Matthäus: "Experts have the right to express their opinion"
Following the dispute with Bayern Munich coach Thomas Tuchel, record-breaking international Lothar Matthäus has defended his style as a soccer pundit.
"Experts have the right to express their opinion. That's why they are there," the 62-year-old told the German Press Agency. "If I look back over the last ten years, anyone can say that I'm critical of certain things. I address the things that I see and don't address anything that I don't see or feel."
That is simply the work of a TV expert. "It's not far removed from that of a journalist," he said. "Ultimately, we judge what we see. And it's completely normal that we don't see everything the same way."
Before and after Munich's Bundesliga top match at Borussia Dortmund (4:0) on 4 November, Tuchel had expressed himself with biting irony to the Sky experts Matthäus and Dietmar Hamann, who had previously criticized him. The Bayern coach broke off the interview after the game.
Bundesliga pundit on Sky for over ten years
Matthäus has been a Bundesliga pundit on Sky for more than ten years. Since 2019, he has also worked for RTL, for example on Saturdays during international matches. He sees it as his job to prepare viewers for the game.
"I discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the teams and the individual players. So that in the end you get the most important things across for the game during the pre-match skirmish," said the ex-professional: "What's at stake today? What's at stake, which player do you have to pay particular attention to? Who has their strengths where? And then not just say something, but, if possible, back it up with pictures."
He doesn't think much of statistics. "I'm not necessarily a fan of that. That's more the American style. I'm a bit more old-fashioned," said Matthäus. "I come to my assessments by watching games and reading up on them in the media and specialist magazines." He also has direct contacts: "You talk to them just before the game."
- Lothar Matthäus, renowned for his analyst role in German soccer coverage on both Sky and RTL for over a decade, praised the importance of TV experts expressing their opinions, aligning with his own critical stance during his tenure.
- During Bayern Munich's top Bundesliga game against Borussia Dortmund, Thomas Tuchel interacted with Matthäus and Dietmar Hamann from Sky, voicing his displeasure following their previous criticisms, leading to an abrupt end to the post-match interview.
- Reflecting on his job as a TV expert, Matthäus explained that he gathers information by watching games, reading media articles, and engaging with professionals before the matches, instead of relying heavily on statistics.
Source: www.dpa.com
