The name of Stefan Reuter certainly needs no further introduction with international football followers all around the world. In a nutshell, the former German international, who donned the German national football team jersey for 69 times, is in Malta in the role of general manager of German Bundesliga outfit FC Augsburg. The German Bundesliga side are undergoing an intensive one-week training camp on the island before heading home again for the resumption of the second phase of the Bundesliga season with a very important home fixture against Borussia Dortmund on January 17.
In a nutshell, Reuter, 53, lifted the UEFA Champions League trophy in 1996/97 with Borussia Dortmund, having defeated none other than another of his former clubs, Juventus in the final of that edition. The German former right-back also played for Bayern Munich. During his glittering international career, Reuter was a prominent squad member of the German national football team, winning both the FIFA World Cup in 1990 and the UEFA Euro 1996.
During a press conference put up by MFA Sports Plus in conjuction with the Malta Tourism Authority, Reuter spoke to the press about various aspects of football and about his career.
TMI asked the former German footballer if his role with FC Augsburg is that of a long-term project and about his aspirations for the club in the future.
"Yes this has been an ongoing process restructuring within the club. We are very happy with the results that we have been experiencing and our main aspiration and objective is that of getting better and better in time. As you all know the Bundesliga is one of the most difficult competitions in Europe and establishing yourself as a club in it is no joke. We have been working relentlessly to keep our status in the competition and so far we have succeeded. Just to give you a most recent example - recently we won a very important Bundesliga match, which was very important to us in order to stay in the top ten positions (as we are at the moment) and avoid being involved in the relegation zone. We did just that and the satisfaction we all felt after the match remains one to remember for sure in my career. That is our objective - working hard and achieving results."
TMI also asked Reuter about the most important moments and the not-so important ones in his career. With a grin on his face he remarked that he always tries to forget the not-so good moment of his career.
"I try not to remember those! But yes apart from the happy moments like winning the UEFA Champions League against my former club Juventus and the FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro triumphs, I still remember the big disappointment when we lost the UEFA Euro 1992 final at the Ullevi Stadium in Gothenburg, Sweden to Denmark. At that time Danish striker Flemming Poulsen used to play for Borussia Dortmund, the club I had just joined from Juventus in 1992. I still remember him coming back sportingly to taunt us with a grin on his face with his Danish jersey. Of course that defeat still hurts a lot," commented Reuter.