2023-12-10 10:05:13
First the showdown over who will remain in the European Cup on Tuesday (9 p.m./live Sky) against Benfica Lisbon, then his first transfer period in office. Exciting weeks await Salzburg sports director Bernhard Seonbuchner. In an interview with the APA – Austria Press Agency, the 40-year-old Bavarian spoke about his plans for the winter transfer period, his predecessors Christoph Freund and Ralf Rangnick and why coach Gerhard Struber has the “overall package”.
APA: Your first half-season in office is about to end. In your opinion, what went well and where were the biggest difficulties?
Seonbuchner: “I only jumped on the bandwagon in September and initially spent a lot of time observing and accompanying, letting things take effect on me. We are currently top of the league in the Bundesliga. In the Champions League we are against Benfica also has the cards in their own hands. This means that we have currently achieved where we wanted to go before the season. If you add the Cup to that, I think that everything is going well in terms of results. The biggest challenge of the autumn was that we kept coming back have had injuries.”
APA: You have the opportunity to intervene for the first time in the winter transfer window. What are the priorities?
Seonbuchner: “The winter is not as crucial as a summer transfer window. We have a very good squad in terms of quantity and quality. We are not under pressure to do anything, we look at it more strategically. It can always happen that there is interest in our players. We have to react to that if necessary. If we get our players back, I believe that we are very strong in every part of the team. There is currently enough staff – and also quality.”
APA: The team is again very young. Critics say that one or two players with a few years more experience are perhaps missing for international success. Is it conceivable that such a man will come in the near future, perhaps in winter?
Seonbuchner: “Our starting eleven was regularly young, but the squad is not exceptionally young. Let’s not forget Fernando, Sekou Koita or Oumar Solet, who have always had bad luck. They would have had a few more years under their belt. I can see it rather the other way around: the young ones are doing really well. That’s why I don’t think we need to look for an experienced player. We have everything in the team, as long as the players are fit.”
APA: Roko Simic, Luka Sucic and Oumar Solet are only under contract until 2025. How advanced are the future discussions?
Seonbuchner: “Roko Simic is one of the high-flyers who will be given real playing time for the first year. Of course we have to talk in the winter or spring. Luka Sucic is coming back from a very long injury and has already been linked to other clubs But I’m in constant contact with him. He’s now one of our more experienced players and I know he’ll want to take the next step at some point. It’s similar with Oumar Solet. It’s the normal mechanism that you get along with together with them how to proceed beyond this season.”
APA: There is a different contract situation with Oscar Gloukh, he is bound until 2027. How long will they try to keep him at the club?
Seonbuchner: “Oscar has been with us for a year and has really arrived in the last six months – with performances and scorer points. He feels very comfortable with us, feels the trust and has a long-term contract. It’s logical that we should go with him go through the season. He is a player that many clubs are interested in. But his focus is clearly with us and there are no specific inquiries.”
APA: What is your basic transfer philosophy? Do you want to continue to bring young players to FC Liefering when they are 17 or 18 and then bring them up to the first team?
Seonbuchner: “The whole thing has three pillars. The Red Bull Salzburg squad must partly consist of players who have been trained in their own academy for many years. The second part of the framework is top talent that we find and further train outside of Austria – also via FC Liefering. There are also promising players that we bring in directly from outside. If we can do that, we will have a successful club that can take players to the next level and also generate transfer revenue.”
APA: So you rely on continuity. Your predecessors also did a pretty good job.
Seonbuchner: “That’s nothing new, and I come from the academy too. I know exactly what’s happening there – perhaps even better than my predecessors. I see this connection even closer. I think that can also be an advantage. “
APA: You have been with the club since 2010. What is your relationship with your predecessors Ralf Rangnick and Christoph Freund? Is there an exchange?
Seonbuchner: “Both are good personalities, there is exchange when necessary. We know each other and we value each other. They are different in type, but both are very professional, committed and hard-working colleagues and their successes are certainly not a coincidence.”
APA: What did you learn from each other during your time together?
Seonbuchner: “On the one hand, there is the technical know-how, Ralf’s tools. I learned a lot from him about how to prepare football methodically. I was able to learn a lot from Christoph, including how to deal with certain situations humanely . It’s a privilege to have been able to work with both of them.”
APA: You have known coach Gerhard Struber for a long time. How involved is he in squad planning?
Seonbuchner: “We have a very close, trusting collaboration and are on the same wavelength. We have an intensive exchange and put our perspectives on top of each other in order to make the best possible decision for the club.”
APA: What do you think about his content and focus as a trainer? What sets him apart?
Seonbuchner: “He only joined the team after the first matchday and was not involved in the squad planning and preparation. It is important that we start preparing with him in January. You can start much better with the development work. He is a person of conviction when it comes to the idea of the game. He was trained at the academy and in recent years has been equipped with a personality with experience in the wide world. I believe that this is a good overall package – especially with the DNA for the style of play, that we want to have in our blood.”
(The interview was conducted by Florian Haselmayer/APA)
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