"A Functioning Team Dynamic Is Essential"

Head coach Thomas Darazs, after around six weeks of preparation with six friendly matches (three wins, three draws) and a successful cup opener against Gurten, LASK starts the new Bundesliga season in Hartberg on Saturday. How do you look back on the preparation period and what insights did the friendly matches provide?
DARAZS: Overall, we are satisfied with the preparation. The selection of opponents for the friendlies was good, allowing us to try out a lot and gain some valuable insights. I'm very pleased with the enthusiasm, effort, and commitment shown by the players. It was crucial for us to build strong relationships and develop principles for collaboration. A functioning team dynamic and an environment where players feel comfortable and can thrive are essential. On the pitch, we've worked intensively on our playing style and understanding of the game.

What were the main focus areas in training?
Essentially, we aim to center everything around the ball, our play, and our philosophy. We used every session to work on content, both in smaller and larger game forms. So far, we are satisfied with our progress; in some friendlies, like against Galatasaray, and also in the cup match against Gurten, we saw the direction we want to go.

The team put in a dominant performance in the 3-0 cup win against Gurten. To what extent did the performance meet your expectations?
It was largely a game as we expected. Many aspects were good, and it was a mature performance from us, which we can build on. You could see how we want to behave in possession against a well-organized opponent, and we were well-prepared for moments of losing the ball. However, we still want to improve in many areas, and we are aware that the game against Hartberg will be even more challenging.

Since you took over as head coach, the playing style has changed. What is particularly important to you about your style of play?
We want to be proactive rather than reactive and primarily seek our own success. Step by step, we aim to develop the team to dominate games. This requires good solutions both with and without the ball, allowing us to be successful against any opponent. Moreover, it should be clear to every spectator that a united team is on the field. The team should always come first, but individual performances should also be evident. I hope that by the end of the game, fans leave with joy and have enjoyed the match.

Six new players have been signed so far. How satisfied are you with the current squad, and are any further changes planned?
I'm very satisfied with the squad; we have many highly talented players with great potential. Sport director Radovan Vujanovic and his team are doing excellent work, and we are in constant communication, discussing all ideas quickly and internally. It's crucial to give new players some time to understand our philosophy and to learn the behaviors required both on the field and in daily interactions.

What is the status of the injured players?
The loss of Florian Flecker is a blow not only because of his performance in games but also because he leads by example in training and motivates other players. However, I am confident he will be back to help us soon. Rene Renner is on a good path, but we need to be patient and reintegrate him step by step. We also need to handle Adil Taoui, Jerome Boateng, and Maximilian Entrup with care. Andres Andrade, Ivan Ljubic, and Ibrahim Mustapha will still need more time to recover.

How much of the starting lineup for the first rounds do you already have in mind?
We definitely have a basic structure in mind. However, it's also about finding the right types of players for each opponent, who can best help us succeed with their strengths. We have a lot of games until Christmas, so I expect all squad players to be ready to play at any time.

Last season, you finished in the top three for the sixth time since the founding of the Bundesliga in 1974, thanks to a strong performance in the Championship Group. What are your goals for the upcoming season?
We're not committing to a specific position. We need to see how all the teams develop and can perhaps better assess our standing after a few weeks. Once our final squad is set, it will be time to create an overarching vision. Initially, we want to quickly deliver good performances to start the season well. I also hope that we can quickly captivate our fans with an attractive style of play.

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