Marcel Sabitzer Steps Away from Austria National Team Until Euro 2028

Marcel Sabitzer, one of the pillars of Austria’s modern era, is stepping off the international stage. For now.

The Borussia Dortmund midfielder has agreed a break from national team duty and will miss Austria’s entire UEFA Nations League group campaign this year, according to the Austrian Football Association, as reported by Channel NewsAsia.

At 32, with 102 caps and 27 goals behind him, Sabitzer isn’t walking away lightly. He has ring-fenced the pause: he will reassess his international future before qualification for Euro 2028 kicks off next March.

“Three Seasons” in Two Years

Sabitzer pointed to the brutal schedule he has carried since Euro 2024. In his words, the combination of the Club World Cup and the World Cup effectively turned the last stretch into “three seasons” crammed into two years.

That workload is not easing. This season alone, he faces the grind of the Bundesliga, the German Cup and the Champions League with Dortmund. Something had to give, and for now, it is the red-and-white shirt of Austria.

The midfielder said he had reached the decision in agreement with national coach Ralf Rangnick. Both sides will sit down again at the start of next year to discuss a potential return in time for Euro 2028 qualifying.

Rangnick Understands – But Feels the Loss

Rangnick did not hide his disappointment at losing such an influential figure, yet he accepted the logic. He acknowledged Sabitzer’s arguments and confirmed that a final call on the player’s longer-term role will be made before the Euro 2028 campaign begins.

In the meantime, Austria must move on without him.

Rangnick is preparing to name his squad for the upcoming Nations League fixtures: Israel in Linz on September 24, then Kosovo in Vienna on September 29. October brings two more away tests, against Ireland in Dublin and Kosovo in Pristina.

Those matches will offer a glimpse of what an Austria side without Sabitzer looks like. The real question is whether it will stay that way once the road to Euro 2028 begins.