Old Salzburg times

“Coach Lijnders is the decisive factor”

Lijnders (left) hugged Kjaergaard.(Bild: GEPA pictures/ Pro Shots/ Niels Boersema)

Salzburg's performance in Enschede was reminiscent of old times. The coach plays an important role for Dedic and Co. However, Bullen are not there yet.

The rollercoaster ride in the 3-3 draw against Twente in the third Champions League qualifying round at De Grolsch Veste was reminiscent of the old Salzburg days. Although there were repeated blunders, especially defensively, the Bulls' enthusiasm was infectious and it was fun to watch. Last season under coach Gerhard Struber, that was rarely the case. For the most part, it was a boring game that, as we all know, didn't lead to success in the end.

However, the team hasn't really changed much compared to last season. The most important piece of the puzzle on the way back to the Red Bull style is coach Pep Lijnders. "He is the biggest and decisive factor. We see every day that he and his coaching team have incredible quality. They demand that we attack early and play aggressively. That's what we've been training for the entire preparation and I think you can see it on the pitch now," said Amar Dedic, praising the Dutch coach.

Dedic (r.) praised the coach.(Bild: GEPA pictures/ Pro Shots/ Ron Jonker)

In return, Lijnders had positive words for his team: "I'm very proud that we're also implementing our game plan away from home. You could see a lot of it."

In the play-off games against Dynamo Kiev (pre-sales for the second leg in Salzburg on August 27 have already begun), the Bulls - Lukas Wallner is leaving on a free transfer for the second team of Hannover 96 - want to show their soccer again and advance to the Champions League group stage. Dedic emphasized: "A tough opponent, but we want to take the momentum into the final round. We haven't reached our goal yet."

Mystery surrounding Solet
Meanwhile, the future of Oumar Solet remains unclear. His transfer to Hoffenheim is reportedly off due to a serious knee injury. Sporting director Bernhard Seonbuchner said: "There is certainly not just one interested party. We don't comment on health issues." The fact is: Solet's case is becoming increasingly complicated.