It was a slightly different debut for a young Austrian player in the Admiral Bundesliga.
Flavius Daniliuc already had 41 Serie A games, 49 Ligue 1 appearances and one international match under his belt when he played in the domestic Bundesliga for the first time last Friday.
As is well known, the 22-year-old Viennese took a step back in his league career at the beginning of this year and, after years in Europe’s top leagues, will be playing in Austria’s stadiums for at least the next six months as a loan player from FC Red Bull Salzburg.
His very first professional game on Austrian soil – from a national perspective – could not have been more important: at the Bundesliga summit meeting between his “Bulls” and SK Sturm last Friday (match report>>>), Daniliuc was somewhat surprisingly given the trust right from the start was repaid by the central defender with a bone-dry performance.
This trust shown by coach Gerhard Struber “made him very happy, I’m grateful for it.” He was “reasonably satisfied with his performance. I think there can be more to come,” reported the debutant after the game in the Red Bull Arena.
His goal is to “bring the experience I’ve gained in the top leagues onto the pitch. It’s my job to show that in the next games.”
Solet-Daniliuc-Pavlovic – an impenetrable bulwark?
Daniliuc judges himself a bit harshly. In fact, he could hardly have played his debut game in the “Bulls” uniform with more confidence.
As a central defender in the newly formed Mozartstadt three-man chain, he shone with a lot of calmness and, in the “Bollwerk” (original sound Christian Ilzer), together with his teammates Oumar Solet and Strahinja Pavlovic, ensured that Sturm did not take place offensively until he was substituted after 67 minutes .
Due to a cramp and more intensive training than Daniliuc was used to in Italy, according to Struber, the Salzburg coaching bench took a precautionary measure around 25 minutes before the end of the game. “From the 60th he started to stumble, then we rescued him,” explains the “Bulls” coach.
In the duel between the Bundesliga debutants, Daniliuc clearly had the upper hand over Biereth
Photo: © GEPA
Kuchler only has praise for the performance beforehand: “In terms of content, it was a really good performance from him. Very reliable, very ripped off, the way he played away the opponent over the half lane when he had the ball. In combination with Solet and Pavlo, that’s what it was worked really well. It looked like they had been playing together for a long time.”
Struber’s words can definitely be seen as a warning to national competition. The defensive three-man chain made up of the giants Solet, Daniliuc and Pavlovic could be difficult for many teams to overcome due to their extremely high quality (not only for Austrian standards) and could ultimately tip the scales in the Bundesliga title race.
“Level not significantly below Serie A”
“We all have a common goal and we train very hard for that. This goal is very clear, that Red Bull Salzburg will be champions at the end of the season,” says Daniliuc, referring to his first title win in the adult division.
Since the clash on Friday, it has been clear to the Viennese that Sturm will do everything he can to prevent this. “I have to say, the level wasn’t significantly below Serie A. Sturm is a top team that has been playing at a top level for years. They demanded everything from us,” he takes off his hat to the “Blackies”.
Daniliuc previously only knew Austrian football from afar, having spent the majority of his life abroad. It has now been over a decade since the defensive lineman, trained by Real Madrid and Bayern, last played for an Austrian club.
Even then, it was FC Red Bull Salzburg who loaned Daniliuc from Madrid. However, this loan was ended after just a few months as a result of Rangnick’s change in philosophy in the city of Mozart.
“Back then I was twelve years old, now things look different. Now I’m ten years older, I can play in the professional team and train under top conditions,” said the well-trained right-footer, who described the training conditions in Salzburg on “Sky” as ” better than I know from Serie A.
Will Daniliuc still jump on the EURO bandwagon?
Speaking of Ralf Rangnick: The ÖFB team boss took a closer look at Daniliuc when he invited him to an ÖFB course for the first time in March 2023 and gave him his international debut in the European Championship qualifying game against Estonia. Daniliuc took part again in the following course, but has not been there since.
As a regular player in Salzburg, that could change quickly. Especially because after David Alaba’s loss, the cards in central defense will be reshuffled for the next international matches.
To what extent was the idea behind the move to Salzburg to force himself on the ÖFB team boss for the upcoming EURO?
“You have to say that that was a small part of my decision. But the path that those responsible have shown me, the future that I can pursue here, gives me more in the short term than thinking about the national team.” Daniliuc hints that he can imagine staying in Mozart’s city beyond the end of his loan.
“We know that FC Red Bull Salzburg is an incredible springboard, perhaps the best in Europe with Benfica Lisbon.”
Flavius Daniliuc
As is usual in the city of Mozart, it was not announced whether a purchase option was included in the loan agreement, which is dated until the summer of 2024.
Sports director Bernhard Seonbuchner confirmed indirectly on “Sky” on the Friday before the game that such a situation exists: “I’ll say it in general terms: I believe that we generally negotiate well in such stories. From that point of view, a lot is possible.”
Salzburg an “incredible springboard”
Daniliuc himself announced on “Sky” that his “goal” was to sign in Salzburg for the long term. Opposite LAOLA1 he explains the reasons for this:
“We know that FC Red Bull Salzburg is an incredible springboard, perhaps the best in Europe with Benfica Lisbon. When you see which players have come out here, you can only speak of top players. At the training center, at the You can only learn from the mentality of the club. I’m happy to be here. Really very happy.”
They are words that are taken from him. After all, the very sensitive Viennese has had a difficult autumn with Serie A bottom team US Salernitana; He was personally voted the flop player of the first half of the season by the medium “Tutto Mercato”.
His current move to Salzburg, this supposed step back after years in the top leagues, could sooner or later be worth its weight in gold for Daniliuc.
Flavius Daniliuc in Portrait:
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2024-02-12 13:47:07
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