Marcel Sabitzer Steps Back from Austria National Team

Marcel Sabitzer, one of the pillars of Austria’s modern era, is stepping back from the national team — at least for now.

The 32-year-old Borussia Dortmund midfielder has agreed a break from international duty and will skip this year’s Nations League group-stage matches, according to the Austrian Football Association, as reported by Channel NewsAsia.

This is not a farewell, but it is a full stop.

Break until Euro 2028 qualifying

Sabitzer will reassess his international future before qualification for the 2028 European Championship begins next March. Until then, Austria will have to do without a player who has carried their midfield for the best part of a decade.

His numbers tell the story of that influence: 102 caps, 27 goals, and a presence that has anchored multiple tournament runs.

The decision is rooted in sheer workload. Sabitzer pointed to an exhausting stretch over the past two years. After Euro 2024, he effectively felt as though he had played three seasons back-to-back, with the Club World Cup and the World Cup adding to a relentless calendar. Now comes another campaign with Dortmund, packed with Bundesliga fixtures, the German Cup and the Champions League.

At some point, something had to give. For Sabitzer, that something is Austria — temporarily.

He explained that he had reached an agreement with head coach Ralf Rangnick to take this pause. At the start of next year, the two will sit down again and decide whether he returns in time for the Euro 2028 qualifiers.

Rangnick understands but feels the loss

Rangnick did not hide his disappointment at losing such a key figure, yet he accepted Sabitzer’s reasoning. The coach made it clear that a final call on the midfielder’s long-term role with the team will come before the Euro 2028 qualifying campaign kicks off.

In the meantime, Rangnick must reshape his plans.

He is set to announce his squad for the upcoming Nations League fixtures without Sabitzer: Israel in Linz on September 24 and Kosovo in Vienna on September 29. October brings two more away tests, against Ireland in Dublin and a return meeting with Kosovo in Pristina.

Those games will offer a glimpse of what an Austria side without its veteran midfield leader looks like — and perhaps sharpen the question that will hang over the next few months: when the road to Euro 2028 begins, will Sabitzer be back at the heart of it?