On Friday the ball is finally rolling again in the Bundesliga. Before the restart, record national player Lothar Matthäus talks about the top hit Leipzig against Bayern, the title fight and more.
Lothar Matthäus
picture alliance / Eibner-Pressefoto
As a TV expert on “Sky” and RTL, Lothar Matthäus keeps an eye on everything to do with the Bundesliga and the national team. During his skiing holiday, the 1990 German world champion spoke in a long interview in the Thursday edition of kicker about exciting personnel issues, the future of football and, of course, the late start from the winter break. “I think it was right to wait so long, because the program was very tight even before the World Cup, especially for the national players. And with all due respect to all professionals, it’s all about the stars, and they need them too time to recharge your battery. You have to clear your head. The time,” said the 61-year-old, “could now be used for longer preparation. The longer break can only do the quality of the games good.”
What Freiburg, the club, the team and the coach have done is great. Why shouldn’t they succeed in surprising them?
It starts on Friday with the cracker Leipzig against Bayern. And Matthäus is committed: “It’s just a game, yes, but a very special one: if Bayern wins, they become champions. If Bayern don’t win or even lose, then Leipzig will be there too.” A great credit to Marco Rose for the world champion. “He fits in there perfectly, because of his origins and also because of his experience in Salzburg. With Max Eberl, we’ve added competence and experience, and the package fits.” If RB wins, Matthäus thinks a hot three-way battle is possible. “Union Berlin was also enthusiastic, nobody had them on the screen either. But I’m thinking of Freiburg! It’s fun to watch this team. What the club, the team and the coach Christian Streich have achieved is great. There was always sometimes surprises, why shouldn’t Freiburg succeed?”
The championship title is not given to anyone, not even Bayern. But only national titles are not the claim of FC Bayern.
The Munich team recently won the championship trophy ten times in a row, but now Robert Lewandowski is gone, Manuel Neuer is injured and Sadio Mané is currently still there. Actually, the Bayern pursuers should say: now or never! Matthäus agrees: “Yes, but the other clubs mustn’t falter. Leipzig messed up the start, Dortmund has its dropouts, Leverkusen is in 12th place.” But Bayern just have the quality to compensate for such failures. “The championship is a mandatory task with this quality. Even if this title, I would like to emphasize, is not given to anyone, not even Bayern.” But: “The championship is a must, the cup competitions are the freestyle. But only national titles are not the club’s claim.”
In the possible all-around title fight, Matthäus no longer really has BVB on his list. “The quality of the players speaks for a higher ranking than sixth place. They don’t have to be champions, but they gave away a lot of points,” says the former world-class player. For Dortmund’s 18-year-old youngster Youssoufa Moukoko, whose contract is expiring and who is associated with Chelsea, he has well-intentioned advice: “He has to work hard first, nobody is waiting for him abroad. Sancho, Dembelé, Pulisic – Moukoko should orientate himself on the old Dortmunders and how they are doing.”
In the big interview before the restart, Lothar Matthäus speaks in the Thursday edition (here as eMagazine) about Neuner Harry Kane, keeper Gregor Kobel, national coach Hansi Flick, power and tradition from the basement child Schalke, Rudi Völler as national team manager, the Super League and of course the chances of the German clubs in the round of 16 of the Champions League.
