Lukas Watkowiak has been FC St.Gallen's No. 2 and cup goalkeeper for five and a half years. But there is no reason for FC Basel to be happy. With the giant in goal, FC St.Gallen practically never loses.
FC Basel sacked coach Ludovic Magnin before the week of truth. Stephan Lichtsteiner is now in charge of achieving the ambitious goals for the season. The start was unsuccessful: first the 0:1 against Pilsen in the Europa League, then the 1:2 against Thun in the championship.
If last season's double winners don't want to be knocked out of the Cup, they will have to beat FC St.Gallen at Kybunpark today.
To do so, Shaqiri & Co. must first get the ball past the giant Lukas Watkowiak. St.Gallen's cup goalie, 29 years old and just under two meters tall. The German will be on fire, having already made saves in the two penalty shoot-outs against Rapperswil and the previous round against FC Wil.
Watkowiak moved to FC St.Gallen in the summer of 2020 at the age of 24. The German has now been at the club for five and a half years, always as number 2 behind Lawrence Ati Zigi.
In terms of his class, he would be number 1 in other Super League clubs. Doesn't he have any problems with being in Zigi's shadow for years? Watkowiak: "When I came here, it was clear that I would be number two. I have my role at the club and I feel comfortable."
Only 4 defeats in 25 games with Watkowiak in goal
Normally goalkeepers are unhappy when they are the No. 2, they scrape their hooves and want to play. Apparently not Watkowiak. When asked whether he lacks the ambition to accept the substitute role for five and a half years, he says: "No. I don't lack the will. But there can only be one goalkeeper and we have two or three great goalkeepers. Zigi is the undisputed number one at the moment."
Watkowiak makes no secret of the fact that he and his family feel right at home in eastern Switzerland. And when he is needed between the posts, he is there. The statistics speak for him: of the 25 games with Watkowiak, only four were lost. The last defeat was two years ago against Délemont.
FCB should at least not be happy that the substitute will probably be in goal for FCSG today. Because Watkowiak will be on fire.
