Lothar Matthäus has been working as a TV expert and columnist for around 20 years. In an interview with SPOX and Goal, the 60-year-old record international player explains his various activities, reviews his media career so far and reveals what he is often criticized for in his appearances.
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Mr. Matthew, You are considered to be one of the most sought-after and most cited football experts in Germany. How do you assess your role as an opinion maker?
Matthew: That makes it all the more difficult to judge everything in such a way that I won’t step on anyone’s tie. I want to be correct: one way as well as the other. In general, I would rather praise than denigrate something. But when I see bad games, bad results or mistakes, then I have to be critical of them. But I can look everyone I’ve criticized in the eye. As a player, I used to have to live with criticism that sometimes went below the belt. So I know how that hurts. It is important that I feel comfortable with what I say. I don’t want to feel guilty about players or coaches after a game.
Is there a statement that you regretted in retrospect?
Matthew: It has happened to all of us. I’m sorry for that. In such a case, however, I am not too bad for clearing up my sentences or words with the person concerned as quickly as possible.
How often do players, coaches or officials contact you after criticizing them?
Matthew: Actually not at all, because I always try to support and explain my statements. Why do I say, for example, that Bayern doesn’t have the strongest squad in the Bundesliga? Because I think the squad from Dortmund, Leipzig or Wolfsburg is stronger in places 15 to 22. As a journalistic expert, I try to come across as credible. For me, that is the most important thing in my job.
Lothar Matthäus: “You don’t need to ask me for that”
Do you often get asked questions that annoy you?
Matthew: If someone asks me who will be the best player of the new season, it doesn’t bother me. But it’s a question I can’t answer because I’m not a clairvoyant. I can say that Bayern Munich will play for the championship. But that’s not a secret. Also not that Leipzig and Dortmund are probably the strongest competitors, that Fürth, Bielefeld and Bochum are more likely to play against relegation, and that Hertha BSC is a lucky bag. These are all things that you can write yourself. You don’t even need to ask me for that.
Where do you see the added value in your work?
Matthew: When it comes to games, a former player who has been around for as long as I can judge better. One asks oneself: what is important for the viewer? What does he want to know from you? Have you seen any background that you can explain with visual material? For example Timo Werner’s path in front of Kai Havertz’s decisive goal in the Champions League final. This is something that the soccer fan at home may not see the way I do. I want to get that across.
Do you actually see yourself as a journalist?
Matthew: Yes.
Since the beginning of your expert career?
Matthew: Yes. I knew that I was no longer a player or a coach, but that from now on I would work as a journalist. But I am a journalist who is also interviewed by my colleagues. It’s actually a strange situation.
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