Interview with Matthäus:

“The quality is there – you will win games”

Lothar Matthäus believes in Champions League victories for Sturm Graz and Salzburg.

(Bild: GEPA/GEPA pictures)

World footballer and Germany legend Lothar Matthäus follows domestic soccer closely. He talks to the "Krone" about Salzburg and Sturm in the Champions League, the title fight and the derby scandal ...

"Krone": As a Sky pundit and former coach of Salzburg and Rapid, you follow the Austrian league - are you surprised by the tension at the top? In many leagues, the big players are stumbling, the supposedly small players have less pressure and are getting better and better tactically. You don't win games the way you did 10 or 15 years ago, you have to have respect. It takes quality to pick up the points you've been counting on. Then there are the English weeks. There are rotations, you might lose the flow. That all plays a role.

Which club has surprised you so far?
Wolfsberg, Blau Weiß Linz. And I like the way Rapids play. Of course I'm still rooting for my ex-clubs.

Lothar Matthäus coached SK Rapid from 2001 to 2002 and was co-coach of Red Bull Salzburg from 2006 to 2007.

(Bild: GEPA/GEPA pictures)

But?
The scenes after the derby have no place in soccer. I experienced something similar when I was a Sky pundit in Vienna. It was to be expected, people watched for far too long. The rivalry is special. It's the right step to do without the visiting fans now.

Austria has four clubs at international level - another step towards becoming a soccer nation?
That's a reflection of the ÖFB. Even if the result at the EURO was disappointing, the way you presented yourselves was strong. The team aroused enthusiasm, then the next generation came along. Your soccer used to be in no man's land, there was Thomas Muster in tennis, the skiers won medals. Now the kids run around with the jerseys. You need this enthusiasm. Red Bull has also triggered this internationally with good results, Sturm has followed suit.

What do you think Salzburg and Sturm are capable of in the Champions League?
They started off with doable tasks, unfortunately defeats. But they will win games at home, the quality is there.

Is Salzburg's squad possibly too young for the top flight?
You shouldn't raise expectations too high. The 0:3 in Prague was instructive. They will need to get back to where they were five or six years ago. They also made their mark internationally.

What do you think of the new 36-team format?
I'm thrilled, there are already finals pairings in the Champions League. You have to be fully concentrated right from the start. Every goal can be decisive.

What do you think about the development that the top domestic teams are almost exclusively relying on legionnaires?
Some players were simply better than your league, when I think of Sabitzer or Laimer. It's normal for them to take the next step. Your team players play in the best leagues in the world.

Marcel Sabitzer is now playing for Dortmund.

(Bild: AFP/APA/Pau BARRENA)

But who will follow?
You have four clubs in international business. The legionnaires also contribute to this. When good foreigners arrive, the home players have to compete with them. That raises the quality. That's the challenge. It was the same for me at Inter Milan. I don't know any different.