Belgium insider said:

“For me, there is no clear favorite!”

Styrian Richard Niederbacher played for Waregem in Belgium for seven years.

(Bild: GEPA/GEPA pictures)

The 62-year-old Styrian Richard Niederbacher spent seven years as a professional in Belgium and still follows soccer in his second home country with a keen eye. The former goalscorer talks about the chances of double winners Sturm in the first home game of the Champions League in Klagenfurt and their opponents FC Brugge. 

Bruges, the showpiece club par excellence in Belgium, even if RSC Anderlecht are the record champions. "Bruges certainly has the best following in the country," says Richard Niederbacher, someone who should know. The Styrian earned his living in Belgium for seven years and is still a club legend at Waregem (204 games, 93 goals). "I always have good memories of the matches against Brugge. We almost always won there with Waregem and with Rapid we drew 3-3 in Bruges in the European Cup after a 4-3 win in Vienna," the former top striker recalls back to 1986.

The Belgian league is superior to the Austrian league. And in this country, people still tend to underestimate such leagues.

Ex-Waregem-Torjäger Richard Niederbacher

Tomorrow, Wednesday, the 62-year-old will be cheering on the Lindwurmstadt. "I'm expecting an open match, both teams are confident of a win and are expecting something this time. For me, there is no clear favorite. With the fans, something is certainly possible for my former club Sturm. It's just a pity that Sturm have to give up three important players. But Graz have a broad squad."

The opponent in the Sturm hotel
In sporting terms, things are still not going well for the traditional Belgian club, which won the league crown in a crazy finish. Only fourth place in the league, already eight points behind league leaders Genk with coach Thorsten Fink. With Igor Thiago (33 million to Brentford) and Antonio Nusa (21 million to Leipzig), the former club of coaching legend Ernst Happel and team player Edi Krieger also lost two key players in the summer.

FC Brugge lost 3-0 at home to Dortmund at the start.

(Bild: EPA)

"But the Belgian league is better than the Austrian league. And in this country, people still tend to underestimate such leagues. Sturm saw what a top team they are in the first round against Stade Brest. Even small clubs from such a big league are ahead of us," says the former goalgetter, whose contact with Belgium has never been broken off. "We still go up there often, I speak to Hans Christiaens, who played with me in Waregem and then at Bruges, almost every week." The Belgians land at Lake Wörthersee today, Tuesday, and stay at the long-standing Sturm Hotel "Der Sandwirth".