“You see things with different eyes”: ÖFB goalkeeper Heinz Lindner talks about his cancer

The Upper Austrian served as the ÖFB’s first goalie in the European Championship qualifying opener against Azerbaijan (4:1) and Estonia (2:1) before he was diagnosed with a testicular tumor.

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The illness has now been overcome, but it has still left its mark. “You see things with different eyes,” Lindner explained on Thursday in Windischgarsten.

“Things that used to annoy you are now so low in importance that they no longer bother you,” said the 33-year-old. “It sounds like a cliché, but the most important thing is to be healthy. I now appreciate waking up and knowing that I am healthy more.”

Lindner behind club legend Moris

Lindner’s illness and surgery became public in May of last year, and after his recovery he no longer played a role at FC Sion. This was followed by a loan to Union Saint-Gilloise in the winter – Lindner played three times for the Belgians, and his club remained unbeaten against Frankfurt, Fenerbahce and St. Truiden.

Otherwise, there was no getting past Luxembourg team goalkeeper Anthony Moris. “It was communicated from the beginning that I was number two. The fact that I didn’t get more appearances is most likely because Moris is the captain and a club legend.”

Lindner’s loan contract with Saint-Gilloise has ended, but a return to FC Sion, which has been promoted back to the highest Swiss league, seems unrealistic. “We’ll see how things develop. I’m certainly not going to Sion to be number two.” As far as a possible new employer is concerned, there are already “some interested parties,” said Lindner.

For Lindner, the search for a club is currently secondary

At the moment, however, the search for a club is secondary to the ÖFB team. Lindner definitely wants to make the cut on June 7th and thus make it into the EURO squad, but just being nominated for the large squad was “overwhelming” and “incredibly nice”.

“It’s just like it used to be, we’re a close-knit bunch.” He will now “give 100 percent training after training and pass on my experience to the goalkeeping team,” Lindner announced.

In the race for the number one jersey, the 33-year-old is considered an outsider alongside the currently nominated Patrick Pentz, Tobias Lawal and Niklas Hedl as well as the currently injured Alexander Schlager. “But I’m going about it like any of us. I’m going full throttle in training and trying to convince the coach.”

This article about Heinz Lindner sums it up:

• Goalkeeper Heinz Lindner is back with the ÖFB team at the training camp in Windischgarsten for the first time since March 2023.
• The Upper Austrian was the national team’s regular goalkeeper in the European Championship qualifiers against Azerbaijan and Estonia before he was diagnosed with testicular cancer.
• The illness has changed the 33-year-old’s perspective: “Things that used to annoy you are now so low in value that they no longer annoy you.”