Officially selected by the Austrian FA as the country’s outstanding footballer of the last 50 years, Herbert Prohaska won 83 caps (1974-1989) and also managed the national side.

But he also has a fondness for Italy from his spells as a player with Inter Milan and Roma (1980-’83) where he won one scudetto and competed with the likes of Liam Brady, Zbigniew Boniek and Michel Platini for the title of Serie A’s best foreigner.

Ahead of Saturday’s clash of the two nations in the last 16 of Euro 2020, he admits to torn loyalties. “I’ll be an Italy fan forever, but on Saturday my heart beats for Austria,” he said this week, adding that Italy will always win out in a battle of passion.

“Italy is a football country and we are not. We have a lot of people who are interested in football, but we’re more of a skiing nation. The Italians are crazy about football.”

 

Viking raiders on move for play-offs

After the very handy advantage of three group games played in Copenhagen, Denmark are on the move as they play Wales in Amsterdam on Saturday and will then play in Baku in the quarter-final, should they progress.

Holland is not quite home soil but it will be close enough as Danish fans have managed to nab just under 4,000 tickets for the 16,000-capacity venue.

And Amsterdam has an emotional hold on Danes as some of their greatest ever players had spells at Ajax: Frank Arsenen, Soren Lerby, the Laudrup brothers, Christian Eriksen.

Current squad member Kasper Dolberg joined Ajax at 17 and only left last year. “It is a fantastic place, a fantastic stadium, it will be cool,” he says.

One to watch
Giacomo Raspadori (Italy)

The Sassuolo player has had a busy year in 2021: he turned 21, made his international debut, made it into the Italy squad for the Euros, and is also trying to study for his college finals. “I study almost every morning alone in my room. I study Motor Sciences and now I am preparing for a test in September,” he said. A sub in the win over Wales, he could also get game-time against Austria.

 

Number of the day: 11 

Successive clean sheets kept by Italy. Donny van der Beek (Holland) scored the only goal conceded by the Italians in their last 15 games.

 

ON TV
 

No Euro 2020 action today so the fix will have to come from the MLS (Sky Sports) or Brazil v Colombia in the Copa America (BBC Sport website).