Renato Steffen was named Super League Player of the Year 2024 at the Swiss Football Night. In an interview with blue Sport, the Lugano professional reveals what the award means to him, what his goals are and what the national team chapter looks like.
No time? blue News summarizes for you
- Renato Steffen was named Super League Player of the Season. The FC Lugano attacker is playing his third season in Ticino and has ambitions of playing for the championship title with the team.
- The trained painter, who only found his way into professional football late on, shone as the best provider of assists in the league in 2024.
- Most recently, Steffen, who has been a member of the national team since 2015, was no longer called up. The 33-year-old wants a clear statement from national team coach Murat Yakin regarding his future with the SFA.
Renato Steffen, Super League Player of the Year 2024. What does this award mean to you?
Very much. I'd be lying if I said that individual awards mean nothing to a footballer. You're always looking for recognition for the work you do every day. And an award like this gives me confirmation that I've achieved a lot over the course of a year. That's why it makes me proud on the one hand, but it's also an obligation for me to be here again next year.
You returned to Switzerland from Wolfsburg in the summer of 2022. Was it also in your thoughts at the time to win an award like this?
When I arrived, I knew first and foremost what FC Lugano wanted from me and what I wanted from myself. I knew that I was in top shape - I was able to show my skills in the Bundesliga for four and a half years. I want to do the same here in the Super League. It's not so easy when you come back, the expectations are very high. Perhaps not many people believe that you can play such a leading role again when you return. That was actually my incentive. The prizes are the end product of my achievements. I've done a lot of things right in the two and a half years I've been here in Lugano. We've taken a different path, which has helped me to put it all into practice and promote my performances. I hope we can continue this until the end of the season.
So the next goal is the championship title?
If you start talking about the championship title in the winter, then - if it doesn't work out - it's going to blow up in your face at some point. But in terms of where we want to be, that would be the logical consequence. If we have steadily improved year on year and are now in first place, we also want to be in first place at the end of the season. I came here and said I wanted to win a title. If it could be the championship afterwards, all the better. It's a title that's worth a lot because you have to get the maximum out of 38 games. That's why I'm trying to help the team win the trophy.
The second half of the season kicks off with a top match against Basel. Hand on heart - is that still a special occasion for you?
People remember you cheering against Basel, for example ...
Yes, it will always be a special constellation when I play against FCB. Now, of course, with Shaq - a good friend of mine, also in the national team - who has come back. But the jubilation at the time wasn't directed at FCB itself. There was a lot of talk about why that was the case. FCB will always be a club that I carry in my heart because I had the most success there in my entire career. And that's why you can't forget it so quickly. But we're going to play against each other, it's going to be a huge fight in 90 minutes. Of course I hope we can keep these three points at home. I'm certainly really looking forward to this game.
Speaking of the national team - you weren't called up for the last few international matches. Is this award a satisfaction for you now?
Satisfaction is the wrong word. Everyone knows what the national team means to me. It's certainly also nice for me to know that I may have done a lot of things right for my club despite not being nominated. And I also know that the answers are no longer on the pitch. I can't influence anything else anyway. I still have a very good relationship with Murat Yakin. You know that and I can feel it too. Ultimately, at some point you have to decide which direction to take. Should it be with or without Steffen in the national team? I'd also be happy if that could be clarified at some point. That would also give me a certain amount of security. Perhaps to be able to carry on with something, to keep going or to be able to finish with something. I'm the kind of person who needs a bit of time to process things anew. But the time has certainly not yet come. That's why I'm taking things step by step again and looking ahead.
With or without Steffen. FC Lugano may also be asking themselves this question - your contract expires in the summer. Where do you see your future? Can you imagine taking on another adventure abroad?
The football business is very fast-moving. If I no longer feel the hunger, I would be the first to say I don't want to do it anymore. I feel very comfortable in Lugano, with the family, everything fits. If I want to continue here - then I'd love to. But I'm certainly not averse to another adventure abroad, where I can really say it suits me. I'm not someone who moves somewhere just to be there. It has to be a story that people want to plan with me. It also has to be carefully considered, because I also have a responsibility to my family. We are now looking at what the weeks and months will bring. I'm sure I'll have a few more talks with Carlos (da Silva; Lugano sporting director - ed.).
