Austria coach Ralf Rangnick expressed shock at his side's elimination from Euro 2024 at the hands of Turkey on Tuesday, lamenting their failure to convert pressure into chances and a spectacular last-gasp save that prevented the match from going into extra time.
Rangnick said his team had played four intense and entertaining games and deserved a place in the quarter-finals but paid the price for poor defending that saw them trail after 57 seconds to a buoyant Turkish side.
Merih Demiral capitalised on a failed Austria attempt to clear a corner to double Turkey's lead just before the hour mark, before Michael Gregoritsch reduced the deficit seven minutes later.
Austria started to play but struggled to create any real chances until Christoph Baumgartner's powerful header in added time bounced off the turf and was spectacularly saved by goalkeeper Mert Gunok.
“If you're losing by two goals, things don't get any easier. The team tried everything. We scored a goal and had enough time to equalise,” Rangnick told a news conference.
“It's difficult when you've got Gordon Banks in goal,” he said, comparing Gunok's save to the late England goalkeeper's famous save from a header by Brazil's Pele at the 1970 World Cup.
Austria's elimination extends its unfathomable failure to win a match in the knockout stages of a major tournament to seven decades.
“A bit of luck is also needed. If Baumgartner's header had gone in at the end, we could have won this match,” said Rangnick.
“This was a historic opportunity to win, to get to the quarter-finals and play against Holland. I can't believe we're going home today. We thought we would continue our journey here,” he said.
Turkey coach Vincenzo Montella said his team had to pull out all the stops to secure victory.
“Nobody gave up,” Montella said. “Everyone gave a little more of their soul and, as a coach, you know that there are games like this and that you can only win games like this if there is soul in the team.”
“There's that belief, that conviction. I could go on all night, but I saw all those attributes and that makes me feel very proud.”
Rangnick said his team now had to build on their momentum and secure qualification for the World Cup, which would be their first since 1998.
“We are in the first round at the moment, and that hasn't happened for years, we are in the first round and we want to stay there. And we have a good chance of qualifying for a World Cup after many years,” he said.
One player who may not play again is striker Marko Arnautovic, who hinted that Tuesday's defeat could be his last game for the national team.
“It's very bitter, it's crazy to have left the game like that,” Arnautovic said. “For us, it's over. The coach told us: 'Cheer up.'”
“It could be my last game,” he added.
