Ralf Rangnick, the head coach of Austria, strongly rejected any suggestion of a pre-arranged result between his side and Algeria following their stunning 3-3 draw in the World Cup group stage. The outcome propelled both nations into the round of 16.
According to the German manager, the two goals scored in quick succession during stoppage time disprove any notion of collusion. Algeria’s captain Riyad Mahrez thought he had secured a 3-2 victory in the 93rd minute, only for Austrian substitute Sasa Kalajdzic to equalise almost on the final play of the match.
“In this match, with a score of 3-3, no one could assume there was an agreement, especially considering what we saw in the last 90 seconds,” Rangnick stated.
“Three minutes from the end, if anyone had predicted what would happen, they would have been considered crazy,” he added.
“I have been a coach for about forty years, and I cannot recall a match with such a spectacular and unpredictable course.”
“Most people expected a 0-0 or 1-1 result, and in the end, it’s 3-3. It’s incredible. The dressing room is pure madness. If Alfred Hitchcock had written such a script, I would likely have told him he was completely insane.”
Rangnick also emphasised that both teams kept attacking and trying to score even before Mahrez’s late strike.
“Anyone who watched the last 15 minutes knows there was no sign that the players were absolutely seeking a draw,” he declared. “I think they wanted to win.”
“No one can tell me that at the 93rd minute, someone suddenly thought, ‘Oh yes, let’s score another goal.’ I believe that may have been the idea of one or two Algerian players, but not the rest of the team, and certainly not me.”
