2023-07-30 08:03:00
“A descent is probably the most painful thing you can experience as an athlete,” says Maximilian Senft, coach of SV Guntamatic Ried, in an interview with OÖN. The 33-year-old should lead the Rieder footballers back to the Bundesliga. On Sunday, SV Ried makes a guest appearance at Floridsdorfer AC for the start of the second division. Senft is married and the father of a 15-month-old daughter.
OÖN: Hand on heart: In recent years, SV Ried has earned the sad reputation of being the “coach graveyard”. How big is the respect for this task and what were the reasons for the contract extension?
Maximilian Senft: It is difficult for me to assess the criteria according to which the decisions you mentioned were made in the past. It was important to me what prospects we had going into the second division.
What perspectives are these?
There are realistic expectations in the club, and we agree on which (playful) ideas we are pursuing. In addition, my wishes were also fulfilled in the support team. We have a clear two-year plan with the goal of promotion. So I assume we get that time. Of course, the prerequisite for this is that the club is satisfied with my work. I would like to implement our Rieder game idea with the team. I think a clear line is also an advantage for the club.
What does the game idea you mentioned look like?
We want to defend more actively going forward. That doesn’t mean that we’re going to run up front all the time, but we want to win more balls as we move forward. At the same time, our goal is to act in a controlled and determined manner when we have the ball in order to score goals.
Is anticipation or nervousness dominant before the league kick-off?
It’s a positive tension. I have a very good feeling and am convinced that we are on the right track and that the development will be positive.
What can you take away from the hard-fought 3-1 cup win once morest Wels?
There’s still a lot of room for improvement, unfortunately we didn’t manage to overcome the last line of defense of the very tall Welser often enough. I was pleased that the substitutes made the difference in the second half. I also find it remarkable that two 17-year-old players from our own youth team withstood the pressure of this game. In a professional team, that is anything but a matter of course.
If the season opener doesn’t go as planned, the critics won’t sit still for long. Are you prepared?
Yes, that’s what you have to be as a football coach. It’s part of the business.
How do you assess the level of the second division?
One of the big challenges will be playing every game with the same attitude. It makes a difference whether you play once morest Stripfing on a Sunday morning, for example, or at home once morest GAK on a Friday evening, hopefully with a full house. If you deal well with different circumstances, you have chances to play a good role in this league. In general, the second league is very intense with a lot of tough duels and running intensity. We must always demonstrate these qualities one hundred percent.
In training a few days ago you loudly said the words “There will be nobody this season who doesn’t run the whole game”. What exactly did you want to pass on to the team?
I expect everyone to run until they literally drop and push their limits.
So far, eleven new players have been signed, plus several young professionals. What was particularly important when putting together the squad?
On the one hand, we checked that the experienced players like Andi Leitner, Nikki Havenaar and Marc Andre Schmerböck are top performers with a strong personality and bring these qualities to the dressing room. Together with the other players who already have experience in professional football, the very young team members are supported but also protected. This “cabin culture” is important to me, it can’t generally be the case that a 17-year-old is put under pressure to decide a game.
The home statistics in the relegation season were disastrous. How do you want to get the fans on board?
SV Ried is known for its fan culture and fan tradition in a great stadium. That can be a deciding factor. The whole team has a duty to show full passion from the first to the last minute. If the fans feel that, I am convinced that we will have the fans fully on our side.
How is the staff?
Nils Seufert is fit, Marcel Ziegl is unavailable due to a heel spur. Michael Martin is back in team training following a three-month break, but it will take a while for him. It will also take a while for Belmin Beganovic (muscle fiber injury). Marc Andre Schmerböck has muscular problems, his use once morest FAC is very questionable.
Where do you still see a great need for action in terms of management?
The intensive search for a left central defender and a center forward is ongoing.
How impatient are you for the long-awaited centre-forward?
I would only be impatient if I had the feeling that a solution was not being sought at high pressure. I know how the transfer market works and I have a lot of faith in sporting director Wolfgang Fiala, who works with the club from morning to night with full commitment.
Will there still be departures until the end of August? Among other things, Aleksandar Lutovac and Michael Martin (both have an exit clause, editor’s note) should still be “shaky candidates”?
It’s a bit like looking into the much-quoted crystal ball. The transfer market is moving so it’s hard to say. Aleksandar Lutovac is a true professional through and through, who has his heart in the right place. I would like to keep him here because his personality is really good for the team. The situation with Michael Martin is similar, we have to wait and see, such are the mechanisms of the transfer market, which is open until the end of August.
Author
Thomas Streif
Editorial office Innviertel
Thomas Streif
1690708220
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