The 2024/25 European season is quickly approaching, with 236 clubs set to compete in UEFA’s continental club competitions this season.
With the first qualifying round draws less than two weeks away, Extratime Talk will be providing a comprehensive coefficient preview. Between now and then, each country will be previewed, and all clubs participating in Europe for the 2024/25 season are discussed.
In these articles, we will provide analyses of what to expect from each country in Europe. We will explore what is on the line from a coefficient standpoint, and the keys to succeeding, in that country’s case.
For the 24th article of the series, we look at Austria, and what we can expect from them in the upcoming season.
Austria In Europe: Country Profile
| Previous Season Coefficient (Rank) | 4.800 (21st) |
| Previous Season’s 5-Year Coefficient (Rank) | 32.600 (13th) |
| Starting 5-Year Coefficient (Rank) | 28.000 (12th) |
A year on from a rather disappointing showing, Austria starts the 2024/25 campaign outside of the top 10 of the coefficient ranking. It is unlikely that they will finish higher than 11th spot come the end of this year, and will need a big showing this year to set themselves up for a battle for 10th next term.
It is the same five teams who participated in Europe last season return for the 2024/25 campaign. Such continuity could work as an advantage for the Austrian side who will need to improve upon last year’s poor numbers. The chance is there for it to happen, but all five teams will have to go out and get the results themselves.
Austria In Europe: Club Profile
| Club | Qualified As | Round of Entry | Total European Seasons | Last Season’s Performance | 5-Year Club Coefficient (2023/24) | 5-Year Country Coefficient Contribution, 2023/24 (%) |
| Sturm Graz | Domestic Champion | UCL League Phase | 28 | UECL Round of 16 | 14.500 | 3.800 (11.66%) |
| RB Salzburg | Domestic Runner-up | UCL Q3 (League Path) | 20 | UCL Group Stage | 50.000 | 11.200 (34.36%) |
| LASK | Domestic Third Place | UEL Play-off Round | 5 | UEL Group Stage | 37.000 | 9.200 (28.22%) |
| Rapid Wien | Domestic Fourth Place | UEL Q2 | 56 | UECL Play-off Round | 14.000 | 4.500 (14.8%) |
| Austria Wien | Domestic Play-off Tournament Winner | UECL Q2, Main Path | 48 | UECL Q3 | 8.000 | 1.100 (3.37%) |
After 10 years of the same team winning the league, Sturm Graz stunned everyone by completing a domestic double. As a result, the club is back in the UCL league phase a quarter century on from the last time. Having become a European regular of late, they should be competitive in the UCL league phase.
RB Salzburg’s 10-year stranglehold on the Tipico Bundesliga has come to an end. Finishing second in the league, Salzburg enters UCL Q3, thanks to the new titleholder rebalancing principles. They will not be seeded in the playoff round, and since the league path of UCL qualifying has several big name clubs, Salzburg would do well to join Sturm in the league phase.
LASK once again starts in the UEL playoff round after finishing third in the league. That means that LASK will participate in the main round for the fifth year running. They will also be seeded in the UEL playoff round, which will give them a more favourable chance at returning to the fall football in the Europa League.
Rapid Wien made the UECL playoff round in each of the last two seasons. Yet, on both occasions they fell at that stage. This time, Rapid starts in UEL Q2, which requires them to win two rounds of qualifying to make a league phase. As they are seeded in UEL Q2 and possibly Q3, that could help them in making a return to a league phase.
Having won a two-legged European playoff, Austria Wien plays in UECL qualifying for the third time. Things have not gone well for Austria Wien in UECL Q. They have lost in both Q2 and Q3 in their first two forays, and will want to improve as soon as possible. After all, they are only seeded in UECL Q2.
Austria’s Season Ambitions
Austria will be involved in a fascinating battle for the top 12 spots. The aim will be to finish 11th or 12th. Top 10 looks out of reach, but a good year here will give Austria the ability to compete for 10th a year from now. Finish 12th, and it will be a very good season for them.
Although top 12 is the key, so long as Austria does not fall out of the top 15, they will be happy. As to how high up they will finish, much will depend on qualifying. So, Austrian football fans should hope for all five teams in the league phase. Whether that will actually happen is another matter.
What a Successful Season Would Be for Austrian Football
Success in this 2024/25 season for Austria would be to have at least four, possibly all five teams, in the league phases. This would be an impressive feat, and would increase the likelihood of Austria finishing in a top 12 spot.
Going further than that, only one Austrian side made the knockout rounds in 2023/24, that being Sturm. At least doubling that total would also go a long way for Austria, and it is still an attainable task. It is now only a matter of actually getting it done that is the problem.
What to Expect From Austria in 2024/25
There should be the feeling that Austrian football can improve and start to make headway for a swift return to the top 10 of the rankings. However, Austrian football expert Anna Konovalova thinks otherwise. Unfortunately, (Austria is) unlikely to see a major improvement,” started Konovalova when asking about the country’s chances of top 10. Seeing that Sturm will be returning to the UCL proper, there was even more pessimism there.
“Sturm will definitely struggle in the UCL, because, despite all their amazing progress of the last few years,” noted Konovalova. They still don’t have the capacity for a three-front battle, and international games always cause them problems
Finally, when speaking about Salzburg and their potential impact on the Austrian coefficient this time, Konovalova states that “it’s very difficult to say,” in part because of how the team has regressed.” According to Konovalova, the team is “overpopulated,” with a turnover expected.
Overall, Austria should be pushing for top 12. Based on the teams in Europe for Austria, let us say that it is quite likely that they will finish in the top 12. There are many twists and turns, which is something the Austrian clubs will have to be aware of. Other than that, expect a bounce-back from the Austrian clubs, where they have the potential to compete for 12th now, and then top 10 a year from now.