Austria

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• Manager:Dietmar Constantini

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Austria rue lack of firepower

17 Jun 2008 - 08:14:00

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Disappointed Austria coach Josef Hickersberger admitted the lack of a quality striker ultimately cost his side their chances of reaching the knock-out stages.

The co-hosts saw their hopes of squeezing into the quarter-finals as Group B runners-up ended by a narrow 1-0 defeat to Germany in Vienna on Monday evening.

Austria's hopes of an unlikely qualification had been boosted by a 1-1 draw with Poland in their penultimate group stage game.

"We weren't able to do up front what we had hoped," admitted Hickersberger.

"The team has proven it's better than most thought. We could play along with other teams at a high level.

"We were not good enough to win. We failed to reach our goal and, as a coach, I will be judged by that result."

Meanwhile, Hickersberger has admitted he is undecided over whether to remain at the helm of the national team following their elimination.

"We'll have to wait and see," he said. "We'll have talks in the next couple of days.

"I have to make my mind up and, of course, it's not just my decision."