Bayern's Austria director Freund recently accepted an exclusive interview with "Sky Sports Germany" and talked about many topics related to the Austrian national team and Alaba.

——Austria successfully qualified for the World Cup. What does this mean for you personally and for Austria as a country?

"It means a lot! Austria has not been to the World Cup for 28 years, so this is very special. The whole country has been looking forward to this for a long time. This team deserves this honor, they play wonderful football and are full of energy. Ralf Rangnick did a great job. Although the final stage was thrilling, it was even more exciting because of it. People are excited. The whole Austria is in a frenzy. Personally, I'm happy for the people involved because I know a lot of them. It's a very good story and it's good for Austrian football."

David Alaba's role in the Austrian national team.

"Bayern fans know David and know how important he has been to this team in the past. Off the pitch, he is also a great guy who has done a lot to integrate the team both on and off the pitch. The past year and a half has not been easy for him because he has suffered a lot of injuries. But he has always been involved. , even during the European Cup, he supported the team on the bench. He is an important communicator for the coach, the team and the captain. He currently plays a very important role as a player and assistant coach (laughing)"

- Is it conceivable that Alaba returns to Bayern Munich in any capacity?

"There are no plans yet. However, his years at Bayern did leave a deep mark on the club, and he is a very good, intelligent young man who will have a bright future even after his football career is over. But he also wants to play football for a while and represent Austria at the World Cup."