Brazilian football legend Pelé described Alain Sutter as the "discovery of the tournament" at the 1994 World Cup. In the Legends Talk, the former talent of the century reveals why he didn't make it as a world footballer.
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- At the 1994 World Cup, Alain Sutter wowed the football world with his strong performances for the Swiss national team.
- Even the Brazilian legend Pelé described the then Bayern newcomer as the "discovery of the tournament".
- At the time, many people even believed that the high-class technician could make the leap to world footballer. But at Bayern Munich, Sutter said he failed mainly due to self-doubt and the mental pressure at the highest level.
- The constant media hype and public criticism also got to him. For this reason, the Swiss player later deliberately moved to the MLS in order to rediscover the joy of football.
June 22, 1994, World Cup in the USA: Alain Sutter gives Switzerland a 1:0 lead against Romania in the Silverdome near Detroit. The spectacular shot into the far corner leads to a 4:1 victory for the Swiss national team and triggers football euphoria throughout the country.
But Sutter's performances attracted attention far beyond Switzerland's borders. Despite breaking his little toe in the opening game against the USA and suffering enormous pain, the then 26-year-old shone in the scorching heat of Pontiac.
Even football god Pelé is amazed. The Brazilian described the Swiss high-class technician, whose transfer to Bayern Munich had already been confirmed, as the discovery of the tournament. And so many Swiss football fans wondered on that June 22: could there soon be a first world footballer from our country?
This dream was shattered surprisingly quickly. Just four years later, the former hopeful ended his career on the other side of the USA, in Dallas. After just one year with Bayern, the attacking midfielder transferred to the MLS via Freiburg and stepped into a hole on the training pitch in the spring of 1998. The injury is so serious that Sutter ends his career at the age of 30.
"The slightest doubt and you have no chance"
"I have the feeling that the main reason was that I wasn't strong enough as a person," Sutter analyzes the course of his career in an interview with blue Sport. "I had far too many self-doubts and never felt that I was the best."
But that's exactly what clubs like Bayern Munich need, says the now 58-year-old, for whom the top level would have been achievable in purely footballing terms. "I saw in training that I could keep up. And I could have made a difference," says Sutter, looking back.
The attacking player's immense talent had already made a big impression on Karli Odermatt years earlier. The youngster was playing on a different star, the Basel legend said when he saw Sutter play for FC Bümpliz in the 2nd division at the age of 17. Odermatt's conclusion at the time: a talent of the century.
But in the Bundesliga, there was also the mental hurdle. "I always took a critical look at myself," reveals Sutter. "But if you have even the slightest doubt in this environment, then you have no chance."
Doubts lead to nervousness, and nervousness in turn leads to tenseness. "And then the mistakes come and you're simply not good enough for this level because it simply doesn't like it there."
But even after moving to Freiburg, Sutter was unable to return to his best times. This was also due to the constant media hype in the football world. This ultimately led to the Swiss player moving to the MLS at the age of 28.
"It was too much for me. Too many negative things came at me during this phase and I lost my enjoyment of football," recalls Sutter, who stood out not only because of his long hair. His interests in homeopathy and a vegetarian diet were also polarizing.
"All that stuff, being in these pigeonholes and being confronted with the same things over and over again - I couldn't cope with it anymore," says Sutter. It was a very conscious decision to move to the USA. "To a league where the media interest was very limited. I simply wanted to regain the joy of football at the end of my career."
