FC Red Bull Salzburg captain Eddie Gustafsson is a man who knows all about learning new languages, having grown up in the USA before going on to play football in Sweden and Norway, prior to his switch to Austria last year.
So, the Philadelphia-born Sweden international goalkeeper had little hesitation in rising to the challenge when Red Bulls head coach Huub Stevens inisted that German be the only language spoken within a team comprised of players from 16 different nations.
The Red Bulls senior squad is made up of players from Sweden, Austria, Serbia, Nigeria, Switzerland, Germany, Denmark, Netherlands Antilles, Croatia, Cameroon, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Uganda, and Holland, but Eddie comes top of the class when it comes to languages and here we find out why:
Eddie, your German is amazing and you’ve only lived in Austria for about a year. How do you do it?
At the beginning I bought one of those starter courses in a bookstore - only to find out at home that you needed some aptitude for it. But then I found a really good CD that really includes you in its programme. All in all I would say that I've learned that fast because I'm a good listener and always ask people to repeat if I don't understand them.
Your kids are going to kindergarten in Austria – their German must be quite good too?
Good would be understated! I often get approached by people who say 'Eddie, your kids talk just like real Austrians!'
You were born in the US and have a Swedish passport. Which language is spoken at home?
We speak Swedish, but the kids watch a lot of German TV and therefore ask a lot about words and their meanings.
But Swedish and German do have some similarities, don’t they?
That's right. I kind of have an advantage over the other guys because there are words that mean exactly the same in Swedish as they do in German.
Which language, out of English, Swedish and German, do you think is the most difficult?
[Laughs] German, without a doubt.
Do you think you have a special talent for learning new languages that fast?
I wouldn't say that. I just love talking and that's exactly what makes you become better.
GEPA pictures/Felix Roittner
Is it an advantage for kids to grow up with different languages?
Definitely. German is a very important and international language - I am really happy that my kids have the chance to learn it.
Your colleagues, like Ibrahim Sekagya [from Uganda] and Nikola Pokrivac [from Croatia] attend language school three times a week - do you already see an improvement in them?
Their German is good and I am pretty sure it will become better in time. It's just really important to have one common language within the team.
Do you have problems with the Austrian dialects?
Sometimes, especially the dialect that is spoken in Tyrol – it is pretty hard for me to understand.
Any players who give you a hard time with their dialects?
Leiti [Christoph Leitgeb, Styria] and Heinz [Arzberger, Carinthia]. If they start talking really fast I can hardly keep up.
Do you have a favourite German word?
I really like the word 'genau' [exactly].
Did you know any German before moving to Austria?
Well, there was one word...
Which one?
[Laughs] A word that almost everyone knows: Scheiße [shit].
Keep up to date with the Red Bulls this season at their official site.
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