Matchday Insights: Who Sits at the Back of the Bus

How does a matchday at the World Cup unfold for the ÖFB team?

As always, everything naturally begins with breakfast. Meals are prepared at the venues by chef Fritz Grampelhuber and his brother Tamino.

Meals and Meetings

After an initial meeting and an activation session, lunch is on the agenda. Afterwards, the players have time to recover.

Because a long evening lies ahead, there's another snack in the late afternoon before head coach Ralf Rangnick calls his players for a detailed match briefing.

Quiet on the Bus

Teams must arrive at the stadium no later than 90 minutes before kick-off. The home team can choose their arrival time – in Kansas City, that's Algeria – Austria must adjust accordingly and arrive ten minutes earlier or later.

No music is played on the bus ride to the match; some players listen to songs on headphones that ideally prepare them for the game.

Who Has to Leave Earlier

Everyone has their regular seat on the bus. Rangnick sits right at the front, followed by the coaching staff and general staff.

However, some of them arrive at the stadium earlier – the kit managers and physios prepare everything in the changing room for the players' arrival; most of the media team also arrives at the stadium earlier.

The Back Rows

The general rule on the bus is: the more international caps, the further back the seat.

The back rows are occupied by Marko Arnautovic, Marcel Sabitzer, Michael Gregoritsch, Stefan Posch, and Christoph Baumgartner.

David Alaba is the exception; he sits further forward.

The Police Escort

Incidentally, the main protagonists of the games don't have to worry about traffic congestion around the stadium.

The police escorts in the USA are perfectly organized; up to a dozen motorcycles and several cars clear the way to the stadium, all other vehicles are secondary.

It's similar with flights. The ÖFB team is escorted directly onto the airfield and then boards the plane immediately. There's no waiting time at the gate.