Mainz 05 target Austrian green keeper
A German Bundesliga team already employing two Austrians have set their sights on another fellow countryman the green keeper of the Salzburg town where they held their pre-season training camp this summer.Mainz 05 coach Thomas Tuchel has complained for weeks about the state of the pitch at the clubs home ground. Now a German sports press report has it that Tuchel is considering hiring the Mittersill council worker who took care of the training grounds on which his team got ready for the current season some weeks ago.”The pitches in Mittersill were in fantastic condition like those at a golf course,” Tuchel said today (Thurs).Mainz 05 executive manager Christian Heidel is expected to meet Mainz city hall officials for talks on the issue since the city government employs the green keepers looking after the clubs stadium pitch and its training grounds.Mainz 05 are currently third in the 18-team Bundesliga after winning both their first two matches of the 2010/2011 season.Former Rapid Vienna ace Andreas Ivanschitz joined the club who face newly-promoted side 1. FC Kaiserslautern on Sunday last year. Austrian national team defender Christian Fuchs was transferred from VfL Bochum to the Red-Whites ahead of the start of this season.Meanwhile, all eyes will be on Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink this Sunday. The Dutch striker is tipped to debut for his new club Rapid against city rivals Austria Vienna in the 294th Vienna derby.The 31-year-old striker joined the 32-time Austrian Bundesliga champs following English Premiership club Hull Citys decision not to extend his contract after just one year.Title-holders Red Bull Salzburg who are currently only in eighth face LASK Linz on Saturday.German football icon Paul Breitner criticised the star-studded team in an interview with the Tiroler Tageszeitung earlier this week.The former Bayern Munich midfielder said: “I just dont understand why Salzburg failed in the final play off stage of the Champions League. I saw some knock out matches, but hardly any of the teams were better than Salzburg.”He added: “Top players will never join Salzburg because they dont want to play in the Austrian league no matter how much money they are offered.”The Austrian Bundesliga table after six rounds:SV Ried, 15 pointsWacker Innsbruck, 13Sturm Graz, 10Rapid Vienna, 9Kapfenberg, 8Austria Vienna, 8Magna Wiener Neustadt, 7Red Bull Salzburg, 4LASK Linz, 3SV Mattersburg, 3