Austria warms up for first match Croatian style

Thousands of Croatia fans clad in their red and white chequered national colours flooded Vienna's historic city centre on Sunday, chanting, singing and drinking in the run-up to their opening Euro 2008 game with Austria.

• However, their Austrian counterparts were noticeably absent as the tournament co-hosts prepared to launch their Group B campaign against the Croats in the Austrian capital.
• “They are probably still in bed, sleeping and dreaming of skiing,” said Danijel Hofer from Zagreb who did not have a ticket for the match but travelled to the Austrian capital to watch it on one of the giant screens in the fan zone.
• “I have very much pity for them, they are going to have a bad time tonight,” said his friend Nikola Petrovski.
• His compatriots were busy chanting and downing beer in the normally quiet Viennese coffee houses or climbing monuments in the city centre to wrap them with Croatian flags.
• But the few supporters of the Austrian team — ranked way behind all the other countries in the finals at 92nd in the world — who had ventured into the capital’s main square around the St Stephen’s cathedral begged to differ.
• CROATIA PARTY
• “They might win when it comes to partying, though we definitely will beat them on the pitch,” said Erich Hoernagl from the Austrian province of Lower Austria, wiping the sweat off his red and white face paint with his Austria scarf.
• “We just need a little longer to warm up in Austria, but there will be no stopping us,” he said, clutching his beer can and bratwurst.
• Following the defeat of co-hosts Switzerland in Basle, where the Czechs grabbed a fortunate 1-0 win in Group A on Saturday, the year’s biggest soccer frenzy is now starting in earnest in Austria.
• Police spokesman Walter Hladik said the authorities expected some 50,000 Croatia fans to cheer their team in the capital’s stadium, fan zones and bars.
• More than 100 buses as well as several special trains and flights were scheduled to arrive on Sunday and police were ready to cope with any potential trouble, although the Croatian fans had been well behaved so far, he said.
• “They party, they scream, they make a bit of a whirl but they are peaceful,” Hladik said.