Euro 2008

VIENNA, March 10 (Reuters) - Coach Josef Hickersberger said on Monday he had no plans to recall Paul Scharner to Austria's Euro 2008 squad despite the defender changing his mind over a self-imposed exile.

Scharner, who quit the national side in 2006 after falling out with Hickersberger and criticising the set-up, had a meeting with his former coach on Sunday.

"Paul Scharner has said he would be willing to play for Austria again at Euro 2008 but I already told him in 2006 that his decision to leave the team meant he was giving up on that possibility," Hickersberger said in a media release issued by the Austrian FA.

"On top of that, he aimed a lot of comments at the national team immediately after his withdrawal which were not all helpful to a successful working relationship.

"For this tournament, where we are clearly massive outsiders, we need to be a really closely-knit team and we have already started to develop a real team spirit as we showed in our sporting performance against Germany.

"Considering all that and barring exceptional circumstances, any Euro 2008 return for Paul Scharner remains unlikely."

Hickersberger met the Wigan Athletic player after their Premier League draw with Arsenal.

Last month, Hickersberger showed greater leniency to another England-based defender, Emanuel Pogatetz, recalling him to the national team for the friendly 3-0 defeat by Germany.

Pogatetz also pulled out of the Austria squad in 2006, one month after Scharner, citing similar differences of opinion with Hickersberger.

Austria, who qualified automatically for Euro 2008 as co-hosts with neighbouring Switzerland, have come under immense pressure from their fans and national media after winning just one of their last 13 matches.