Robin, it’s Matchday 34. Describe the scenario. Four stadiums with teams fighting to stay up. Four clubs with the chance of a really great weekend or the saddest weekend of the year. Describe the situation at the bottom of the standings heading into the final day.
“We’re obviously only focusing on ourselves, because everything is happening in the other stadiums at the same time. We won’t be able to see what’s going on there or perform any sort of tricks. We have to focus on ourselves, we have to approach the game with that kind of focus. It’s the most important game of the season. It means all our focus is solely on Saturday.”
Another player from 1. FSV Mainz 05 recently said that a relegation battle would be really cool. What do you think about it?
“Unfortunately, you can only tell afterwards whether it was really cool or not. We’ve definitely had a lot of good moments in this relegation battle, emotional ones, but also setbacks. We’ve had some draws where we might have hoped for more. We also had to take some tough defeats. A relegation battle is always very emotional, very hard, mentally demanding, physically demanding, but when you come out on top in the end, it’s a hug relief and a great feeling.”
What does it do to people? Not just you guys on the pitch but also when you look into the stands and see the drama on the faces of the fans. You probably don’t notice it during the 90 minutes, but how do you see the fans in a relegation battle?
“You see with us how helpful they can be, because the emotions that maybe give you that last push in a home game, that’s definitely always pushed us in the last few weeks. And the fans have been behind us all year, regardless of the results, our performances. The fans have always supported us. I think that’s one of the reasons in determining who comes out on top in a relegation battle.”
Focusing on the game, VfL Wolfsburg hasn’t been great this season. Are they particularly easy or particularly dangerous?
“We can’t influence what VfL Wolfsburg do, but we can influence what we do. We just have to look at ourselves. We need 120 percent tension, we need to have the bit between our teeth, and in Wolfsburg – obviously an away game, where they will want to finish well, definitely get another win, but we obviously need a win to survive. That means it’s much more important for us, and we have to see that.”
How do you prepare during the week? The same as before every game or something special? What’s it like within the team? How do leaders like you do things?
“I think we just have to get it in our heads that this Saturday can be decisive and we have to prepare in such a way that we know if we win or get a point there, we’ve done it. We need to chase that feeling, because that’s our next step, that’s our big goal, that’s the position we’ve worked hard to get to for the final matchday on Saturday. We have to get that over the line now.”
Does your coach, Bo Henriksen, help? He wasn’t that well known in Germany, but he was anything but quiet.
“He also brings the good mood, the desire and the positive attitude to look at ourselves, to attack, to go forward, to have courage. He passes that on like few others. And that’s so important, but when we’ve played like that, we’ve done well. We’ve seen that in the last few weeks and we need to build on that now.”
How have you bounced back from setbacks? I am thinking back to November and December when the team really didn’t play well. Then there was the mistake you made in Leverkusen. You’ve had to deal with a lot. How did you manage it all?
“That is part of football. There are always periods where it’s easy, periods where it’s harder. You have to get through it. You have to get through it as a team, as a sportsman. They’re part of it, just like the positive periods, which unfortunately we haven’t had too many of this season. But we want to have that positive experience again on Saturday. Then all the negative events of the last few months will be forgotten.”
You had a positive experience last weekend when you defeated UEFA Champions League finalists Borussia Dortmund, blowing them away early on. How do you see the game a few days later and what can you take away from it, apart from the three points?
“Those are definitely the ones we want to take the most. Other than that, I thought we had a really good first half. In terms of pressing, the signalling was great, the intensity in pressing them was great, we defended really well. We allowed them very little. We won the ball back quickly and high up the pitch, which is very important for our game. And in the second half, obviously Borussia Dortmund had more of the ball and we had to drop a little bit deeper, but we still defended well. What we can take away from the game is that we mastered both phases of the
game, attacking high and defending deep, without getting nervous. Because when we defend cleanly… we can do it, we just have to do it. And always be active, because as soon as you become a bit passive… You can be active as a block, but we have to be active, because as soon as we become passive, it becomes extremely difficult for us, because there are teams in the Bundesliga – and VfL Wolfsburg can play – that will take advantage of that. And if you don’t pass the ball, there’s space and teams can play into it.”
How do you feel about the sympathy from outside the club? A certain Jürgen Klopp recently spoke to us passionately about 1. FSV Mainz 05, which is unsurprising because this is where he made his name. A famous coach in the world of football congratulating you, how do you all fell about that?
“I think it’s normal in this case that he’s cheering for us and keeping his fingers crossed. I think the fans always like to hear that, obviously we do too, but you know it anyway. I also know all our coaches sitting at home who – with Jan [Siewert] and Bo [Svensson] – unfortunately lost their jobs this year, but will still be rooting for us. I know that. It’s definitely good to know that everyone associated with 1. FSV Mainz 05 is keeping their fingers crossed.”
The end of games are often very exciting in relegation battles, with things often happening that make people wonder. Are you expecting a finish like that? How do you make sure that overtime doesn’t feel like overtime and you’re just watching a game end?
“Not at all. I don’t worry about that. We’re just focusing on ourselves, on the game what we can influence. We have to approach the game like that. We want to win it, and that’s exactly how we need to approach it. What the other guys are doing… That’s not our thing anyway. So, we don’t need to talk about eventualities, about what happens if this one draws, that one wins. It’s irrelevant if we just win our game. So, let’s focus on that, and the rest will just happen.”
What will happen in Mainz if all goes well this weekend and you stay up? “We’ll deal with that afterwards. First, we need to make it happen, then we can talk.”
