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Soriano: Salzburg own role as stepping-stone club
- Jonathan Soriano is FC Salzburg's all-time leading goalscorer
- The Catalan is now working for DAZN at FIFA Club World Cup
- He spoke to FIFA about his "magical" spell at the Austrian club
As odd as it might seem, one of the biggest icons at the most-decorated club in the Austrian game is actually a Catalan goal-getter who once plied his trade for Barcelona’s second string and their cross-city foes Espanyol.
When FC Salzburg secured Jonathan Soriano’s services back in 2012, they knew full well that they had a natural goalscorer on their hands, but few could have predicted that five years later, when he called time on his spell at Die Rotten Bullen, he would do so as the club’s all-time leading marksman, with a breathtaking 172 goals to his name. It is a record that, to this day, no one has even come close to touching.
Few, then, are better placed to comment on the philosophy behind Salzburg’s success and their prolific production line of potent poachers. “I think it’s down to the club’s mentality,” he said, applauding the Austrian outfit’s strategy of recruiting young talents and nurturing them before selling them on to Europe’s elite clubs.
Having hung up his boots, Soriano has turned to television punditry, a role that allows him to keep close tabs on the Spanish game. Unsurprisingly, he is confident in offering views on the two La Liga heavyweights who qualified for the FIFA Club World Cup 2025™: Real Madrid C. F. and Atlético de Madrid.
He sees a bright future for the former under Xabi Alonso’s stewardship, while offering praise for Atleti’s long-serving coach, Diego Simeone, despite the Rojiblancos’ group-stage exit on USA soil.
FIFA: How are you finding your work covering the Club World Cup for DAZN?
Jonathan Soriano: Well, I used to get nervous when I was a player, that’s for sure. When taking a penalty, I could get it all wrong and miss it. It’s the same story [in broadcasting]. But nerves aren’t always a bad thing. They actually help me focus. My hands don’t shake or anything, but I do get a little nervous when interviewing a player. I want to get it right and not make any mistakes. The nerves keep me sharp and focused on doing a good job. That’s why I always say it’s all about whether you’re able to manage them. I think I’ve more or less got on top of them now, but it’s true that nerves make you pay extra attention to what you say on camera.
You were born the same year as Luka Modric. What do you make of the fact that, at 39, he’s still performing at the highest level?
It really is incredible. You see veteran players who are still going strong, but very few are competing at such a high level. It’s fantastic to see, especially when you consider how the physical side of the game has evolved and how players now look after themselves, with proper nutrition and conditioning. Things have moved on a lot in that regard, and I think it’s here for the long haul. Players today are more athletic and are able to keep going for longer. The younger generations are coming through with this mentality already ingrained: eat well and rest properly. Back in my day, that wasn’t really the case. That’s the direction modern football is heading, and it’s here to stay.
What memories do you have of your magical spell at Salzburg?
Well, you’ve hit the nail on the head there: it was magical. Initially it was Barça B that gave me the platform to jump-start my career, but at top-flight level, it was at Salzburg that I really came into my own. I was made captain, I learned a great deal and I was lucky to be part of a brilliant group. I had some excellent team-mates, and it really was an unforgettable time for me because I got so much out of it. I’d been at Espanyol, where I hadn’t had much of a run in the side, and then to be back on the European stage, winning games and lifting trophies – for me, that was the best spell of my career.
What is it about Salzburg that makes them capable of producing so many top-class strikers?
I think it comes down to the club’s mentality. They look to sign players who haven’t yet made a name for themselves in their home countries. They can’t look to England and go and sign a Liverpool player, for instance. That kind of player just wouldn’t be prepared to leave. But they are able to bring in a player from the French third division, Norway or a reserve side at a Spanish club. I joined from Espanyol and people said to me: “Austria? What are you doing going there?” Most folk didn’t even realise that there was a league there. But in Austria, and at Salzburg in this case, they have this mindset of signing players with untapped potential. You get to play in a top-flight league of a pretty decent standard where you can develop and, most importantly, it puts you in the shop window to show Europe’s elite teams what you can do.
They’re a stepping-stone club, and they make no bones about it. They own the role. They’ll say: “We’ll sign you for a small fee, and if you prove yourself in six months, a bigger club will come in for you and we both stand to win.” (Erling) Haaland is the perfect example. They signed him for a modest amount, gave him minutes in the Austrian Bundesliga, where he excelled, and Borussia Dortmund came calling with an offer of such-and-such a fee. It’s a win-win. Salzburg know exactly what they are, and they play the role better than most.
How did you think Real Madrid will fare at the Club World Cup with a new coach and a group of new players?
It’s tough because, as you say, it could go either way. A new coach comes in, brings new faces into the squad and has to deal with players who ended the season on an upward or downward trajectory, depending on the player. I think (Xabi Alonso) is a good fit for Real Madrid because ultimately, even though I don’t know exactly how he goes about his work, everything I’ve seen looks very encouraging. The transformation he oversaw at Bayer Leverkusen was remarkable. They went from being a side battling against relegation to one competing at the top and even went and won the league.
I think that Madrid can only stand to benefit from his taking the reins. The players he has brought in will only strengthen the squad. As long as he manages to improve the players who have seen a slight drop-off in form, they are going to be a force to be reckoned with again. What’s more, this is a brand-new competition, which is always an enticing prospect for powerhouses like Real Madrid.
There have been lingering doubts as to whether Kylian Mbappe can operate as a striker. What do you make of him in that position?
I think that Mbappe's greatest strength, or at least one of them, is his speed, and he has more space to exploit when he’s out wide and a little deeper. But of course, all the goals he’s scored speak for themselves. The good thing about him is that he’s an attacker through and through, it doesn’t matter where you put him. I think he’s perhaps more of a threat out on the wing. But if you go with him up top and he gets on the scoresheet, what difference does it make?
All that really matters is that he’s out there on the pitch. This year, for instance, when Vinicius (Jr) plays down the middle, it means Mbappe can play out on the flank. If they keep switching positions like that, he could be an era-defining player for many years to come. When all’s said and done, he has attributes that are vital in today’s game: speed and power, not to mention the goals in his locker. His power and lightning acceleration make him a real difference-maker.
How much of an achievement do you think it is for Diego Simeone to have spent 14 years at the helm of a huge club like Atlético de Madrid?
I take my hat off to him. There are coaches who’ll tell you that you need to hit the reset button every so many years. That you have to move on so that the players don’t get stuck in a rut and lose their drive. Yet Simeone draws that desire out of them year after year. He’s managed to create soldiers – Simeone’s soldiers. One of his best assets is his ability to communicate. Anyone who signs for the club trusts in Simeone’s message, and he gets them onside.
That’s no mean feat when you’re signing players of the calibre of [Antoine] Griezmann and Julian Alvarez, who are household names of the sport. But Simeone brings them into the fold and turns them into soldiers. Usually, a player might have faith in a coach and follow their instructions for a couple of years. But for 14 years now, the players have put their trust in what he has to say and followed his lead, which is really admirable. He’s doing such an impressive job, and he deserves plenty of plaudits.
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