Letsch in an interview: "This is both a blessing and a curse for us coaches"

Red Bull Salzburg faces another do-or-die game on Friday in their top-of-the-table clash with Sturm Graz. Coach Thomas Letsch speaks in an interview with kicker about the last straw in the league, his team's lack of stability, and his exchange with Jürgen Klopp.

Mr. Letsch, on Tuesday, Inter Milan won one of the most spectacular Champions League semifinals of all time against FC Barcelona. How much of a spectacle can we expect in Graz on Friday?

(laughs) I expect a slightly different game because—with all due respect to Sturm and us—two world-class teams have already been on the pitch. But it will certainly be a similarly competitive game. I think it will go back and forth. Everyone knows the standings and what's at stake with three rounds to go. So I do expect some kind of spectacle.

After the victory over Austria Vienna, you once again expressed your frustration over the previous defeat at WAC. Now Salzburg faces another deciding match, and a loss would ruin their chance of winning the championship. What makes you confident that your team will perform differently than they did in Lavanttal?

We showed against Austria Wien and Rapid Wien that we can also play well away from home. So, where we play isn't so important for us – although the atmosphere in Graz will certainly be intense. That was the case against Austria Wien, too, and we picked up three points. I'm also encouraged by the reaction to the two WAC games, including the home win against then-league leaders Austria Wien. Accordingly, I don't think we'll have to stand in front of the cameras after the Graz match and say we weren't ready for the game.

We can't expect to beat our opponents seven rounds in a row with so many young and inexperienced players.

Why did you not manage to stabilize the team sustainably?

Unfortunately, we didn't perform as hoped in every game, but overall we're up there with the top teams in the table. I think all the teams in the championship group are struggling with inconsistent performances; we're not the only ones. We also shouldn't forget who's on the pitch with us. That's by no means an excuse, but we can't expect to beat our opponents seven matches in a row with so many young and inexperienced players. I'm thinking of Tim Trummer, Valentin Sulzbacher, John Mellberg, Edmund Baidoo, and Joane Gadou, for example, who have all played in the UEFA Youth League this year. Overall, we've taken a step forward, but the consistency certainly wasn't there yet. The reaction to the game at WAC was important - now we have to show that it wasn't a flash in the pan. We have to approach the game at Sturm with exactly the same passion and attitude as we did against Austria Wien.

With the exception of WAC, the competition for the title in the championship group hasn't been particularly convincing. To what extent does this give you hope?

I don't think about that at all. For me, it's about winning our games. The only difference is perhaps that in Graz, if the game goes well at a different point in the championship, they might be happy to take a point. It will be different this time, of course, because we're the hunters. Maybe we have to take a bit more of a risk at the end of the game. Apart from that, I'm not paying attention to what the others are doing. It's no longer in our own hands, and we're currently in fourth place. So it would be presumptuous to make any big calculations now.

In January, you declared the double your goal. This was followed by a cup exit in the quarterfinals, and Salzburg is fourth in the league with three games remaining. How much pressure are you feeling?

I came here because I believed we could win the double. The appeal of working at Red Bull Salzburg is that you're competing for titles. That must always be our goal. Now we want to get the most out of this season. I don't feel any great pressure from the outside; I put that pressure on myself first and foremost. And you're always under pressure in professional football anyway; it's part of the business. With three games left, everything's on fire.

This has also been seen recently with the numerous coaching changes in Austria and Germany. Is the coaching carousel now spinning too fast?

I read that there have already been 15 coaching changes in the 2. Bundesliga this season. That's pretty significant. What's new to me are the many changes so close to the end of the season. One can argue about whether that's necessary - especially with teams where, in my opinion, it's no longer a matter of all or nothing. But overall, coaching changes are part of the job. I also benefited from the fact that Salzburg had one this season. In that respect, it's both a blessing and a curse for us coaches. Ultimately, it's probably pointless to discuss whether the business has become even more fast-paced. As a coach, you just have to live with this development; otherwise, you're not allowed to do the job.

You mentioned the many youngsters in your squad earlier, and reaching the Youth League semifinals also speaks volumes about Salzburg's strong youth development program. After two difficult seasons, is the club looking toward a bright future?

It was already the fourth time we've been to the Youth League Final Four. Especially after winning the Youth League (in 2017, ed.), many players have made the leap into the big football world. However, you have to be careful: One is youth football, the other is professional football. We have to be honest right now and say that the young players at FC Red Bull Salzburg are playing so much primarily because we have numerous serious injuries. But that doesn't change the fact that the boys are doing well and we're counting on them. Youth development is a very important building block for the future of this club. And I'm glad we have players like that who are patiently walking the path with us. I like to cite the example of John Mellberg: A few months ago, we told him he wasn't ready for the starting eleven yet. He accepted that, trained brilliantly, gained a lot of match practice, and now has a much better toolkit to be ready for our team. That's how it should be! Nevertheless, it would be the wrong approach to field a team with an average age of 18.5 years in the future. You need to find a good mix of young and experienced players.

Jürgen and I keep in touch from time to time. It's going exactly as planned.

Thomas Letsch on the exchange with Jürgen Klopp

Keyword experience: Is Karim Onisiwo ready for the game against Sturm?

He could be an option. He trained with the team on Wednesday and will be there, provided he doesn't suffer any setbacks. Karim also went through all the pre-match procedures against Austria and was keen to be there. That's what a leader like him is all about: helping out, even if you can't be on the pitch yourself. It would be even better, of course, if Karim could put on his football boots on Friday. He's someone who's already experienced enough and knows what matters in top games like these.

Bobby Clark has played almost no role recently. What are the future plans for him?

I was only dissatisfied with his training performance last week in the home game against Sturm Graz (1-2, ed.). Otherwise, everything's fine with Bobby. It's logical that things will change in the squad, but now is the wrong time to talk about individual personnel issues. We still have three games left this season that are very important for us. We're focusing on those.

Managing Director Stephan Reiter spoke this week of a "limited exchange" with Red Bull football boss Jürgen Klopp. To what extent do you hope for a more intensive exchange with him in the upcoming transfer window?

Jürgen and I are in regular contact. It's going exactly as planned. My most important contacts at the club are Rouven Schröder (Sports Director, ed.) and my coaching team. It's crucial for me that I get along well with them, because they know exactly what's going on here on a daily basis.