Gerardo Seoane, how would you explain the philosophy of the Young Boys to a stranger?
We are an ambitious club in a feeder league. Ambitious means: Our aspiration is to compete for the national league title and regularly qualify for Europe competitions. Our players should have the opportunity to show themselves in the best possible light and have optimum conditions to develop so that they can take the next step one day. And the next step is a transfer abroad. If a player is sought after, that shows we’ve done a good job.
Does it upset you as an ambitious coach that you keep losing your best players?
No, because it’s part of our philosophy and it generates significant income. I fully back the plans of the club management. Our outstanding youth development and very good scouting are important. We want YB to be the first port of call for the best talents in Switzerland and that means: We want to do such a good job that players with potential join us and carry on developing here with us. And if a player gets to the point of making it abroad then we’re proud of that. There are a number of players who have made it to the Bundesliga and established themselves: Kevin Mbabu at Wolfsburg, Denis Zakaria at Mönchengladbach and Djibril Sow at Frankfurt are three of them.
The Bundesliga is very popular in Switzerland. Why is that?
The Bundesliga is primarily very attractive to football fans in German-speaking Switzerland, which is definitely also due to geography and language. During my childhood there was the Sportschau on ARD and the ‘ran’ programme, which I remember well. And, for us Swiss, a player like Stéphane Chapuisat at Dortmund with the coach Ottmar Hitzfeld is a role model. ‘Chappi’ led the way for our country in Germany. I really appreciate working with him as the head scout at YB.
Where do you rank the Bundesliga in comparison with other top leagues?
The total package is incredibly attractive. In normal times there’s a great atmosphere at the stadiums and I think the football has become more varied. It covers all approaches and different styles. The league has teams that place greater value on the ability to battle and put in the running and others that always try to find solutions with the ball. The different tactical approaches are interesting. The Bundesliga plays a very good role in Europe. But I think it’s very difficult to make comparisons with other leagues and rank them.
YB now face Bayer 04 in the Europa League Round of 32. How are you setting up your team?
For a team with incredible potential and a clear playing philosophy. They place great value on the way they play and the attack stands out with its dynamism and pace. I really like watching Bayer 04. On top of that, they’re a club that’s been in the top third of the league for years. I also think it’s exciting the way Leverkusen keep on producing young players who can play for the first team. I’m thinking of the 17-year-old Florian Wirtz.
Bayer 04 have had several Swiss players in the past.
Tranquillo Barnetta, Pirmin Schwegler, Admir Mehmedi, Eren Derdiyok - they were why a lot of Swiss fans followed Leverkusen. Me too. It’s always exciting to see how our fellow countryman get on abroad.
Bayer 04 are coached by Peter Bosz. Have you two ever played each other?
No, unfortunately we’ve never met before. But I have a very positive impression of him. I saw him on ZDF in the ‘Sportstudio’ programme at the start of the year. He looks calm and always makes himself clear. And the attractive football Bayer 04 play carries the Peter Bosz thumbprint.
What’s your assessment of YB against Leverkusen?
We clearly see ourselves as the underdogs. But that doesn’t mean we think we haven’t got a chance. We want to put on a good display and take our chances if they come.
