Ottmar Hitzfeld gave an interview to the Videoton website, thanks to the help of the Swiss football associations press officer. Hitzfeld was manager of Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich, which led to both teams winning the European cup. He also played for FC Basel during his playing career.

- With you being the Swiss national team coach, you must have followed FC Basel's participation in the Europa League group stage. What is your view of their performance in the Europa league so far this season?

Well, they have been doing quite well so far. Of course, many supporters had expected them to do better, and to even qualify for the UEFA Champions Leauge. However, having gone very far last season, some people have to learn that the very best to expect from a Swiss team is to qualify for the UEFA Champions League. We must also not forget: Basel lost some of their key players from last season, who helped to achieve the biggest success in the club's history, such as Huggel who retired, Shaqiri who moved to Bayern Munich, Xhaka who was the player that Borussia Mönchengladbach was willing to pay some 8 million Euros for. It is very hard for the new team to make up for that.
 

You played for FC Basel during your playing career. What type of club were FC Basel during the era you played for them?

Well, Basel were one of the most successful teams in Switzerland during those years. I wanted to become a Basel player because I grew up in near-by Lörrach, just some 80 steps into Germany. So I called the then head coach, Mr. Helmut Benthaus, and asked him to give me a chance during a training session. He obviously was both surprised and impressed by a young player acting like this. So I was invited, I stayed and was very lucky to score on my first appearance as a substitute for the club. We were fighting for titles against Grasshopper Club Zurich, FC Zurich and Servette FC Geneva.

Videoton FC have broken onto the international stage this season, from nowhere.... They have beaten such clubs in the qualifying stages as Slovan Bratislava, KAA Gent and Trabzonspor, before going on to beat both FC Basel and Sporting Lisbon in the group stages. How would you summarize Videoton's performance this season?

It is just outstanding. I do not think that many people had ever believed the team could do so well. Now they have achieved so much, nobody has the right to be disappointed anymore about this season’s international performance.

The most recent game saw Videoton beat Basel 2-1 on their home pitch. Did the result surprise you? Which team will be the favourite in the return game in Switzerland on Thursday?

Yes, it did surprise me. Basel have more quality in their team, they dispose of a higher budget than Videoton. That is why I still consider them favourites in the return game. However, you could see in the away game what a team is able of when the squad has moved itself into a superb run. They do not feel the pressure to win at any prize, and they feel the lust to go on further, and have plenty of self-confidence. 

Your one time player, Paulo Sousa, has been manager of Videoton FC for a year and a half now. What kind of a player was Paulo for Dortmund? What do you think about the fact that he has been responsible for one of the biggest successes in Hungarian football over the last few decades?

Paulo has always been an outstanding personality. He used to be a world class player in Dortmund. So it is no surprise at all to me that he has been doing so well.

Do you have any personal memories, whether it was as a player, or as a manager, which was against a Hungarian side, or even against the Hungarian national team?

Well, let’s stay with Paulo and a story that impressed me much. When he came to Borussia, he was not in a perfect shape. He suffered from a knee injury. However, he did not want to let down the team. He wanted to always play. Although he was only at 80% of his normal level, he was still able to be the pillar of the team.

(Fotó: spox.com, AFP)