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Austrian soccer champion Red Bull Salzburg was assigned a solvable task in the Champions League tiebreaker.
The managers of the Red Bull Salzburg club reacted very cautiously. On Tuesday, after the UEFA draw in Nyon, there was no applause for a task that can be solved in the Champions League play-off and no warning about supposedly tough opponents. There have been too many unforeseen events in recent years in qualifying for the premier class. The story is now well known: The Bulls failed to reach the group stage a total of eleven times between 2006 and 2018 before being able to put this vice behind once and for all last season with a memorable Champions League season. .
Salzburg sporting director Christoph Freund said briefly in his statement: “Now we know the approximate direction, nothing more. But of course we will examine the two opponents very carefully and then take the necessary measures.” And coach Jesse Marsch added: “I think both teams are of great quality and the match will by no means be easy. Now we have to look at this game carefully and then analyze the opponent carefully.”
This is the third-round duel in the Champions League classification between Israeli champion Maccabi Tel Aviv and Belarusian champion Dynamo Brest. Red Bull Salzburg will meet the newcomer, who will be determined in a single game on September 16 due to the coronavirus pandemic. The play-off, on the other hand, will be decided as usual in a return match (22/23 and 29/30 September). Salzburg will initially play away and want to grow with the task, as they did in the Champions League and the Bundesliga final last season.
Albert Vallci knows how to do this. The long-underrated defense attorney has now proven that the biggest professional step of his life a year and a half ago was the right one. Vallci once played for Lafnitz, Horn and Wacker Innsbruck, when, in January 2019, a call from then-head coach Marco Rose threw him out of his mind. The Styrian native traded in the series champion for a transfer fee of 750,000 euros, and initially not only one or the other fan, but also Vallci himself wondered what he was doing at Red Bull Salzburg. The defense all-rounder, which has already cost 2.5 million euros, gave the answer himself on the field of play. After his gala performance at 2-2 in the friendly against Liverpool, Vallci can expect more minutes than last season. He had only been a stand-in for the injured Rasmus Kristensen, but had drawn attention to himself with compelling performances, prompting Jesse Marsch to say, “Fortune favors the brave.” (In German: happiness is with the brave).
Luck and courage: Salzburg will also put all this on the line in the play-offs against Maccabi Tel Aviv or Brest at the end of September. The bulls will be favored against both clubs, although the Israelis are undoubtedly the heaviest party. Red Bull Salzburg have already ended up playing against an Israeli club twice (2009 against Maccabi Haifa, 2010 against Hapoel Tel Aviv). These haunting memories also explain the reluctance of the club bosses after the draw.
A portrait of Red Bull Salzburg’s potential rivals
Maccabi Tel Aviv
Founded in 1906, Maccabi Tel Aviv is not only one of the oldest football clubs in Israel, but also the most successful with 22 championships and 23 cups. Maccabi has played in the highest league in the country (Ligat ha’Al) without interruption since 1949 and is also known for his successful basketball division. The Star of David in the execution of the Maccabi movement is highlighted in the club’s coat of arms, which aims to promote Jewish youth awareness of religious, cultural and national values.
Coach: Georgios Donis (GRE / since 2020)
Stadium: Bloomfield Stadium (29,150 seats)
Season 2019/20: Master without defeat
six points ahead of Maccabi Haifa
FK Dynamo Brest
Founded in 1960, the greatest success in the club’s history came in the 2019 season when they won the Belarusian championship for the first time. Since July 17, 2018, none other than Diego Maradona is president in Brest. The disturbing images of his presentation are remembered when the Argentine got into a gigantic military jeep. According to the newspaper “La Nación”, Maradona, who has signed for three years, will contribute 20 million dollars for the presidency.
Coach: Sergey Kovalchuk (BLR / since 2020)
Stadium: Stadyen DASK Brestski (10,170 seats)
2019 season (All-season championship): Champion five points ahead of BATE Baryssau, currently Brest is tenth after 20 match days.
