Coach on leave:

Warning of European Cup opponents as legacy!

Former LASK coach Thomas Sageder

(Bild: GEPA pictures/ Manuel Binder)

Mysterious! LASK's Europa League play-off opponents FCSB Bucharest have two completely different faces ahead of the first leg in Linz on Thursday. The Black & Whites know a little about one of them thanks to January 14 - and should therefore be warned about the Romanian champions.

A trophy for conquering the Champions League's predecessor, the Champions Cup. One for winning the European Super Cup, also in 1986, plus 27 trophies for the Romanian championship and two for the national cup. . .

FCSB Bucharest!

Anyone looking at the successes of Steaua Bucharest's successor and now LASK's Europa League play-off opponents, which are officially recognized by UEFA, is almost frozen in awe.

ven before winning the league title, FCSB Burarest were not doing very well in the league.

(Bild: ROBERT GHEMENT)

Anyone looking at the Romanian champions' season-long league results (1 win, 2 draws, 5 defeats) would think that, despite LASK's stuttering start to the season, this hurdle should be fairly easy to overcome. But then you look at FCSB's last international appearances and you start to suspect:

• Dangerous!

• Watch out!

• Watch out!

For example, Bucharest won 1:0 against Maccabi Tel Aviv in the Champions League qualifiers at the internationally feared Israeli soccer ground.

FCSB Bucharest - pictured here is Mihai Lixandru (r.) - held Sparta Prague to a 1-1 draw in the Czech Republic.

(Bild: Michal Kamaryt)

After that, the Czech Republic's €71 million squad wrested a 1-1 draw from Sparta in Prague before being beaten 3-2 in Bucharest. As winners of the Romanian Super Cup, which they won 4:0 at the beginning of July.

We came up against a very strong opponent and saw where we need to improve.

Der damalige LASK-Trainer Thomas Sageder am 14. Jänner nach dem Test-1:3 gegen Bukarest

It sounds like LASK's opponents have shown two footballing faces recently. One of which the Linzers, who have been in the coaching staff and squad since the winter, should know at least a little bit about.

LASK - Bucharest 1:3
On January 14, LASK played a test match against FCSB Bucharest at the Turkey camp, which the Romanians won 3:1.

Marin Ljubicic scored in the 1:3 test against Bucharest on January 14.

(Bild: GEPA pictures)

"We came up against a very strong opponent," explained the then LASK coach Thomas Sageder. His words now sound like a warning legacy, even though the current Romanian champions fell to 12th place in the table at the weekend.