Łódź legionnaire Balić

“Poland think they have a chance against Austria!”

Husein Balić

(Bild: krone.tv )

Białystok instead of Vienna, Chorzów instead of Klagenfurt or Łódź instead of Linz - Husein Balić left Austria at the age of 28 to make a fresh start in soccer in Poland. And as luck would have it, Austria and Poland of all countries will meet at the European Football Championships next summer. Read HERE how he assesses the distribution of chances in this duel, how the Poles rate their chances against Ralf Rangnick's team and how he assesses the general overhaul at LASK!

krone.at: Where could Husein Balić be in terms of his career if he hadn't been repeatedly plagued by injuries and ailments?
Husein Balić: It's hard to say. Of course, it was really bitter back then in Linz that I started the season without any preparation when Didi Kühbauer joined the club because I was already injured. And they always say that it's really difficult for a footballer without preparation because you can't really get into that rhythm. Then you try to get into the rhythm and then the next injury comes along, another muscle injury. They're always only "minor" muscle injuries, but you're still out for three to four weeks every time. All it takes is two or three injuries - and the season is over because you never get into shape. And anyone who knows me knows that when I play soccer, I always play full-throttle soccer. And you have to be fully fit to play full-throttle soccer.

Husein Balić:

(Bild: krone.tv )

krone.at: Let's go into more detail about your ex-club: One thing that stands out when looking at your LASK record is that you always got decent playing time under coaches Valérien Ismaël, Dominik Thalhammer and Andreas Wieland, but Didi Kühbauer hardly relied on you from the summer of 2022. What was the reason for that?
Balić: Of course, it will have been a huge reason that these ailments and injuries kept cropping up. It's just difficult to get into a healthy competition with your teammates if you can never really perform. You never really get into your stride, you don't get into that flow to be able to assert yourself for a regular position in the end.

krone.at: Basically, Didi Kühbauer as a coach also stands for a slightly different style of soccer than was previously played under Valérien Ismaël or Dominik Thalhammer.
Balić: Yes, Didi Kühbauer brought in completely different ideas, this possession soccer, where you can honestly say that LASK has been really successful with it. Of course, you could also say: 'Okay, Keito Nakamura played in my position and the boy was incredible this year! But there would have been two wing positions. And yes, that's why I mentioned healthy competition, I keep coming back to that. It's simply difficult when you start without any preparation: The team gets into a flow, you train for four weeks yourself and then you're out again for three weeks, it's a vicious circle that you just can't get out of.

krone.at: At times, LASK's performance in the fall was decent, but now they're in a crisis, especially offensively. Did they perhaps send you off too soon after all? I don't want a reckoning from you now, but ...
Balić: (laughs) No, no. There won't be one either ...

krone.at: The return to the old style of play could have suited you ...
Balić: Of course it suited me, that was also the reason why my LASK adventure didn't end in the summer. Because I simply put in a really strong preparation and the coach was extremely happy with me. With this "old" LASK style, it was a good fit again. In the end, however, it was only short appearances again - and in December it was clear to me that it had to end now. And even if it was only short appearances, at least there was a goal against Rapid. That was extremely important for me personally at that stage because it was a signal to me that I could do it and that I hadn't forgotten how to play soccer because of a bad year.

krone.at reporter Hannes Maierhofer and ŁKS-Łódź legendary Husein Balić

(Bild: Hannes Maierhofer)

krone.at: Basically, I can hear that you don't say much about LASK. Are you on good terms?
Balić: I had an honest conversation with all those responsible - and after this conversation it was clear to me that I could leave the club, that I was allowed to leave the club. It's impossible to say whether everyone will really be 100 percent at peace with what happened to me. Maybe I did something bad to someone, I don't know what the people in charge think about me. But as I said, that conversation in the winter was important for me and pointed the way forward. We all knew then where the journey was going and that was that for me.

krone.at: Apart from you, long-serving players have rapidly lost importance at LASK recently, some of them are no longer there. I'm thinking of players like Peter Michorl, Thomas Goiginger or Marvin Potzmann; Felix Luckeneder will also be leaving the club in the summer. How do you see this general overhaul of LASK?
Balić: I think that every club has to go through this phase once, where you rely on new players. But it's important that the identity remains - and of course it's always difficult for fans when identification figures are treated like this. Peter Michorl is a very difficult subject, but I think he's an incredibly good player. I think he would also do LASK good now. Of course, it's bitter when Petzi, a club icon, or Goigi or Lucki, who have done a lot for the club, are affected. It's a shame because we've carried LASK over the past few years and have been part of major international successes. But that's what the club management has decided - there's nothing more to add, that's soccer. Unfortunately ...

krone.at: You have one international appearance for Austria on your CV, but on November 11, 2020, the then team boss Franco Foda swapped you for Luxembourg. Will we see Husein Balić in the national team again?
Balić: (laughs) Difficult question ... (ponders)... Of course, you're always responsible for it yourself, you have to perform well. And good performances are then perhaps rewarded - or not. But I don't really focus on this topic. Of course, it was a dream of mine back then, just as it still is today. I'm immensely proud to have reached that one international match ... (laughs) Who knows what will happen in the future - soccer is simply unpredictable, anything is possible in soccer. Maybe yes, maybe no ...

krone.at: So you wouldn't say "no" if team boss Ralf Rangnick were to call you?
Balić: No, definitely not ... (laughs)

krone.at: Speaking of the national team: as luck would have it, Austria will face Poland at the European Football Championships next summer - the country where you both live and work ...
Balić: I think every duel in the group will be exciting ... (laughs) I've already had to answer that question to Polish reporters, because the Poles think they have a chance against Austria. But the reverse is probably also true, because Austria sees Poland as the easier opponent in the group.

krone.at: Definitely on paper ...
Balić: On paper, exactly ... Of course, you have to say that Austria are playing really strong soccer at the moment and they're also really in the flow ... (thinks for a moment) Difficult to say ... But of course Poland also have a strong team in terms of names. I wouldn't dare say anything about that.

krone.at: They're in a bit of a state of flux at the moment ...
Balić: Yes, that's true! Maybe that's also good for Austria ... (laughs) But as I said, the Poles think they have a chance against Austria. Although I do believe that Austria is ahead of them in their current form.

krone.at: In the most recent duels in the European Championship qualifiers for 2021, Austria weren't necessarily the favorites against Poland. How would you assess public opinion here in Poland now?
Balić: Public opinion in Poland? Well, I can only speak from the reporters, and they think that the Poles have a good chance against Austria ... (ponders) But given Austria's current form, I wouldn't make that mistake, Austria are really strong at the moment.

Click here for part 1 of the detailed interview with Husein Balić!

krone.at: And in general in the group, including Holland and France? How do you rate Austria's chances there?
Balić: Of course, France are the absolute favorites in this group. But I do believe that Austria can finish second in this group. Of course, when you hear Holland, you think of outstanding individual players. But as I said, we in Austria are simply in a flow with this collective at the moment, also thanks to the positive results against big nations recently. In my opinion, a lot is possible in this group. Who knows, we might even surprise France, you never know.