Matt Knaus: The Assistant Manager of Red Bull Salzburg, Lothar Matthäus, said at the beginning of the season: "We want to give Vonlanthen the kind of footballing home at Salzburg that he's been missing recently." Have you found that home?

Johan Vonlanthen: In my two years at PSV Eindhoven, NAC Breda, and Brescia Calcio I never found the right balance. I was a PSV player under contract, but was loaned out after a few months to first Brescia and then Breda. I think I've now found that balance, and am pleased to have gained this opportunity at Salzburg. I'm aware that a great deal is expected of me there and so I go about things very differently.
At PSV I was still very young. But I learned a great deal there: for example, how to relate to other players, and the need to be part of the team. I think I've had to learn an incredible amount over the last three years. I can now make use of these experiences, which makes so many things that much easier.

The two Red Bull Salzburg managers, Trapattoni and Matthäus, both possess very strong, independent characters. Is it easy for the players to have two such strong characters as coaches?

Actually it works very well. I think as players we all have huge respect for both coaches. The success they have had speaks for itself. And their roles are clearly delineated: Trapattoni is the boss, Matthäus manages the training sessions in particular. But the two men talk to each other a great deal. Matthäus also spends a lot of time with the individual players, which is something I value greatly.

With a budget of EUR 35 million, Red Bull Salzburg has a fair amount of pressure on it. Qualifying for the Champions' League as quickly as possible is the stated objective.

We have to win every game and put points on the board. Everything else is secondary. Right at the beginning of the season we felt this pressure: The domestic championship is a must, and we need to achieve Champions League qualification for 2007 at all costs. The coaches can handle that, they willingly accept the pressure. And we are motivated.

I think many of us would rather work under a certain amount of pressure. In the last Champions' League qualification round, Valencia was an opponent against whom it could be said: Well, we did everything we could, played well, but lost. I think the coaches have been satisfied with the results we have delivered so far.

It's rare to find such a wealth of footballing experience as you have in the "Trapatthäus" managerial pair. How have you benefited from that so far?

Earlier in my career I was very quick to react emotionally when I couldn't play, in a way that was bad for me. I have learnt from them to be more patient. They also treat me very differently. If I'm not playing, they always come to me and explain why. They've always been positive, telling me I should take things step by step. And so I've slowly played myself into the team.

In footballing terms I've learned a great deal from Matthäus. His drive is unbelievable. When he comes to a training session he gives his all, 120 percent for every player. And he always says: A player can only find his way if the trainer is also prepared to give 120%, leading by example every time. 

Trapattoni tries to unlock the talent in me. Whatever the situation in the game. Some managers demand total adherence to their tactics at all times. But Trapattoni says to me: "Stick to the tactical line when defending, but when attacking you've got free rein. Just follow your instincts." So if I try something and I lose the ball, it's not the end of the world. This gives me greater freedom to express my creativity. Things weren't like that at the other clubs.

On the Red Bull Salzburg website it says that you're still a stranger to defensive work.

But that was said right at the beginning of the season. From the very start it was made clear to me that I should do more defensive work. And then things went really well. The defensive side of things is hugely important to Trapattoni. If you don't give your all in defense too, you don't play.

Your home ground in Salzburg has artificial turf, just like the Stade de Suisse. Do you like that?

Artificial turf is really nice to play on. You see fewer technical errors, for example when receiving a pass. For a technician like myself, it's great. It's something you can exploit. For others who are a bit slower and a bit heavier, it's probably not so great.

But I also love playing on real turf, although I guess everyone has to adapt in their own way. We have artificial turf so we play on artificial turf. But ours really is superb. The ball is also specially made for artificial turf, which makes it quicker.

Doesn't this mean that playing on artificial turf is more attractive for spectators?

Yes, for sure. But on grass things are a bit more... I don't know, that's just football.

So you miss the smell and the mud a bit?

Yes, definitely.

At just 20, you already have experience of top-league football in four different countries. What is special about the different leagues?

I can't say a great deal about the Swiss league. That was a long time ago now, I was 16 and just made brief appearances. Well, I suppose I did always score against GC and Basel. (grins)
Every league has its own particular style of play. The Dutch teams, for example, very much favor playing down the wings with a solitary striker up front. That makes the football attractive – real attacking football. Even the smaller clubs play in this attacking style.

And Italy is famous for its very canny style. For an attacker to get pinched in the back is pretty much standard practice, I would have thought. But I also like the way they don't just dive in. They play very tactically, waiting for you to come to them.

In Austria I'm part of a team that has to win every time. I imagined that we would be winning 4-0 or 5-0 at home with such a team. And things are going well at home, but that's also down to our fans. But when we play away against SV Mattersburg and others, it's difficult. They simply stand back and play a counter-attacking game, which means we have to take the game to them. And of course if you're playing against Salzburg, everyone wants to shine.

Are there major differences in terms of the level of play between national and club games?

The level is improving across the board - whether in Switzerland, Austria, or France. It's important that you always get to play for your club, whatever league you're in.
Before Switzerland's game against Brazil, I remember thinking: Am I up to this international standard if I play in Austria? But I believe you always have the necessary level in you, it's just a question of focusing on each individual game. So you just go out there and try to do your best.

In Salzburg you seem to have found a home, at least in footballing terms. How do you feel when you're in the national team?

It was a great feeling to play for Switzerland again against Brazil. And I think it was a good game. But I always try to concentrate on the next task ahead of me. I'm playing for my club at the moment, and I do the best I can there to show that I'm ready for the national team. Every player wants to be in the team – Euro 08 is just round the corner, and this is an important event for the country as a whole.

I missed the World Cup. After the injury and all the stuff reported off the pitch, the game against Brazil was like a new beginning for me. I think I've learnt from that experience to take my place in the team and not to pay attention to anything else around me. I think it also made me aware of what it means to play for the national side. Having to watch the team play at the World Cup and the two matches afterward as a spectator was very difficult. It was painful to know that you belonged there but that you weren't there. And that has made me all the hungrier for national caps. I am very motivated.

Köbi Kuhn called up 28 players for the game against Brazil. Many young players such as yourself have now gained match practice and experience, and have matured. Will the competition for the key places become greater?

The manager has indicated that there are certainly four or five places that are sewn up. But the other places are still up for grabs.
The opportunities are there, and we have a lot of good players. This kind of competition also motivates me.

But it is vital that as a team we form a good bond. And that's what we do. It's important that this is our basis, as expectations are very high. At the end of the day, it doesn't actually matter who the final 22 are. Those that play simply have to know what is required.

Underneath your profile on the Red Bull Salzburg website is the motto:
“Never forget your roots!” What meaning does this phrase have for you?

I was 12 when I came to Switzerland to stay with my father's grandparents. Many people probably wouldn't understand how I feel in my heart when I look back on how I grew up. I think this is where the significance lies in the phrase: "Never forget your roots."

When I look back and think of everything Switzerland has done for me and my family, there simply aren't words to describe it. Switzerland is my country. It has given me a great deal. And then here I am today, in front of a sea of red and white flags, something I never dreamed could happen. That always gives me the strength to go out onto the pitch and give the gift I have received: Namely, the talent I possess. I will never forget all that. Otherwise I wouldn't be where I am.

What's your tip for the game between Germany and Switzerland on February 7?

I'm not a good tipster... but 2-1 to Switzerland, since you ask. Podolski's always good for a goal. (laughs)

Key figures on the topic

Johan Vonlanthen
Short Biography
1996	Born on February 1, 1986 in Santa Maria, Colombia
1998	Moved to Switzerland
2001	Debut in the Swiss National League A with BSC Young Boys Bern
2003	Transferred to Dutch top-league side PSV Eindhoven
2004	Debut in the Swiss National A side
2005	On loan to Italian top-league side Brescia Calcio
2006	On loan to Dutch top-league side NAC Breda Transferred to Austria to top-league side Red Bull Salzburg

Key figures on the topic

Johan Vonlanthen
Highlights
2000	Swiss national debut in the U15 team U19 European Championship semifinalist
2001	Youngest player and goalscorer of all time in the Swiss National League A  Scores first goal after just six minutes
2003	First Champions' League game for PSV Eindhoven
2004	Participation in European Championships in Portugal Youngest goalscorer of all time in the final rounds of a European Championship Runners-up medal in the Dutch league with PSV Eindhoven Scores a hat-trick in the 6-0 victory over the Faroe Islands in the Swiss national team's World Cup qualification game
2005	Qualification for the World Cup finals in 2006 with the Swiss national team

Homepage Open in a new window. of Johan Vonlanthen
Homepage Open in a new window. of Red Bull Salzburg