goals in 108 appearances from 2005 to 2010.

Turkish-origin Austrian footballer Yusuf Demir is best known as a winger for Rapid Wien. Starting his youth career with First Vienna, he later switched to Rapid Wien and was also loaned to Barcelona. He has also played for all levels of the Austrian national football team.

Andreas Weimann is an Austrian football player who currently plays as a forward and midfielder for Bristol City Football Club and the Austria national football team. Previously, he played for Aston Villa and Derby County.

Alex Manninger is an Austrian retired football player who played for the Austria national football team from 1999 to 2009 as a goalkeeper. He also played for various popular clubs like Arsenal, Red Bull Salzburg, Juventus, and Liverpool. Alex Manninger is best known for his association with Arsenal as he helped them win the 1998 Premier League and FA Cup.    

Austrian footballer Saša Kalajdžić is best known as a striker for the German club VfB Stuttgart. While he mostly played as a midfielder during his stint with clubs such as Admira Wacker, he later switched to being a striker. His towering 6’ 7” figure has often drawn comparisons to English striker Peter Crouch.

Valentino Lazaro is an Austrian football player who currently plays for the Austrian national football team as a midfielder and defender. He is best known for his association with the Red Bull Salzburg from 2012 to 2017, during which he helped them win many Austrian Bundesliga and Austrian Cup titles.

Austrian football-player and manager Ernst Happel is counted among greatest managers of all-time. He achieved several feats as a manager including winning European Cup with Feyenoord (1970) and Hamburger SV (1983) and becoming first of the five managers who won the cup with two clubs. He won league as-well-as domestic cup titles in Belgium, Austria, the Netherlands, and West Germany.

Austrian footballer Aleksandar Dragović is known as a defender for the Serbian club Red Star Belgrade. Starting his career with Austria Wien, he later also played for clubs such as Dynamo Kyiv, Basel, and Leicester City. He created a massive controversy after playfully slapping Swiss minister Ueli Maurer's head during a medal ceremony.

Sebastian Prödl is an Austrian retired football player who played for the Austrian national football team from 2007 to 2018, during which he represented his country in important tournaments like the 2016 UEFA European Football Championship. Sebastian Prödl also played for popular clubs like Sturm Graz and Werder Bremen.

Atdhe Nuhiu is a Kosovan football player who played as a striker for the Kosovo national football team from 2017 to 2021. He had previously played at various youth levels for the Austrian national team. Atdhe Nuhiu currently plays for SC Rheindorf Altach.

Austrian footballer Moritz Bauer is best known as a right midfielder/defender for the Swiss club Servette FC. Starting his youth career with teams such as Grasshopper Club Zürich, he later also played for teams such as Stoke City, Rubin Kazan, and Celtic. He has won a Swiss Cup and a Scottish League Cup.

Michael Gregoritsch is an Austrian football player who currently plays for the Austria national football team and SC Freiburg. He has also played for other popular clubs like FC Augsburg and Kapfenberger SV. A versatile player, Michael Gregoritsch can play as a striker or midfielder.

Initially named the Austrian David Beckham due to his playing style, retired footballer Andreas Ivanschitz has mostly played as an attacking midfielder for Austria. He has won the MLS Cup with the Seattle Sounders FC and the Austrian Football Bundesliga with Rapid Wien. He was named the 2003 Austrian Footballer of the Year.

Hans Krankl is an Austrian former footballer who is counted among the greatest Austrian players of all time. A prolific striker, Krankl helped Barcelona win the 1979 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup and the 1981 Copa del Rey. Hans Krankl was also an important player for the Austria national football team from 1973 to 1985. 

Franco Foda is a German former football player and the current coach of the Swiss club, FC Zürich. After playing for teams like Bayer Leverkusen and VfB Stuttgart, he went on to establish himself as a manager. As a manager, Franco Foda had success with Sturm Graz, helping them win the 2010 Austrian Cup and the 2011 Austrian Football Bundesliga.

Manuela Zinsberger is an Austrian football player who plays for the Austria women's national football team and Arsenal Women Football Club. A reliable goalkeeper, Zinsberger was the Golden Glove Winner at the 2022 Women's Super League for Arsenal.

Born to an Austrian mother and a Nigerian father in Pakistan, Rubin Okotie later moved to Spain and then to Austria, where he started his youth football career with clubs such as Rapid Vienna. The skilled forward later won the Austrian Cup with Austria Vienna.

Professional Australian rules footballer Mabior Chol was drafted by Richmond Football Club during 2016 rookie draft. The club delisted him in 2018, however re-rookied him in the 2019 rookie draft. He won a VFL premiership in 2019 while he was playing with Richmond reserves side. In October 2021, he left Richmond and joined Gold Coast Suns as a free agent.

Professional football midfielder Thierno Ballo is presently associated with the Austrian Bundesliga club Wolfsberger AC. He was earlier part of Chelsea and played for Rapid Wien on loan. Following his release from Chelsea, Ballo signed a two year contract with Wolfsberger in 2022. Ballo has also played for Austria U15, U16, U17, U18, U19, and U21 football teams.  

Professional footballer Marcel Büchel, who plays in the position of a midfielder, presently plays for the Italian club Ascoli and represents Liechtenstein national football team at international level. During his senior-career so far, Büchel remained associated with several clubs including Siena, Juventus and Empoli before joining Ascoli in September 2020. He also represented Austria national under-19 football team in 2009.

Retired Austrian footballer Veli Kavlak is best known as a defensive midfielder and has had a moderately successful career with clubs such as Rapid Wien and Beşiktaş. The Turkish-origin player scored and won against Turkey, playing for Austria, in a game back in 2012.

Retired Austrian footballer and current manager Ivica Vastic started his senior career with the Croatian club RNK Split. He later had successful stints with teams such as Sturm Graz and LASK, winning championships such as the Austrian Bundesliga with the former and the Austrian Football First League with the latter.

Sandi Lovrić is a football player who currently plays for the professional Italian football club, Udinese. After representing Austria at all youth levels, Lovrić decided to play for Slovenia at senior level. In 2021, Sandi Lovrić helped Slovenia beat his fatherland Croatia, which was Slovenia's first win over Croatia in the history of football.

Toni Fritsch was an Austrian footballer who went on to establish a successful American football career in the US. He was the first Austrian to play in the prestigious NFL. Having won the Austrian League on three occasions and the Super Bowl in 1972, Toni Fritsch is the only player to have won titles in both American and association football.