ÖFB Star Ahead of Iconic Derby
“We used to go at each other with machetes”
“Święta Wojna” or “Holy War”— that’s what they call the rivalry in Poland between the Kraków rivals Wisła and Cracovia—and despite this warlike name, an Austrian named Dominik Baumgartner is set to join the fray, having only moved this summer from Wolfsberger AC to the smaller city club Cracovia! What the 30-year-old has to say about this heated rivalry, what sets him and his brother Christoph apart from the members of Oasis, why Franco Foda was the wrong head coach for him personally, and what family celebrations are like in the Baumgartner household—you can read all about it in Part 2 of the krone.atinterview OR watch it in the video!
Kronen Zeitung als bevorzugte Google-Quelle hinzufügen krone.at: What’s your experience with the fans here in Poland—in general, but also specifically here in Kraków? The average Polish soccer fan isn’t exactly known for being particularly shy, quiet, or phlegmatic…
Dominik Baumgartner: No, absolutely not—there’s always an incredible atmosphere here, and the fans get frustrated pretty quickly. I remember our first game in Poznań—that’s a special story I have to share: There’s a unique bond between the fans there, where the Cracovia and Lech ultras stand in the same section of the stands. I don’t think that’s something you see every day… [pauses briefly] … Unfortunately, I wasn’t there, but it must feel strange for a player to have both fan groups in the same stands. I’ve never really experienced anything like that. Basically, I think the fans here are fully committed. If you don’t perform as expected and they feel like you’re not 100 percent committed, not giving 100 percent, then they get dissatisfied very quickly—and they make sure you know it. But they’ll still be back for the next game, which shows just how much the club means to them...
krone.at: So basically: Mistakes are forgiven, yes—as long as you at least feel like you’re giving it your all?
Baumgartner: Exactly ! If they feel the team really tried everything and the opponent was simply better that day, then they’ll appreciate that. But if they feel the team didn’t give 100 percent, then they’re really disappointed.
krone.at: On November 7, there will be the first Kraków derby since May 1, 2022—due to Wisła’s four-year stint in the second division. What can we expect from the atmosphere in the stadium for a game like this, given that the rivalry is commonly referred to as “Święta Wojna,” or “Holy War”?
Baumgartner: I was actually able to experience the really small derby here against Wieczysta, and what went down in the stands was just unbelievable. Overall, it was a great game for us because we turned it around in the last five minutes to secure a 3–2 victory; there was a 10– to 15-minute delay due to pyrotechnics.
The atmosphere in the stadium was truly incredible—and I’m really looking forward to seeing what it’ll be like at Wisła Stadium. I hope there won’t be any major disturbances, though I’m afraid it might not be possible to prevent them entirely. There’s just been too much going on there in the past—though from what I’ve heard from my teammates, it’s not supposed to be quite as wild as it used to be. There were times when they went at each other with machetes.
krone.at: Changing the subject a bit : You’ve played 17 times for Austria’s U21 team. However, you’ve never been given the chance to play for the senior national team. Why didn’t you make it all the way to the top?
Baumgartner: A lot of things just have to fall into place, and—let’s not forget—I suffered two cruciate ligament tears when I was 17 and 18. That’s obviously not exactly conducive to a player’s development.
krone.at: And yet you still made it onto the U21 team…
Baumgartner: Yes , I’m generally still satisfied with my career, even considering the injuries. I was even on standby for the senior national team squad once, and it’s likely that, during my best time at WAC with the Europa League matches, Franco Foda just happened to be the wrong head coach for me. I don’t mean that in a bad way at all—everyone just has their own approach. I think that if there had been a different coach, it might have been enough for me to make the squad at least once. But everything has to fall into place—and above all, we were probably among the best-equipped in Austria when it came to the center-back position. With David Alaba, Martin Hinteregger, Aleksandar Dragovic, and Gernot Trauner, three or four positions have been locked down for years—you have to be honest about that...
krone.at: As a trained left back, you would have had better chances
Baumgartner: Of course! Unfortunately, we have positions on the Austrian national team where it probably would have been easier. I’d like to see that stop being so easy in the future, because then the team would be on an entirely different level. We have positions where we’re still just a bit short of the absolute European elite. The center-back position is definitely not one of them—we Austrians are very fortunate there.
krone.at: Thanks to your younger brother, the name Baumgartner is still a common one on the Austrian national team. How do you feel about the fact that Christoph has, to some extent, surpassed you?
Baumgartner: Oh, that doesn’t bother me personally at all. I’m actually much happier for him, …
krone.at: So you guys aren’t like the Gallagher brothers from Oasis, who are sworn enemies and can’t stand to see the other succeed?
Baumgartner: No, absolutely not! I don’t gain anything by not being happy for him—it wouldn’t make me any better… [pauses to think] … No, I’m just happy for him! He’s just come through a very difficult period—after all, it was his first major injury.
krone.at: How much did you suffer along with him last July when the news broke?
Baumgartner: Yes, very much so! I was taking a coaching course at the time, and we went to watch the game where the injury happened. I’d already been keeping a close eye on him during warm-ups, and when he took that shot, I noticed he grabbed his thigh right afterward… [hesitates briefly] Of course, no one expected it to be that bad—but even a torn muscle fiber or something like that would have been enough to cause him to miss most of the World Cup. And when a player grabs his thigh right after a shot—the way he did—it’s clear that’s a bad sign.
krone.at: Now that he’s back in shape—have you spoken with him in the last few days to see how he’s doing and how he’s feeling?
Baumgartner: Yes, we talk on the phone regularly! He’s my son’s godfather, and since we don’t see each other that often, we have to keep in touch over the phone. Thank goodness for video calls and things like that to keep us connected. We spoke on the phone shortly before his comeback, and he already mentioned that it might be possible for him to make the Matchdays roster against Real...
krone.at: For the Champions League…
Baumgartner: For the Champions League, exactly! That was always his goal from the start of rehab—to be ready for that game—a very ambitious goal. And for a while, it didn’t look too good, even though his rehab went great. So I’m glad he’s back now and was rewarded with playing time. It’s always extra special at the Bernabéu, of course, and when you cap off a performance there with an assist, that’s a huge success from a personal standpoint. Even if the overall result wasn’t good…
krone.at: Your cousin Stefan Feiertag is also injured, which is why he couldn’t even take a seat on the bench during the head-to-head match between your two clubs. Generally speaking: How strange is it that two cousins, whose careers in Austria didn’t really overlap, are meeting in Kraków as players for two city rivals?
Baumgartner: Well , we’ve actually played against each other two or three times in Austria, back when he was still with Blau-Weiß Linz and I was with WAC. There’s even a really cool photo of us both with our eyes closed during a header... [grins mischievously]... No, of course it’s really strange that we’re meeting again in such a big city. It just shows how small the soccer world is. And of course, before I made the move, I got to talk with Stefan about what life is like in Poland.
krone.at: He’d already had some experience in Poland before that...
Baumgartner: Exactly, he played for ŁKS Łódź. So he already knew the city and had nothing but good things to say about it. Of course, it was a real shame that the matchup on the field didn’t happen. My family was there, and his family was there too—it would have been a special game.
krone.at: For our viewers’ information: What kind of injury was it, exactly?
Baumgartner: He fractured some cartilage—so it’s a very serious injury. It’ll definitely take some time to heal; I hope he can be back in full form by spring. We’re just hoping everything turns out okay...
krone.at: What are family gatherings like at the Baumgartner household? With you as a soccer player, your brother as a soccer player, and your father, who played in the regional league for many years. Is there even any topic other than soccer?
Baumgartner: When we’re all home at the same time, we always get together—usually at Grandma’s house, where she very often cooks for everyone. Of course, we talk a lot about soccer—that’s for sure—but perhaps partly because of my son, the focus has shifted a bit toward family stories. So it’s not just soccer, but of course there’s still plenty of soccer in the Baumgartner household.
krone.at: Speaking of Horn: Dominik Baumgartner, Christoph Baumgartner, Leo Greiml, Stefan Feiertag—all from Horn, all between the ages of 24 and 30, and all playing professional soccer, which, statistically speaking, shouldn’t be possible in such high numbers in a town of 6,500 people like Horn. What do they put in the drinking water in Horn?
Baumgartner: [laughs] No, I don’t think it’s really the drinking water! It’s simply that the youth development program and the infrastructure for young players in Horn are outstanding. There are facilities there that you’d probably rarely find anywhere else in Austria—I would have loved to have had something like that at WAC, too. In addition to club activities and training, what you do at home is very important. If, like us, you play together in the yard every day, that makes a difference. I think you learn a lot more as a child there than you do on the soccer field or at soccer practice. With the PlayStation and the like, there’s sometimes a bit of a gap in what used to be the norm: being outside, playing soccer, or doing other sports. That’s definitely a major key to success.
krone.at: Not to say anything against Horn, but you’re not exactly exposed to the temptations of a big city there either…
Baumgartner: Of course, yes! Although for us country bumpkins, Horn is already a real big city… [laughs] … We live another 20 minutes away from Horn, where we have just one store to shop at—and that’s it; there’s really nothing else there. So you just spend your time outside or in the woods, and I think that makes a huge, huge difference...
krone.at: To wrap things up: You’re 30 years old now, which is certainly not old for a professional soccer player, but I think we both know that you have fewer years left in your career than you’ve already had. Do you have any concrete plans regarding how long you want to keep playing and what comes next?
Baumgartner: No, not really! Here at Cracovia, I still have a two-year contract and then an option year—we’ll see how things develop... [pauses briefly] Of course , the end of my career is getting closer and closer—there’s no question about that—but I think I still have a few years left in me. But I’ve since completed a degree in Business Administration and Sports, so I have an MBA. The business side of soccer would still appeal to me to some extent, though more in the direction of a sports director—but I can also imagine a life without soccer quite well, to be perfectly honest… [hesitates briefly] As a soccer player, you have a very nice life, but it doesn’t always have only advantages: family celebrations like weddings and so on, which, after all, take place on weekends, are something you can’t attend very often. But okay, compared to how well off we generally are, those are really minor drawbacks.
This article has been automatically translated,
read the original article here.
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