Schlager irritated: "You media have to question a lot"

Austrian international footballer Xaver Schlager reacted irritably to questions about Karim Onisiwo's surprising withdrawal from the national team. When the RB Leipzig professional was asked about Onisiwo and his decision on Saturday directly after the 2-0 defeat of the Saxons in Mainz, Schlager said: "I don't want to say anything about it. That's his decision." FSV professional Onisiwo had announced on Friday that he no longer wanted to play for Austria in the future, despite having qualified for Euro 2024 in Germany.

The 26-year-old Leipzig pro appeared irritated. When a reporter asked about the lack of understanding in Austria about the timing, Schlager replied: "I think you media need to question a lot of things, that it's not always just about sport."

Christoph Baumgartner, who, like Schlager, plays for RB, reacted much more calmly to the issue. "Anyone who knows our schedule knows that we don't have much free time. Karim has children, maybe it's time for him to spend time with his family. Everyone just has to accept that," said Baumgartner. If anyone is angry with Onisiwo because of this, "we're on the completely wrong track".