Austria goalie Schierl

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Domenik Schierl is a vociferous driver on the pitch.

(Bild: GEPA pictures)

Domenik Schierl wants to stay with Lustenauer Austria until at least 2026. The goalkeeper is the Green-Whites' main support and has matured into a figurehead. He firmly believes in staying in the league, he says in the "Krone" interview.

"Krone":Why did you decide so early on to stay in Lustenau until 2026 - assuming the club stays in the league?
DomenikSchierl: That was never a big consideration for me. The club has simply grown on me over the five years. I really feel at home in Lustenau and wanted to make a statement. My goal is to play in the Bundesliga in the new stadium.

What do you like so much about Vorarlberg?
The environment at the club is perfect and I also get on really well with my team-mates. But I'm also someone who likes to be outdoors and do things. The mountains and Lake Constance are ideal for this. The most important thing is that I feel happy and that's exactly what I do here.

Goalie Schierl wants to keep the team in the league with the Green-Whites.

(Bild: GEPA)

As Austria's goalkeeper, you haven't exactly had it easy this season. How frustrating was the fall in particular for you, when you had to make 40 saves?
If you can't deal with that in sport, you're out of place. Everyone goes through phases like that, even Bayern don't just have good times. But of course, constant defeats wear on you. If it's all negative, you're simply in a worse mood. You get yourself back on your feet again and again, you're full of energy in training, only to get hit in the face again at the weekend.

That changed in the spring - apart from the 0:7 in Salzburg. What's different now compared to the horror fall?
It's no secret that I had clear words before the winter break when it came to quality. I'm just an impulsive and emotional person who openly says what he thinks. The club reacted in the winter. Our coach is exactly the right person at this stage. He has a clear plan on how we can do it and we are all firmly convinced of it. We're now in a much better position than we were a few weeks ago. There will be ten tough final games in which it will be very close. But we will make it.

Why are you so confident?
We feel extremely strong mentally now. We put in our best performance in the 1:1 draw at Rapid, even though we didn't win. But unfortunately the VAR was also to blame for that, as it has hardly ever been on our side in controversial decisions.

Your word carries weight in the team. You are an absolute leader. How do you deal with that?
That alone underlines my position as goalkeeper. I try to give young players support when I feel they need it. And I address things clearly. I came here as a youngster in 2019 and am now trying to contribute my experience. I've earned this status with my performances.

You stood out from the team even in the poor fall. According to the Bundesliga statistics, you saved 91 shots in the basic round. That's the highest figure of any goalkeeper. How do you manage to maintain this level, or even improve on it?
Consistency is definitely my greatest strength. It was clear to me from an early age that I wanted to play as a goalkeeper. And I have the feeling that I'm improving from year to year. I'm now 29 years old and in my prime as a goalkeeper. I think I can and want to play at this level for many years to come.

Have you already thought about what will happen after your goalkeeping career? Could you imagine staying in Vorarlberg for good?
I haven't thought about that yet. If I feel happy here, my future could also lie in Vorarlberg.

When you look back on almost five years in Lustenau. What do you remember?
The semi-final in the ÖFB Cup against Wacker Innsbruck with almost 8,000 spectators behind me is unforgettable. My happiest soccer years so far were the promotion season and the first year in the Bundesliga. That's when we got into a real flow and weren't even afraid of Bayern.