Franco Foda to step down as Austria coach after World Cup play-off loss

Franco Foda will step down as Austria coach following the team's failure to qualify for the World Cup, he said on Monday. Austria missed out on soccer's global showpiece event later this year in Qatar after a 2-1 defeat by Wales in last week's playoff semi-final.

The 55-year-old Foda, who took charge of the Austrian team in 2018 and guided them to the last 16 of last year's European Championship, will be on the sidelines in his final game as coach when they face Scotland in a friendly on Tuesday. "I've had a lot of thoughts over the past few days and I take full responsibility for the fact that we didn't qualify for the World Cup," Foda told reporters.

"So my job as team manager ends after the Scotland game. "My successor can look forward to a team with impeccable character that has a lot of potential for development." Austria last qualified for the World Cup finals in 1998, when they were eliminated after finishing third in their group behind Italy and Chile.