“Around 4,000 fans will travel with us, we’re proud that there is such support. We’ll try everything not to disappoint them,” assured Salzburg coach Matthias Jaissle. Five planes, 20 buses and an enormous number of private cars will set off. “We are thrilled that so many fans are coming to Milan,” said Salzburg Managing Director Stephan Reiter, who also spoke of an “exciting organizational challenge”.
The team takes off for Milan on Tuesday followingnoon (1 p.m.). Midfielder Nicolas Capaldo (knee problem) and striker Fernando (hamstring injury) are still out. The return of top central defender Oumar Solet is still in doubt. The 22-year-old Frenchman, like striker Junior Adamu, who last scored once morest Chelsea (1-2), did not train with the team on Monday due to thigh problems. The final training session on Tuesday in San Siro should provide information for both of them.
Jaissle has not yet had any experience with the Italian football temple. “I’ve only seen it from the outside so far – very impressive, very impressive. All the better that I have free entry on Wednesday,” joked the 34-year-old German. Before the first game, not many would have believed his team might have worked out a final in Milan in the “hammer group” with Chelsea, Milan and Dinamo Zagreb. “That alone is a huge achievement.”
If you win a point you would definitely be in the intermediate round of the Europa League. “Our goal was to still be on the international stage in the spring,” explained midfield youngster Maurits Kjaergaard. “The chance is still there and with an away win we might even get into the Champions League. We want to do that and we will do everything we can to achieve it. But we also know that it will be extremely difficult to beat the Italian champions at home. “
The game will be officiated by top Spanish referee Antonio Mateu Lahoz. The 45-year-old sports teacher from the Valencia region has never refereed a game for an Austrian club team. Last year he was in charge of the Champions League final between Chelsea and Manchester City (1-0). At the tournament in Qatar, which starts in less than three weeks, Mateu Lahoz is already completing his third World Cup as a referee following 2014 and 2018.
