Kurt Wachter (fairplay) spoke to him about his time in the USA, the fans’ enthusiasm and the changing role of players.
You were under contract with Seattle from summer 2015 to winter 2016. How did you find that period?
It was certainly something very special – living in America on the one hand, and playing football there on the other. It was often a challenge, both geographically and in terms of the climate. But we enjoyed it as a family, and our time in Seattle was very exciting. Nature was practically on our doorstep. From a sporting perspective, the league is very exciting. The format is completely different, and the standard of play
was really good too. The sporting highlight was, of course, winning the league title with the Seattle Sounders in December 2016 – the club’s first ever.
How would you describe the fan culture in Seattle?
I found Seattle to be a city absolutely mad about sport. The enthusiasm for the various sports teams was immense, whether it was American football, baseball or football. You’d see people walking around the streets in their team shirts, and the stadiums were always full. We had an average attendance of 40,000 at our home matches. That’s really quite special. Lumen Field is now one of the eleven World Cup stadiums in the USA. Six World Cup matches will be played in Seattle. The city has announced that it intends to mark the Iran v Egypt match as a ‘Pride’ match to send a message in support of LGBT rights and inclusion.
Does Seattle hold a special place in this regard?
Seattle is regarded as a cosmopolitan city. As a family, we were able to experience its openness and sense of community for ourselves. I am delighted that Seattle will be hosting a total of six matches during the World Cup. All fans – whether spectators in the stadium or visitors to the city – will enjoy their time there.
In the US, the proportion of women who play football is very high – is ‘soccer’ more progressive there than in Europe?
The US has always been a pioneer in the promotion and development of women’s football and an international role model. In recent years, however, we’ve also been seeing increasing support and promotion of women’s football in Europe, which naturally makes me very happy as the dad of a football-mad daughter.
Many fans saw the presentation of a specially created FIFA Peace Prize to President Trump as an embarrassing attempt to curry favour with him. You were there in person at the draw in Washington, D.C. – how did you find the experience?
I really enjoyed the time leading up to the draw ceremony and the draw itself. I was impressed by FIFA’s organisation. It was a huge networking event; I was able to make lots of contacts and it was an unforgettable two days in Washington. Nevertheless, I must admit that in one or two situations I found myself wondering what on earth was going on. The role of players has changed recently; many of them are speaking out on various issues via social media.
To what extent can or should a player speak out on social issues, such as human rights violations?
A great deal has really changed since then. With the internet, social media and so on, everything has become much more fast-paced, which isn’t always a good thing. Public perception and the way we interact with one another have changed. I often say that it used to be simply easier to be a professional. We used to read match reports in the newspaper the very next day, could move about more freely and had more peace and quiet. These days, with online media and reporting, what’s happened is already being hotly debated in forums just five minutes after the match. It’s hard to overlook or ignore that.
It’s a fine line, and always will be, because of course you have your own opinion, but does it make sense to always voice it publicly?
At the end of the day, as a competitive athlete, you simply want to perform to the best of your ability, with the greatest possible output, and any distraction is counterproductive.
What advice would you give to a young player who wants to speak out in public?
Think very carefully about what you say and when you say it. It’s important to show your personality and have your own opinions, but you have to be aware that you’re in the public eye. As we know, the public can be ruthless at times. That’s why you should choose your words carefully.
What significance does the ÖFB team’s World Cup qualification have for domestic football, and what positive effects can be expected?
Every time the ÖFB takes part in a tournament, it’s a huge success. This success helps enormously at every level. More spectators come to the stadiums. Projects can be implemented more easily and the work is more enjoyable. I think what is often forgotten are the people who work behind the scenes and who deserve this success just as much. I know from my own experience that so many things simply go more smoothly when success is on the cards. As well as the already successful implementation of the ÖFB Campus – which we were even discussing back in my day around the time of Euro 2008 – I also hope that the ‘Stadion Neu’ project will move forward. Vienna needs modern infrastructure and a new multi-purpose arena, not just for football.
Kurt Wachter conducted this interview with Andreas Ivanschitz as part of the “GameON! Sport for Human Rights” project for the fairplay info sheet on the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
