‘Austrians club’ Mainz 05 win friendly
Andreas Ivanschitz and Christian Fuchs were part of a Mainz 05 team beating Greek champs Panathinaikos FC yesterday (Mon).Midfielder Ivanschitz performed over the full distance in the 2-0 test match victory in Mittersill, Salzburg, while defender Fuchs came on in the 60th minute. Austrian national team coach Dietmar Constantini was present at the friendly.Fuchs is expected to receive a call-up for the 11 August friendly against Switzerland, while fans and press are eagerly awaiting Constantinis decision on Ivanschitz. The manager has controversially left the former Red Bull Salzburg star off his squad ever since taking over in March 2009.Ivanschitz captained Austria in the Euro2008. He joined Mainz 05 who finished the 2009/2010 German Bundesliga season in ninth last summer, while Fuchs was signed from VfL Bochum earlier this month.Hannover 96 beat Turkish Süper Lig club Gençlerbirliği 1-0 in Bad Radkersburg, Styria, yesterday. Former GAK defender Emanuel Pogatetz was part of the German teams starting eleven, while ex-Mattersburg midfielder Cem Atan came on for the opponents after half time.All teams chose to prepare for upcoming challenges in Austria.Another top club holding their pre-season training camp in Austria are Arsenal. The side managed by Frenchman Arsene Wenger have come to Bad Waltersburg, a spa resort in the province of Styria, for the ninth year in a row.Arsenal, who beat Austrian Bundesliga club Sturm Graz 3-0 last week, will play Burgenland team SC Neusiedl in Neusiedl at 7pm tonight.