VIENNA (Reuters) - Austria coach Marcel Koller paid the price for his team’s poor recent results on Friday when the country's football federation (OeFB) said that he would leave his post at the end of December after six years in charge. The decision was widely expected after his side won two of their first eight games in their 2018 World Cup qualifying group, leaving them all but mathematically eliminated. Koller, a former coach of German clubs VfL Bochum and FC Cologne, has taken charge of 52 games, with 23 wins, 13 draws and 16 defeats. It was the only time that Austria have reached the finals through the qualifying competition, although they took part as co-hosts in 2008. That poor form continued with a home defeat against Ireland early in the World Cup qualifiers which left them with an uphill battle.

Source: The Star September 15, 2017 19:52 UTC