The Austrian Football Association governs the Austrian national football team, which represents Austria in men’s international football competitions.

While several Western countries have produced numerous world football stars, Austria has frequently been overlooked. However, some of their best players have left the alpine nation to play in some of the world’s best competitions, including the Premier League. So far, 18 Austrian players have had varying degrees of success in the English Premier League.

While only a few players have won trophies, others have played critical roles in their clubs, giving them cult status and devoted fan bases. Austria has qualified for seven FIFA World Cups. A goal from Marcel Sabitzer wasn’t enough for Austria to keep their dreams alive of a place at the 2022 FIFA World Cup. The 2-1 defeat to Wales in the play-off semi-final meant Marco Foda’s team was out of the running for Qatar.

The country has produced some of the greatest football players of all time. Consider some of Australia’s greatest footballers:

1. David Alaba

David Olatukunbo Alaba (born 24 June 1992) is an Austrian professional footballer who plays for La Liga club Real Madrid and the Austria national team as a central midfielder, wide midfielder, left-back, or center-back. Alaba is largely considered one of his generation’s top defenders.

He began his career in Bayern’s junior system before being promoted to the reserve team in 2009-10. Alaba joined TSG 1889 Hoffenheim on loan until the end of the 2010-11 season in January 2011. He returned to Bayern at the start of the 2011-12 season and quickly established himself as a first-team regular.

He was named Austrian Footballer of the Year eight times (including six consecutive times from 2011 to 2016). Among his other individual awards are UEFA Champions League and La Liga, and he has carried practically the entire league trophy to Bayern.

2. Marko Arnautovic

There were fewer strikers in the Premier League who were as charismatic as Marko Arnautovic over most of the decade. While he was known for his crazy hairstyles and angry outbursts, he also possessed a solid skill set.

Arnautovic was a player who could easily hold off defenders and beat others with his feet. He could create space and then find the net. The clearest illustration of this came during his stint with West Ham, where he scored 11 goals in 31 appearances to help them avoid relegation in 2017-18.

This form helped him not only win the Hammers’ player of the year award that season but also be named Austrian Footballer of the Year in 2018. With 44 Premier League goals, Arnautovic is by far the most prolific Austrian striker in Premier League history and a man who will not be forgotten by English football fans anytime soon. Possibly the best Austrian footballer to play in the English Premier League.

3. Alex Manninger
Alex Manninger was a player who appeared as a substitute for several Premier League sides. This was most remarkable during his four seasons as David Seaman’s understudy at Arsenal. Manninger was a superb deputy when called upon, as evidenced by his Premier League Player of the Month Award in March 1998 for his excellent form at the close of that season.

It was also the season in which Manninger won his only league championship, one of only two Austrians to accomplish so. He left Arsenal in 2001 for Fiorentina, and he joined Liverpool for a season in 2016. It was also the season in which Manninger won his only league championship, one of only two Austrians to accomplish so.

He left Arsenal in 2001 for Fiorentina, and although joining Liverpool for a season in 2016, he never played for the club. A varied tale from a seasoned player.

4. Paul Scharner

Paul Scharner was one of the Premier League’s most versatile players for nearly a decade, excelling in both defense and midfield. Scharner was an excellent enforcer who could not only interrupt opponents’ attacks but also had the passing skills to get his club moving in the right way. He was also a hazard in the air, putting him vulnerable to any form of set-piece – even with his diverse hairstyles.

This determination earned him Wigan’s Player of the Year Award in 2008, and he was also a major member of the Wigan team that won the FA Cup in 2013.

While he was usually playing for relegation-threatened sides, he was never part of a team that was relegated. Certainly, a player who deserves to rank amongst the finest Austrian players in Premier League history.

5. Emanuel Pogatetz

Few players in the Premier League divided fans as much as Emanuel Pogatetz. Pogatetz was unbeatable when he was on form and halted anyone who tried to overtake him.

His big presence and firm tackling guaranteed that everyone felt his presence in a d s even captain for Middlesbrough for several seasons. That is why Pogatetz is still a fan of Andreas Weimann was a consistent feature at Villa Park.

His determination in fighting defenses and sniffing out goals helped him become a regular for Villa and keep them out of danger for numerous seasons.

6. Andreas Weimann

Whilst Aston Villa struggled in the mid-2010s to survive in the Premier League, Andreas Weimann proved to be a regular highlight at Villa Park. His tenacity to fight defenses and sniff out a goal made him a regular for Villa and help them avoid trouble for several seasons.

Weimann’s best form came in the 2012/13 season scoring 7 goals in 30 games saving Villa in a tough fight against relegation that season.

He failed to quite find the same success with The Villains in subsequent seasons and left to join Derby County when Villa was relegated in 2015 but earns a spot on our list of the best Austrian players in Premier League history regardless.

7. Yusuf Demir

Yusuf is an Austrian professional footballer who plays a winger for Turkish Super Lig club Galatasaray and the Austria national team. Demir was born on 2 June 2003, in Vienna, Austria, to Turkish parents, with his family roots in Trabzon, Turkey.

He signed for Rapid Wien, Barcelona, and On 8 September 2022, he signed a 4-year contract with Galatasary. It has been announced that a transfer fee of €6,000,000 will be paid to the player’s former team, Rapid Wien.

The young promising talent is one of the players modified to offer better services to the national team in the future.

8. Florian Grillitsch

Florian Grillitsch (born 7 August 1995) is an Austrian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder or center-back for the Dutch Eredivisie club Ajax and the Austria national team.

Born in Neunkirchen, Austria on 7 August 1995, Grillitsch played for SVSF Pottschach and St Polten in his youth football career.

Florian has featured for Werder Bremen and on On 16 January 2017, Grillitsch signed a contract with 1899 Hoffenheim until 2021, starting from 2017-the 18-season.

9. Patrick Pentz

Patrick Pentz (born 2 January 1997) is an Austrian professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Ligue 1 club Reims and the Austria national team.

Pentz made his professional debut for Austria Wien in a 3–0 win over Sturm Graz on 15 May 2016. On 9 July 2022, Pentz signed a three-year contract with Reims in France. Pentz represented Austria at the U17, U18, and U21 levels.

He made his debut for the senior national team on 29 March 2022, coming on as a substitute in the friendly match against Scotland. One of the players promises to make Austria a great football nation in the future.

10. Muhammed Cham Saračević

Muhammed Cham(born 26 September 2000) is an Austrian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Ligue 1 club Clermont. Cham began his career at SC Red Star Penzing.

In October 2008 he left Austria. Until 2016 he then played in Germany on the youth team of Hannover 96. For the 2016–17 season, he moved to the B-Juniors of VFL Wolfsburg, where he made 22 appearances in the B-Junioren-Bundesliga in that season.

He made his Austrian Football Bundesliga debut in the same month when he was in the starting line-up against SKN St Politen on matchday eight of that season and was replaced by Erwin Hoffer in the 65th minute. He made a total of 18 Bundesliga appearances for Admira.

On 6 October 2020, he moved to France to the second division club Clermont Foot, who however directly loaned him to the Danish 1st Division club Vendsyssel FF for the 2020–21 season. On 13 July 2021, he returned to Austria, joining Austria Lustenau on a season-long loan.