Captains Seidl and Fischer in the derby double: “We are role models”

Seidl: No, not yet. But that won’t be the most important thing. What’s important is that everyone is aware of how the first duels will go: we’ll have to give it a few extra percent against Austria! I thought my first derbies were really cool. I think it will be the same again as captain.

Manfred, you were Austria captain for the first time in the 0-3 derby. Why will things go better this time?

Fischer: We are more stable than in February. We had a lot of players out in the 3-0 defeat, we weren’t in good shape – it was just a bad performance. I hope that we can all reach our limits this time. Then it will be a cool derby for Austria. Otherwise we’ll have problems.

You will also face each other directly in the center of midfield. How do you see each other as opponents?

Fischer: I won’t tell you what we thought about to stop Matthias (laughs). The important thing is that we don’t concentrate on one Rapid player, we have to get them all under control – through the collective.

Seidl: One thing is clear: things can get heated in a direct duel. Things are going to get pretty intense.

Matthias Seidl suspects that his strong stamina has something to do with his childhood, when he often went mountain climbing with his parents. Where did you become an endurance runner?

Fischer: Cross-country skiing, definitely. My grandparents have a cross-country ski trail in Styria. I had to choose between these sports back then. And now I go cross-country skiing on the football field (laughs).

Neither of them has a full academy education. Is that more of a blessing or a curse?

Seidl: Probably a blessing, otherwise neither of us would be standing here now. For me it was an advantage that as a 15-year-old I played with Kuchl against 30-year-olds and learned to assert myself despite being physically inferior.

Fischer: I have seen so many talented people who didn’t make it, even though I thought to myself at the time: “He’s much better than me.”

Are players who have to take a detour more resilient?

Seidl: You also have to assert yourself in the academy.

Fischer: There comes a point where you just have to work harder to get to the top. We are both role models that show that you can make it without an academy. Young people who might drop out of the academy might think: “Hey, they’re showing me that it can still work like this!”

How many extra hours do you work as a captain?

Seidl: There are more media appointments, but the club distributes them well: players who have to do things more often are left out on other occasions.

Fischer: That’s not a problem for me. Whether it’s an interview or a fan meeting – I’m happy to go because I support the club and therefore see all events as positive.

Matthias Seidl’s brother is a U-21 team player, another plays in the regional league. Do you also come from a football family?

Fischer: No, my sister plays too, but that’s it. It was important to my parents that I learn as many sports as possible. In addition to cross-country skiing, I was also good at tennis.

Seidl: I always enjoyed skiing. But the only competitive sport I could have done was football. Kuchl offers good training: In addition to my brothers, team player Nici Seiwald and the Meisl brothers also come from the town.

Do you prefer being in Kuchl rather than in the big city?

Seidl: Well, I really like being at home (laughs). Vienna is great, really good. I’d like to spend a few years there. But sooner or later I’ll be drawn back to the country.

Fischer: I couldn’t have imagined it like that at the beginning, but my opinion has really changed in the first three years: I really like Vienna! Even though I’m so attached to my hometown that I often go home to the countryside.

Unlike Matthias Seidl, could you still become a real Viennese?

Fischer: No, because I can’t get rid of the Styrian in my dialect anymore.