RALPH Hasenhuttl admits “I know everything” about Saints’ 1976 FA Cup triumph as he looks to continue the club’s march towards more glory this year. Asked if he has spoken to anyone who was part of the club that won the FA Cup in 1976,
Ralph Hasenhuttl said: “I don’t have to speak about it with someone because I know everything now. As soon as I was coming (here), I heard everything about it. You see the pictures all around here. You see the pictures on the way to the dressing room, when the Queen gives us the trophy. So you know everything about it. I have seen the pictures when they were celebrating in the city and it would be a big success for us definitely, also coming to the final first. This is the goal for the weekend.”
Discussing his early memories of watching the FA Cup whilst growing up in Austria,
Ralph Hasenhuttl added: “The tradition of this competition is something well-known in England, but also known in Europe. It’s definitely the most traditional and well-known cup competition around the world. I remember one of the first football games I have seen was an FA Cup final. It was always a big moment for me to watch these games, the atmosphere at Wembley Stadium was amazing. I always remember the unbelievable, beautiful pitch you could see there. That was something special for me to see and also the big goals. I remember a few interesting games. When I was a kid, it was maybe one of the first games I’ve seen. It was not a black and white TV, I think it was colour. I remember a very early game, with Liverpool winning I think. It was a very interesting game and the atmosphere was amazing, we were watching at home. This FA Cup is a very traditional competition and this is the reason why everybody loves it so much in this country I think. I think the fact you have three or four weekends where you play this cup is something unique in all the leagues around Europe, that you play the cup at the weekend. This shows how important the cup is here for the people in this country and should be for us.”