Lasnik: "The lightness of being struck me"

Lasnik sounds a bit like 'lässig' (laid-back). And Andreas Lasnik is just that.

The brilliant left-footer and former set-piece specialist for SV Ried and Wiener Austria was always a bit extravagant and fashion-conscious. "It really annoyed me that some coaches and teammates often reduced me to my appearance and my penchant for fashion," says the now 42-year-old.

Bundesliga Debut under Fredl Tatar

At 19, Lasnik made his Bundesliga debut under coach Alfred Tatar in Ried. With the team from Innviertel, he was relegated from the Bundesliga and later, in 2005, returned as "Young Star of the Year" in what was then the Erste Liga.

With Wiener Austria, the Styrian played in a "brutally strong squad" and won the championship title in 2006 (under the duo Schinkels/Stöger) and 2007. In addition, in 2007, under coach Georg Zellhofer, he won the ÖFB Cup at the Hanappi Stadium. In the 2-1 final victory against Mattersburg, Lasnik provided the assist for the 1-1 equalizer and then scored the winning goal.

"Bild" Dubbed Lasnik the "Tivoli-Beckham"

At Andy Ogris's Stammtisch - moderated by LAOLA1 Editor-in-Chief Peter Rietzler - Andreas Lasnik also talks about his time as a foreign-based player at Alemannia Aachen ("I had a tough time there after the Bild newspaper announced me as a model and Tivoli-Beckham!"), as well as in the Netherlands and Greece.

Today, the former midfielder works in the LASNIK family business, which stands for modern ophthalmic optics, innovative design, and high-quality products.

"Players Must Work Harder!"

How he made his ÖFB international debut in Manchester and how he believes Austrian football can return to a more successful path, and why Andy Ogris predicts a difficult trip for Austria to Hartberg, are revealed by the two in the 195th episode of the LAOLA1-Stammtisch presented by ImmoScout24 (Video and Podcast).