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The general consensus is that the Habsburgs have struggled to make the best use of their huge resources and the club is rife with internal power struggles.
On the pitch, the naturalized central midfielders (Metternich and Eugene of Savoy) are both world-class talents, but cannot carry the entire team through every campaign. Fans did have high expectations of Sisi, but her lack of discipline has led to rumours she is now only picked to increase shirt sales. Her partnership with Franz Joseph on the right shows no real chemistry, despite much early promise. The attempt to benefit from the foreign experience of Antoinette and Charles has also proved fruitless. Antoinette in particular tends to lose her head in pressure situations.
A very defensive formation certainly reflects the players’ reluctance to take the initiative. For example, in the recent game against Turkey (the Habsburgs won 1-0 through a late goal by substitute Sobieski), statistics reveal Leopold made only one sprint in the entire match – to take up a position clear of the pitch. After the game, he commissioned a life-size statue of himself scoring the winning penalty.
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