“Fighting tears after the final whistle”
For the first time since 1998, when Philipp Lienhart was just two years old, Austria will compete in another FIFA World Cup, having sealed their spot this international break. We spoke to the centre-half about the moment that he and Austria secured their place in the competition, before discussing the upcoming Bundesliga tie in Munich.
Huge congratulations on qualifying for the World Cup, Philipp! How does this historic achievement feel for you, and is this game now one of the highlights of your career?
Philipp Lienhart: Without a doubt. The chance to compete at a World Cup with your national team is absolutely one of the most incredible things you can achieve as a footballer. So I’m absolutely over the moon, and the game and this achievement in general are absolutely highlights in my career so far.
What were the big moments like – Gregerl’s (Michael Gregoritsch, editor’s note) goal and the final whistle?
Lienhart: It was such an emotional experience, and I was fighting tears after the final whistle. It was a brilliant feeling to see so many people overjoyed in that stadium. We’ve been working towards this moment for so long and fortunately we finally got our reward in what was a pretty emotional game. I’m particularly pleased for Gregerl. We played together at SC but also years earlier with the Austria U21s. I’m absolutely thrilled that he’s now become a hero in Austria and that he stepped up to the plate in this game to send us to the World Cup.
You mentioned playing with Gregerl at SC – was this achievement the peak of your footballing relationship?
Lienhart: It was definitely the most emotional, and probably the peak too. He also scored a number of really important goals in the Bundesliga and the Europa League, but this goal is at the very least one of his top three.
On Saturday, SC are back in action in the Bundesliga with a trip to Bayern. How much euphoria are you bringing with you to Munich, and what are you aiming for in the clash with the table toppers?
Lienhart: It’s obviously great that I was able to experience something so positive with the national team. We know that it’ll be tough in Munich and we appreciate the unbelievable quality in that side. Nevertheless, I’m still really looking forward to the game. We aren’t heading to the Allianz Arena with the intention of leaving empty-handed. We want to try everything and execute the parts of our game that make us special. It’s also important that we keep hold of the ball to reduce the pressure. We don’t have too much to lose in Munich, but we want to be a good opponent there and achieve a good result.
Photo: Imago Images