THE Coach of the Austrian team LASK Linz, Dietmar Kuhbauer, assured today that the visit to Sporting, in the third round of the Champions League football league phase, will have to be taken with “very rigor”.
“Sporting played very well in the first two games of the Champions League and we will have to fulfill our mission very rigorously. We have to be on point. To do that, we need to perform at our best”, considered the coach.
In a press conference previewing the match, at the José Alvalade Stadium, in Lisbon, the 55-year-old Austrian praised Colombian striker Luis Suárez, but warned that the ‘lions’ are worth more to their team.
“I think Luis Suárez is one of many good players that Sporting has. Of course he is a great goal scorer, but we hope to neutralize him completely. We will face the whole team and it is important that we all work together. They are a good team as a whole. We really have to prepare for everyone”, he highlighted.
Also called upon to preview the game, Brazilian central defender Alemão, who left Portimonense for LASK Linz in 2025/26, spoke about his experience in Austria and the differences that exist in football terms between the two countries.
“In Austria, there are a lot of transitions and physical football, while in Portugal there is more tactical and individual quality. I left Brazil in search of opportunities, when I was 20 years old. I went to Portimonense, managed to play a lot of games in the I League and consolidate myself. After four years, being here on this stage in the Champions League is a dream come true. The time in Portugal was a growth to be here”, he pointed out.
Sporting, sixth, with six points, hosts LASK Linz, 33rd, still without points, on Wednesday, at 8:00 pm, at the José Alvalade Stadium, in Lisbon, in the third round of the Champions League league phase, refereed by Scotsman Nicholas Walsh.
