Zawieschitzky After Incredible Save: "I Did My Job"

If the sports management in Salzburg ever had doubts about whether it was the right decision to entrust the number one spot to the incredibly young Christian Zawieschitzky, those doubts have been dispelled since Thursday.

In the victory at the start of the "Bulls'" European campaign against Pafos (Match Report>>>), the 19-year-old was one of the match-winners.

The ÖFB U21 keeper was wide awake after a serious mistake by left-back Dominik Schmid in the 61st minute, when he went one-on-one against Pafos striker Lele.

Zawieschitzky had actually been brought to the ground by the Brazilian with a body feint, but the Tyrolean demonstrated incredible reflexes and crucially clawed the ball away from Lele's foot at the last moment.

Zawieschitzky Remains Humble

How did that happen, please? "Nothing went through my mind. It might have looked strange, I just tried to throw everything into it. In the end, it paid off."

"I did my job and I'm grateful that it worked out. But ultimately, the guys up front won the game," the teenager says modestly.

Meanwhile, his coach, Danny Röhl, raves: "A magnificent situation from 'Chris', he handled it superbly."

"He Saved Us"

Centre-back Kevin Boma adds: "He showed today why he is our number one, despite being only 19 years old. He saved us."

Zawieschitzky had already shown last summer at the FIFA Club World Cup, as well as in a Europa League match against Go Ahead Eagles, that the international stage is exactly right for him. On Thursday, he also handled many situations like a veteran.

"A good start to the season for him with two clean sheets, in which he was directly involved. That's very important for a young goalkeeper. He exudes calm and has clear solutions in possession," Röhl enthuses.