David against Goliath or Gurten against Salzburg: The roles in the ÖFB Cup duel between regional league Union Gurten and series champion Red Bull Salzburg could not be clearer than tonight (Josko-Arena, Ried, 8.30 p.m., live on ORF Sport +). “No matter how the game ends, we will be able to take a lot of positive things with us,” says Gurten coach Peter Madritsch (47) before what is probably the biggest game in the Gurtner club’s history to date.
OÖN: Union Gurten against Red Bull Salzburg: How does that sound to you?
Peter Madritsch: It has a certain charm. Salzburg is the outstanding football team in Austria, which is now also one of the big calibers internationally. The Union Gurten is a team that embodies the Innviertel with its working-class mentality.
What is more likely: that SV Ried will be champions this season or that Salzburg will lose the cup against Gurten?
A good question, maybe even the latter. Don’t get me wrong, we’re certainly not megalomaniacs and we know that it’s next to impossible to beat Salzburg. We have due respect for the opponent. Whatever the case, we certainly won’t give up a game in advance. No matter how the game ends: The team can take a lot of positive things with them. My boys worked hard for this game and deserve it.
How do Union Gurten prepare for such an overpowering opponent?
After prior consultation, Salzburg even sent a video analyst to us. Of course we don’t have that option. We got the information primarily from the internet and television broadcasts. One or the other video was leaked to me. In general, we don’t prepare any differently than for a league game. On Monday evening we completed our final training in Antiesenhofen.
Why in Antiesenhofen?
Unfortunately, our place is currently not in good condition. Therefore, on behalf of everyone, I would like to thank Antiesenhofen, especially Kurt Kaltenböck. It’s nice that the neighbors stick together so well here.
A newspaper said that if they beat Salzburg, each player would receive an additional 1,000 euros. Is that correct?
This is complete nonsense. There is a small bonus that we always give in the cup, regardless of the opponent. As a rule, this money is used for part of the training camp so that the deductible for the players is not so high.
Not everyone is happy that they had to go to Ried.
We wanted to offer our loyal fans in Gurten a real folk festival, so it’s really a shame that we can’t play at home. However, due to the space conditions we have to be happy to be able to play in Ried. SV Ried helped us here in a spirit of partnership. We are looking forward to the cup cracker with our “big brother”.
Is there an objective at all for this duel against the series champion?
It’s important to me that the match plan given by the coaching team is implemented, no matter how strong the opponent is.
What advice will you give your players on the pitch?
You should enjoy this probably unique sporting experience. There will be some nervousness before kick-off, but that’s okay. We don’t need to be afraid because we have absolutely nothing to lose.
After last season’s runners-up title with four points from six games, things are not going as well for your team in the Central Regional League. Where do you see the causes?
This yield is not what Gurten claims, to be honest. We would have expected more points, we don’t have to discuss that. The first two weeks were really not good, unfortunately we had too little preparation. The performance curve is now pointing upwards, so I am convinced that we will soon be back on the road to success. The 1-1 draw in Leoben at the weekend was more than just a sign of life. Leoben is probably the strongest regional league team I’ve ever played against as Gurten head coach. My boys gave their all and put up an unbelievable fight for the big favourite. We can build on this achievement.
You have been a trainer in Gurten for four years and were previously an assistant trainer for five years. Gurten finished third in the regional league last season. More is not really possible. Do you think about a new challenge in the football business from time to time?
Before the season there were one or the other request from higher-class clubs. Of course you think about it for a moment, but we’ve achieved so much in the past few years that it quickly became clear to me that I had to stay in Gurten in order to continue working with the team that gave me so much.
Source: Nachrichten
