Gernot Trauner was shown a red card on Sunday evening during the Nations League clash with Serbia. With the Feyenoord defender sent off, Austria was reduced to ten men while already trailing 1-0. Trauner questioned whether the red card was justified, saying: "I'm not sure if I actually made contact with him."
Gernot Trauner was shown a red card on Sunday evening during Austria’s decisive Nations League clash against Serbia a moment that proved pivotal in the outcome of the match, which ended in a 2-0 victory for the hosts.
The defeat not only ended Austria’s hopes of promotion to League A but also raised questions about refereeing decisions and their broader impact on the game.
The match was the second leg of a tightly contested double-header, with the first encounter in Vienna finishing 1-1. Austria had arrived in Belgrade with high ambitions, looking to build on that result and secure promotion. Their performance in the opening hour of the match reflected a team with a clear tactical plan and intent. Austria controlled much of the possession, with head coach Ralf Rangnick later estimating that his side enjoyed up to 80 percent of the ball in the early stages. The visitors were pressing high, circulating the ball with confidence, and showing signs that a breakthrough was possible yet crucially, they lacked the cutting edge in the final third to turn dominance into goals.
That failure to capitalise was punished in the 56th minute when Serbia, who had been relatively quiet going forward, struck first. The goal visibly rattled the Austrians, who now had to chase the game in an increasingly hostile atmosphere inside the Belgrade stadium. Just twelve minutes later, their night went from bad to worse.
The controversial moment occurred when Gernot Trauner, the experienced Feyenoord centre-back, lunged into a sliding challenge just outside his own penalty area in an attempt to stop a run from Serbia’s Stefan Mitrović, who plays for Belgian side OH Leuven. Mitrović went down under pressure, but the referee initially waved play on. However, after a VAR review, the official reversed his decision and issued Trauner a straight red card, much to the surprise of the Austrian camp.
Speaking after the match, Trauner expressed his disbelief at the decision. “I’m not sure if I even touched him,” he said. “He pushed the ball quite far ahead of himself, and I went in for the challenge. I was surprised by the red card, but I also know I need to be more careful in those situations.” His words reflected the frustration of a player who felt harshly judged in a high-stakes moment that significantly affected his team’s chances.
Head coach Ralf Rangnick also weighed in on the decision, calling it “debatable” and implying that the sending off changed the complexion of the game. “We had control, we had possession, but we didn’t make it count,” he said. “Then we concede and go a man down it’s a turning point. I also expect Trauner to be eligible for the upcoming World Cup qualifier against Romania, since it’s a different competition.”
With Austria reduced to ten men, Serbia pressed their advantage. Though the visitors showed some resilience and attempted to stay compact, the numerical disadvantage eventually took its toll. In the 90th minute, Juventus striker Dušan Vlahović delivered the final blow, scoring Serbia’s second goal of the night and putting the result beyond doubt. The Belgrade crowd erupted, as their team not only won the match but secured their spot in League A of the Nations League a significant achievement given the strength of competition in the group.
Serbia's squad included familiar names such as Vlahović and Nemanja Gudelj the latter being a native of Breda and a consistent presence in the Serbian midfield. The win was a moment of pride for the home side, who had weathered Austria’s early pressure and taken full advantage of the critical decisions and game-changing moments.
For Austria, however, the match will be remembered as a missed opportunity. Despite periods of dominance and promising build-up play, they failed to make it count when it mattered most. The red card to Trauner will likely be a topic of discussion in the days to come, both for its impact on the match and the broader questions it raises about the use of VAR and the subjectivity of key officiating decisions.
Looking ahead, Austria must now regroup and shift focus to their World Cup qualifying campaign. The disappointment of missing out on Nations League promotion will sting, but under Rangnick’s leadership, the team will look to learn from this setback and continue building a more consistent and clinical identity.
