Onur Cinel spent many years at Schalke and now, as Austria’s assistant coach, he will face Turkey – his parents’ home country – in the round of 16 of the European Championship. We spoke to him.

The round of 16 match between Austria and Turkey (Tuesday, 21:00) in Leipzig is a very special one for Onur Cinel. The parents of the co-coach of the Austrian national team came to Germany from Turkey more than four decades ago. The family of the long-time Schalke coach comes from Trabzon on the Black Sea and now lives in Gladbeck. They will of course be in Leipzig on Tuesday. We spoke to the 39-year-old ahead of the game.

Onur Cinel, Austria will play Turkey in the round of 16 of the European Championship on Tuesday. Your parents came to Germany many years ago as immigrants from Turkey. This is a very special game for you, isn’t it?

Of course, it’s a round of 16 match in a European Championship. My family will also be there, which makes the whole thing even more special.

Are two hearts beating in your chest on Tuesday?

Of course, it’s a very special constellation. It was the same for me in the test match against Germany. However, as a competitor, you completely ignore that towards kick-off and focus on the game.

How many ticket requests did you receive from Gladbeck and the surrounding area – and were you able to satisfy them all?

Very, very many … Unfortunately, that also meant I had to break a few hearts. But my family and a few friends will be there and I’m looking forward to it.

Taking part in the UEFA Euro 2024 in your own country in Germany as assistant coach of the Austrian national team was a dream come true for you. How have you experienced the European Championships so far?

The support, the atmosphere in the stadium and the emotions are on a whole new level. I actually feel very privileged to be able to experience this first-hand.

Marcel Sabitzer praised your influence on the team in a press conference. That makes me very happy, of course. It’s always nice and not a matter of course to get feedback like that. However, we have a great coaching team that is superbly led by Ralf Rangnick. The emphasis here is on the word team. Of course, responsibilities are distributed among us, but we always discuss everything together and work out solutions. In the end, of course, it’s Ralf who decides as head coach.

Who do you think are the favorites for the title?

Spain and Germany have already emerged as favorites for me after the group stage. So it will be a super exciting quarter-final duel